In Memoriam 1992-1997/Emma “Emita” Cabezas Garcia

In Memoriam 1992-1997 Emma “Emita” Cabezas Garcia

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EMMA "EMITA" CABEZAS GARCIA 1895-1992

On Sunday, October 4th, our beloved handmaiden, Emma Cabezas, passed on quietly from this earthly existence at the age of 97. Ever since declaring her belief in the Blessed Beauty in the year 1947, she has been a stalwart defender and worker for the Cause. She was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chile in the year 1961 (at the age of 66!), and up until her passing always remained active as much as her health would permit. Her loss will be especially felt by the community of Viña del Mar, since [Page 17]they were as her family, not having left behind any living relatives.

Emma "Emita" Cabezas Garcia

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chile to The Universal House of Justice

SADDENED LEARN PASSING FAITHFUL STALWART MAIDSERVANT OF THE FAITH EMMA CABEZAS. ASSURE PRAYERS HOLY THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER SOUL KINGDOM ON HIGH.

Universal House of Justice October 8, 1992

t the age of ninety-seven, in the city of Vina del Mar Cave in the city of Av Emita Cabezas Garcia passed away. Her funeral was held the following day on October 5, 1992, after a Bahá’í ceremony.

Who was Emita Cabezas? Working more than fifty years in the field of education, she was a teacher of many generations. She taught English at the Liceo de Niñas of Temuco when the celebrated Nobel Prize-winning poetess, Gabriela Mistral, was its director (1920). Service and education were synonymous to Emita, and for that reason she had no difficulty in enrolling in the Bahá’í community when she was a secondary school teacher in La Serena.

One of Chile's early Bahá’ís, she related to us how she heard about the Faith:

[On] one of my trips [to Santiago]" my friend, who was the owner of the hotel [where I was staying], spoke to me a great deal which made me wonder if I had found something which gave my spirit greater satisfaction. I heard something new. My family were all Catholics and I was brought up under Catholic principles, but for some unexplainable reason I was reticent to take on a religious position... This led me to speak with my friend in more detail, as well as with the other persons who attended the meeting at that time. I read the few pieces of literature that were available at the time with great interest and I felt that the Bahá’í teachings agreed with my way of being. I can say that this was the fulfillment of my spiritual ideals.

Emita was a member of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chile and was reelected for several years, serving at times as its chairman. She was also a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Viña del Mar, and she took part in one of the early meetings of the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations of the United Nations in Santiago.

Emita Cabezas has not died; she lives in the memory of her friends and takes a place of honor in the history of the Bahá’í community of Chile.

From an article by Sergio Aparicio C

The Local Spiritual Assembly of Santiago was established in 1941.