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VELMA L. SHERRILL
1911—1996
SHARE YOUR DEEP SENSE toss IN PASSING VELMA L. SHERRlLL, LOYAL, DILIGENT MAIDSERVANT BAHA‘U’LLAH. HER UNFLAGGING DEVOTION INTERESTS FAITH OVER PERIOD SOME FIVE DECADES HAS LEFT LASTING IMPRESSION DEVELOPMENT AMERICAN BAHA‘I‘ COMMUNITY INDOMITABLE WILL. INDEFATIGABLE ENERGY, UNFAILING EFFICIENCY CHARACTERlZED HER EXTENSIVE ACTIVITIES WHICH INCLUDED HER INVOLVEMENT NATIONALADMINISTRA’I‘ION TEACHING WORK, MEMBERSHIP NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY, DUTIES AS AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBER, AS EXECUTIVE A5515TANT HAND CAUSE KHADEM AND SUBSEQUENTLY AS CONTINENTAL COUNSELLOR AMERICAS. EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY HER DEAR HUSBAND LLOYDI FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HER SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL SERVICE HER HONOR HOUSE WORHIP WILMETTE.
Universal House ofjustice May 21, 1996
met her, a young professional woman
working out of a downtown office of a personnel agency, in the fall of 1944, when I was looking for a job. When she interviewed me for a secretarial position in St. Louis, Missouri, she impressed me deeply. In my eyes she was the epitome of a mature, intelligent, and gracious woman. To my surprise she asked me to lunch! As a result of this encounter, she soon became my Bahá’í teacher and lifelong friend. I later realized that she had influenced the lives of countless souls, an evidence of the strength of her faith, the depth of her compassion, and the clarity of her understanding.
Born in Wallace County, Kansas, on June 27, 1911, the second ofthree children, Velma Kammer showed great promise in her youth, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen. She learned of the Bahá’í Faith in Kansas City, Missouri, and embraced its teachings around 1935. She studied with some of the outstanding early teachers of the Faith including Emogene Hoagg, Orcella Rexford, and Ruth Moffett and, after moving to Chicago, with Horace Holley.
In 1957 Velma and her husband, Lloyd SherriII, along with seven other believers formed the first Spiritual Assembly in Webster Groves, Missouri. (It is interesting to note that Velma was again secretary of that Assembly at the time of her sudden departure From this earthly life.)
Since enrolling in her youth, Velma’s life was one of continuous service to the Faith in the fields of teaching and administration, nationally and internationally. She served as secretary of the American National Teaching Committee during the Ten Year Crusade, was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member serving six mid—western states in 1957, and in 1961 she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
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IN MEMORIAM 1992—1997 311
Velma L. Sbw'ri/l
When the Universal House of Justice decided that Auxiliary Board members could no longer hold elective and administrative posts concurrently, Velma resigned from the National Assembly to continue serving as an Auxiliary Board member.
Her illustrious service continued to grow, and in January 1967 she was named an executive assistant to the Hand of the Cause D_hikru’llah Khádem. In 1973 she was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America and in 1980 to the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas.
Velma was an active teacher not only in the Bahá’í community but also through her participation in other organizations, bringing the knowledge and spirit of the Faith to those graced by her presence. During the last ten years of her life, she was an enthusiastic supporter of the St. Louis Dialogue Group of the World’s Religions and Philosophies. David Oughton, founder of the group, describes it as “[c]omposed of representatives of fifteen different religious
traditions, the purpose of this group is to understand different Viewpoints and to cooperate with people of different religions.” In 1991 Velma and other Bahá’ís organized the Fifth Annual Gathering for Peace. In 1993 she was thrilled to be part of the program that Featured His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. The Tenth Interfaith Gathering that took place on October 27, 1996, was dedicated to the memory of Velma. Two months before her death Velma spoke to the St. Louis Dialogue Group on the Bahá’í answer to the question of the existence of God.
Another program that Velma supported was the annual Bus Tour/Prayer Pilgrimage to the houses of worship of the different religions in St. Louis. Velma participated in these tours and explained the Bahá’í Faith to her fellow pilgrims until the time ofher passing on May 17, 1996.
At her funeral, representatives of Christian, Sikh, Vedanta, Confucian, Tao, and Buddhist religious traditions expressed their feelings of affection and respect for her.
Eunice Braun, former Auxiliary Board member, who served under Velma’s direction added, “Among Velma’s many superior qualities was an ability to discern the capacity of others. She admired the gifts of others and did much to inspire and guide them into recognizing and utilizing their talents in productive and creative ways for the Cause. Velma had an ability to make you feel good about your efforts in a way that freed you to stretch a little harder. There are many souls, here and in the Abhá Kingdom, who were nurtured by her confidence in their ability to become far more productive teachers and administrators of the Cause than at first seemed possible.” Olive McDonald, an office assistant to Counsellor Sherrill from 1981 to 1985, observed, “Her organizational abilities were exceptional.”
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312 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD
From Velma I gained an appreciation of the Covenant and the administrative order and of the vital role Shoghi Effendi played in elaborating the significance of Baha’u’llah’s blueprint for a new Civilization. Velma encouraged me to study the writings and to prepare for whatever was needed in the promotion of the Faith. Her personal commitment was a constant source ofinspiration. My close association with her over a period of fifty years confirmed my original View of her outstanding characteristics. She was an independent thinker and was interested in alternative modes of health care. Recognizing my needs, she introduced me to chiropractic and to natural foods and remedies and helped me to shape my own views regarding health and healing. We were friends, but she was a private person, and although I frequently shared my problems with her, she was always the strong one—the trusted confidant, adviser, and Bahá’í sister.
Among her papers was found this poem:
What is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from the heart,
even as if your Beloved were to wear that Cloth.
L. Naomi MtCord
