Catherine Huxtable
Catherine Huxtable | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 6, 1932 England |
| Died | October 25, 1967 |
Catherine Heward Huxtable (January 6, 1932 - October 25, 1967) was an English-Canadian Bahá’í who was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to the Gulf Islands in Canada and Saint Helena Island in Africa. She suffered from muscular dystrophy and was wheelchair bound from an early age but was able to serve as an active member of the Canadian Bahá’í community and was instrumental to establishing multiple communities and Local Spiritual Assemblies
Biography[edit]
Huxtable was born into a Canadian family in England in 1932 and her family returned to Canada in 1939 and she began attending Havergal College. In 1942 she contracted scarlet fever and was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy and it was estimated she would not live past twenty. In 1948 she had to leave formal schooling due to her medical condition intensifying and confining her to a wheelchair. While she was unable to complete formal schooling Huxtable was able to maintain many friendships and developed skills as a writer and a needlepoint artist.[1]
Huxtable became a Bahá’í in 1951 at the same time as her friend Clifford Huxtable and she and Clifford married in 1955. After declaring Huxtable served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Toronto and hosted firesides in her home.[1] In 1957 the Huxtable's pioneered to Regina, Saskatchewan, as the Local Spiritual Assembly had lapsed and they helped re-establish the body.[2] In 1959 they pioneered again to the Gulf Islands off the coast of Vancouver Island in Canada arriving at their post and settling on Salt Spring Island on October 13, 1959. The Islands had been named a goal territory for the Ten Year Crusade in January 1956 as the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada had been unable to settle a pioneer at the original goal territory of Anticosti Island.[3]
In 1960 the Huxtable's moved to Saturna Island in the Gulf Islands but visited Salt Spring Island during their holidays. Huxtable met Rúḥíyyih Khánum in West Vancouver that year and they maintained a correspondence afterwards.[4] Huxtable became pregnant in 1961 and doctors advised her to have an abortion due to her medical condition however she did not and had a son, Gavin, without incident on June 27, 1962. The Huxtable's began holding firesides in their home in the Gulf Islands however Catherine's health began to decline and their neighbor instigated a property dispute harassing them for nine months and threatening Clifford with a rifle.[5]
At the 1965 Canadian National Convention Zikrullah Khadem announced pioneers were required for St. Helena Island and the Huxtable's volunteered as they felt they needed to leave the Gulf Islands for their safety. From October 1965 to May 1966 they undertook a travel teaching trip which included a visit to Ireland and England before arriving on St. Helena Island on April 9, 1966. The Universal House of Justice named them Knights of Bahá’u’lláh again for St. Helena in 1969.[6]
Huxtable's health declined after their arrival on St. Helena and she passed away on October 25, 1967.[6]
Further Reading[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 313. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 314. View as PDF.
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 273
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 274
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 275
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 276
