| The Bahá’í World In Memoriam 1992-1997 |
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VALERA FISHER ALLEN
Knight of Bahá’u’lláh
1902-1993
Valera Fisher Allen was born in Prowers County, Colorado, on September 19, 1902, into an American pioneer family. She grew up in the timberlands of Idaho where her father farmed and transported timber down tortuous mountain roads. Nez Perce Indians visited the family for food and trading. When Val was ten years old, the family moved to Turlock, California.
After attending the College of the Pacific, Val went to the San Francisco Methodist Training School to prepare for work as a lay missionary. In 1925, while writing an essay on the superiority of Christianity, she discovered the Bahá’í Faith. She attended an evening talk given by Leroy Ioas. Afterwards she rushed back to her dormitory and awakened her best friend to give her the glad tidings that Christ had returned. Her thesis, “A Study in Comparative Religions, was published in Star of the West in June 1926.
She founded a Bahá’í family, teaching her mother; her best friend, Enola Allen; and Enola’s brother, John, whom she later married.
After graduating from the Methodist
training school, Val went to Hawaii to
fulfill her responsibilities to the Methodist
Church, and there she served as a member
of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the[Page 52]
Bahá’ís of Honolulu and had the bounty
of meeting Agnes Alexander.
After returning to California, she married John Allen. They helped to form the first Bahá’í Assemblies in Burlingame and Millbrae, and they served for many years on the Geyserville Bahá’í Summer School Committee. In 1953 they were appointed to the Asia Pioneer Committee. That same year, at the All-America Bahá’í Intercontinental Teaching Conference in Chicago and the launching of the Ten Year Crusade, they, along with their sons, Dale, Ken, and Dwight; their daughter-in-law, Carole; and Val’s mother, Maude Fisher, offered their services as pioneers.
Dwight and Carole went to Greece and became Knights of Bahá’u’lláh there. With the beloved Guardian’s guidance, Swaziland was chosen for the rest of the family and John flew to Mozambique, rented a small car, loaded it with camping gear, and headed for Swaziland, arriving at their pioneering post on April 19, 1954. For this effort they also became Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. Dale, Ken, and Maude joined them four months later.
Val and John served the Faith in Swaziland until the end of their lives. Val fondly talked about their early days, their service to the royal family, and how this led to an audience with His Majesty King Sobhuza II. After being introduced to the Faith, His Majesty found the teachings so reasonable and pleasing that, despite objections from some churches, he encouraged the Allens to teach the Faith in Swaziland. Later Bill Sears came from South Africa to put on a puppet show at the Matsapha National High School. The subsequent formation of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Matsapha was a joyous occasion.
The acquisition of the Bahá’í properties and the building of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds were special projects to which Val and John made major contributions. They even enlisted their grandchildren to help in the construction.
Val and John were elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South and West Africa31, and Val served for more than twenty-five years as its secretary. She and John criss-crossed Southern Africa tirelessly from Cape Town to Malawi, from Lesotho to Botswana, from Zambia to Zimbabwe. The Allens were renowned for their hospitality, for their devotion to their African brothers and sisters, and for the help they gave to new pioneers and traveling teachers. Their teaching efforts helped raise up a Bahá’í community which now numbers in the thousands.
Val’s first trip out of Africa was to go on pilgrimage, where she had the bounty of
31 Established in 1956. As members of that Assembly, Valera and John attended the International Convention in Haifa in 1963, participating in the election of the first elected Universal House of Justice.
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meeting the beloved Guardian. She recalled
that one evening after dinner, the Guardian
unrolled the beautiful Roll of Honour
on which were written the names of the
Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, including hers and
John’s. The Guardian told the pilgrims that
in due time the Roll would be deposited at
the threshold of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
How fitting it was that Val’s last trip out of
Africa was to attend the commemoration
in May 1992 in Israel and to see that same
Roll placed in the Shrine.
Val passed away on March 19, 1993, thirty-nine years after arriving in Swaziland. Her Swazi Children insisted that she have a traditional Swazi funeral with an all-night vigil attended by many Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’í friends who came and paid tribute to “Gogo” (Grandmother) as she was fondly called. The funeral was attended by many dignitaries and more than three hundred friends. The King of Swaziland, Mswati III, sent a personal representative with a beautiful eulogy that concluded:
- His Majesty, therefore, extends his special condolences to all members of the Allen family and advises that they must all take comfort in the knowledge that the loss of Gogo Allen is not only their personal loss, but is a loss to the whole country. This is because the contributions made by the late Mr. and Mrs. Allen towards the spiritual, social, and economic development of this country will always remain a living testimony of their love for this country and its people.
Among the many messages that were sent to her funeral was one from the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa that said:
- Grieved passing Mother of Swaziland, Valera Allen, who served many years on our National Assembly until the formation of the National Assembly of Swaziland, Mozambique and Lesotho in 1967. Val’s gentle touch was the cause of resolving many tense administrative moments in those early years and her loving secretarial letters were a source of inspiration throughout the Region.
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum sent the following message:
- The passing of dear Val, so exemplary and steadfast in service to our beloved Faith, who arose with her husband and family to serve and spread the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh in the early period of our global plans and to carry His teachings to that promising, great and much-loved continent of Africa, leaves a gap in the ranks of the faithful early pioneers to that vast area which none can fill. Her radiant spirit will surely provide a great inspiration not only to other pioneers but to the people of Africa, whom she loved so dearly and who responded to her love by taking her into their hearts and rising to follow her steadfast and joyous example. You may be sure in the holy shrines we will pray for her and that the Abhá blessings may encompass the dear African believers, whose services are steadily increasing and whom the Bahá’ís throughout the world love so much, and assist them to follow her valiant example in teaching the message of Bahá’u’lláh to their own people.
On April 12, 1993, the Universal House of Justice cabled its condolences:
- SHARE YOUR ACUTE SENSE LOSS IN PASSING KNIGHT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH VALERA FISHER ALLEN STALWART INDEFATIGABLE TEACHER FAITH FIRM RELIABLE UPHOLDER ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
- HER OUTSTANDING RECORD DEVOTED SERVICES OVER PERIOD SEVERAL DECADES IN NORTH AMERICA AND MOSTLY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA PARTICULARLY SWAZILAND INDELIBLY INSCRIBED ANNALS FAITH AND WILL REMAIN AS INSPIRATION FOR GENERATIONS TO COME
- KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPATHY MEMBERS HER DEAR FAMILY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL THROUGHOUT DIVINE WORLDS
- ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS THROUGHOUT SWAZILAND BEFITTING HER STATION.
