Amelia Bowman
Amelia Bowman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1897 Montana, USA |
| Died | May 8, 1976 Stavanger, Norway |
| NSA member | Norway 1962 - 1967 |
Amelia Bowman (1897 - May 8, 1976) was a American Bahá’í who served on the U.S. National Teaching Committee and helped establish the Bahá’í Faith in New Hampshire. She pioneered to Europe in the 1940's where she helped establish and consolidate the Faith in Sweden, Norway, and France, and served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway.
Biography[edit]
Bowman was born in Montana, USA, in 1897. She became a Bahá’í in 1933 and was immediately a highly active teacher and was appointed to the National Teaching Committee, elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Eliot, Maine, and later appointed the hostess of the Ole Bull College at the Green Acre Summer School serving in the role for five years. She notably assisted with establishing the Faith in the state of New Hampshire in the 1930's working alongside Florence Morton and Martha Root, and she also worked with Elizabeth Greenleaf. She received a letter of praise for her efforts written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi in 1935.[1]
In 1947 Bowman retired from the U.S. National Teaching Committee and pioneered to Sweden, arriving in October, with Nancy Gates. By the spring of 1948 they had established multiple large study classes dedicated to the Faith and that year the Local Spiritual Assembly of Stockholm was established. In 1949 the European Teaching Committee requested that she pioneer to Oslo, Norway, as two more pioneers had settled in Sweden and she moved to Oslo that year.[1]
In Oslo Bowman joined various organizations to assist her in making connections and she joined the Esperantists, the International Friendship League, the United Nations Society, and other clubs. She pioneered to Bergen in 1952 and helped with teaching efforts resulting in the establishment of a Local Spiritual Assembly in 1955. She went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in March, 1953, and met with Shoghi Effendi who outlined the goals of the Ten Year Crusade for her.[1]
In 1957 Bowman attended the Convention at which the National Spiritual Assembly of Scandinavia and Finland was established and later in the year she pioneered to France where she was appointed to the National Teaching Committee.[1] She remained in France until 1959 when she returned to Norway where she helped establish the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Stavanger and Hetland and in 1962 she was elected to the inaugural National Spiritual Assembly of Norway serving until 1967.[2]
Bowman established her permanent residence in Stavanger in later life. In 1975 her health began to decline and she passed away in May, 1976. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after her passing:
GRIEVED PASSING SERENE DEVOTED MAIDSERVANT BAHAULLAH AMELIA BOWMAN HER SERVICES PIONEERING FIELD SCANDINAVIA SINCE OPENING YEARS SECOND SEVEN YEAR PLAN UNFORGETTABLE PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATHERINGS THROUGHOUT NORWAY.[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 409. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 410. View as PDF.
