Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Florence E. Bagley
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IN MEMORIAM
FLORENCE E. BAGLEY Knight of Baha’u’llah 1914—1990
F Iorence Esther Johnson Bagley was born in Sioux F alls, South Dakota, U.S.A., on 3 Ianuary 1914. A few years before her passing on 3 December 1990, she wrote about her first contact with the Faith:
I learned about the Bahá’í Faith in the spring of 1930, at age 16. I became a believer immediately. My mother was a seeker, and we had attended religious services and related groups for several years, this time attending a Spiritualist meeting in a private home. Our hostess had met Mrs. Elizabeth Greenleaf at the YWCA, and had invited her to speak to us about her Visit to the Holy Land. This was in Flint, Michigan... she told us Who Baha’u’llah was, and I believed her. From then on I called myself a Bahá’í. My mother accepted a little later, and frequently became the hostess for travel teachers.
Florence introduced her future husband, Stanley T. Bagley, to the Faith. They both signed official Bahá’í membership cards in April 1935, short1y after their marriage. They both served on the first Local Spiritual Assembly of F lint from its inception in 1935 until their departure for Sicily in 1953. Florence served as Secretary of the Flint Assembly for many years.
The Bagleys welcomed seekers to weekly firesides and deepening classes and confirmed a steady stream of new believers. They hosted regional conferences for Bahá’í youth who came from several states in the Midwest. Their home was dedicated to the service of Baha’u’llah. r
Florence recounted to her children that she had worked With her mother, Genevieve Elizabeth Hempftling Johnson, to provide meals at Louhelen Ranch (now Louhelen Bahá’í School) during the first two summers of the school’s existence. She served on the LouheIen Program Committee from 1951 to
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1953, both as secretary and chairman, and was a frequent teacher there both before and after the Ten Year World Crusade.
Florence wrote in her memoirs about her response to the call for pioneers.
We had all attended the Jubilee Celebration and the following Conference in Chicago. As soon as we returned home, I began to sort through my papers and books, deciding what to take With us... We offered to go to Africa but never received acknowledgement from the Committee... The Guardian sent a message that the Americans could fill the goals of other countries, so we searched through the booklet containing the goals, and by a process of elimination, chose Sicily. I don’t remember Why. I think it chose us!
We left from New York on an Italian ship, the Comte Biancamano, on 17 October 1953. (It was Gerry’s 16th birthday.) We arrived at Palermo, Sicily, on 27 October 1953.
Stan couldn’t find work in Sicily and we began to run out of savings. We had permission from the Beloved Guardian to change posts, and to leave Gerry in Sicily. As soon as a telegram came from Horace HolIey suggesting that Stan might find work in France at the American Air F orce Base in Chateau—roux, Stan took a ship to France that same evening, and got a job almost immediately. (The Beloved Guardian’s cable had said, ‘Permission grantedmpraying. ’)
The Bagleys remained in Chateauroux from October 1954 to August 1963, except for nine months in Charleroi, Belgium, in 1959—1960. Florence continued her life-long habit of deeply studying the Teachings, but now learned French in order to prepare study courses and public talks in that language. This enabled her to render valuable services as a teacher at firesides and summer schools, and as a teacher travelling in the Benelux countries. She produced the French Bahá’í Bulletin for a number of years.
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F lorence Bagley
Florence served on the National Spiritual Assembly of France from its formation in 1958 until August 1963, except for the period in Belgium in 1960. Stan lost his job in France, forcing their departure, but was called back nine months later. This was only one of many hardships which later proved to be providential. Not only was a strong Local Assembly formed in Charleroi, but Florence avoided the Covenant—breaking in France, a grave test for the National Assembly of that country.
Returning to France at the request of the Hands of the Cause of God in Haifa, Florence joined the Hand of the Cause Abi’l’l-Qasim Faydi in Visiting the French believers to reinforce their steadfastness. Her daughters, Susan and Carol, pioneering in Orleans, remained faithful throughout this tense peiiod.
Florence was tireless in her serilices. Her home was always busy with seekers, travelling teachers, and administrative meetings. She travelled frequently throughout Europe for meetings, conferences, and schools.
In August 1963, Florence and Stanley returned to the United States. They served
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with the same dedication in Alabama and Georgia, teaching and serving on Local Assemblies and committees.
In 1972, and again in 1974, Florence spent four months travelling to teach in the French Antilles. In 1976, she and her husband pioneered to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, remaining there for four years, and in 1980, settled in Fort—de-France, Martinique, for one year. She served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands (1976—77) and on the National Assembly of the French Antilles (1977—1981), as Chairman during the first two years, and as recording secretary for two years. She had a great love for the people in her pioneering posts, and left the foreign field reluctantly.
In 1981, the Bagleys returned to the United States, settling near their daughter Carol in Ozark, Alabama. Florence’s services in the Deep South continued unabated. Finally, she devoted her last energies to compiling a record of the family’s pioneering experiences for the archives at the request of the Universal House of Justice. She called this, “A Family Odyssey”. The first volume covered the World Crusade and the second, the years after, including family members’ experiences in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, the F tench Antilles, and Paraguay.
Looking back on 60 years of devoted services, she believed that the years of the World Crusade were the most poignant. She responded to the beloved Guardian’s call and never stopped until her strength failed. First and foremost, she loved Baha’u’llah. She enlightened and set an example for her family. Her beloved granddaughter, Jocelyn Baral, together with her husband Michael, pioneered to Siberia, keeping the family odyssey alive.
The Universal House of Justice sent this message upon hearing of her passing:
DEEPLY SADDENED LOSS STALWART STEADFAST KNIGHT BAHA’U’LLAH FLORENCE BAGLEY WHOSE SIX DECADES DEVOTED SERVICE HIS CAUSE HIGHLY DISTINGUISHED BY OPENING SICILY, WITH HER HUSBAND STANLEY AND
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IN MEMORIAM
THELR THREE CHILDREN, DURING HISTORIC TEN YEAR WORLD CRUSADE. HER LEONINE DEFENCE COVENANT FRANCE AND HER PIONEERING ACTIVITIES VIRGIN AND LEEWARD ISLANDS AND FRENCH ANTILLES ON WHOSE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES SHE SERVED ARE UNFORGETTABLE. FERVENTLY PRAYING PROGRESS HER ILLUMINED SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPATHY MEMBERS HER DEAR FAMILY.
She was buried in Ozark, Alabama.
GERROLD STANLEY BAGLEY