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Esther Evans
ESTHER EVANS Knight of Baha’u’llah 1899—1989
On 29 March 1899, Esther Marie Evans was born in New York City. Her family was Roman Catholic and her father had even studied for the priesthood. Esther herself had always been a seeker, and her first major break with traditional thinking occurred at about age 35, after a discussion with her father who had studied the world’s religions. Esther had asked him, in a teasing way, what he thought was the tale religion, and he had answered: “Well, it would take a lifetime to study the religions of the world, but I’ve made a superficial study and I believe that it’s the Muslim Faith.” Esther had been deeply impressed as this was certainly not a popular or well-known concept in the United States at that time. It left the way open for her to later accept the idea of progressive revelation.
Esther was introduced to the Faith When she was about 53 years old, by John and Valerie Woolson, on whose faim near Victor,
THE BAHA’I WORLD
New York, she lived With her husband of thirty years, Paul Edwards Evans, and her mother-in—law. On Esther’s prompting, John explained the idea of progressive revelation, and as he spoke of the Prophet Muhammad, she accepted Him immediately. Esther recalled later, in an inteiview, that as John spoke of the Báb and Baha’u’llah, she was “suddenly filled with tremendous joy and was enveloped in great, golden light. I felt as though there was no me and I was conscious of nothing about myself. I heard myself saying, ‘John, this is the truest thing that was ever said.’ And I believed. This was my answer.”
The following year, Esther attended the Temple dedication in Wilmette, Illinois, on 2 May 1953. She had had no intention of pioneering then, but a call for pioneers was made at the conference following the dedication. She remembered Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum saying, among other things, “Now you old girls that have independent means and can do this, go to the far places of the world, stay there, live there, put your roots down, die there. Perchance, someone might come along and say, ‘Who is Bahá’u’lláh? What is a Bahá’í?’ You’ll be able to tell them....”
Esther, accompanied by her fn'end Mrs. Lillian Middlemast, anived in St. Lucia on 13 October 1953. Thus the “Helen of the West,” as St. Lucia is known, was blessed With the Message of Baha’u’llah. She recalled later that although she had not heard of St. Lucia before making the decision to pioneer, upon her arrival there she felt as though she had landed in paradise.
As Knights of Baha’u’llah for the Windward Islands, Esther and Lillian were instrumental in bringing the healing Word of the Blessed Beauty to all St. Lucians. Upon Lillian’s return to the United States due to ill health after 10 months of pioneering, Esther remained at her post.
Esther’s warm, gracious personality endeared her to young and old alike. She was in touch with persons of influence and prominence in St. Lucia and established the good
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IN MEMORIAM 943
name of the Faith among her wide circle of friends. In later years she regularly hosted Bahá’í meetings at her home for friends and seekers. During her lifetime, Esther witnessed the growth and fruition of the seed planted by her arrival in St. Lucia. The National Assembly of the Bahá’ís of St. Lucia was inaugurated in 1983, 30 years after her arriva1 there. At the time of her death in 1989, believers numbered over 1,800.
Upon receiving news of her passing on 17 October 1989 at the age of 90 after a short illness, the Universal House of Justice cabled the fol1owing message:
GREATLY SADDENED PASSING VALIANT KNIGHT BAHA’U’LLAH ESTHER EVANS. HER MANY YEARS STEADFAST DEVOTED SERVICES EVIDENCED BY ADMIRABLE GROWTH COMMUNITY ST. LUCIA. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES HER SON AND FRIENDS. ASSURE ARDENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HER NOBLE SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE Bahá’ís OF ST. LUCIA
