Ellen Sims
Ellen Sims | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1906 Hurley, Wisconsin, US |
| Died | August 25, 1993 Asuncion, Paraguay |
| Other names | Ellen Lincoln |
| NSA member | A.B.C.P.U. 1957 - 1961 Colombia 1962 - 1967 Bolivia ???? - ???? |
Ellen Catherine Sims (March 14, 1906 - August 25, 1993) was an American Bahá’í who pioneered to South America where she assisted with the development of the Bahá’í communities of Paraguay, Colombia, Bolivia, and Argentina and served as a National Spiritual Assembly member.
Biography[edit]
Sims was born Ellen Lincoln in Hurley, Wisconsin, in 1906 to Edwin Lincoln and Cecilia Jeanette Cochrane. Her father was a Presbyterian and her mother was a Roman Catholic and she began her education at a Catholic School in New London, however her father transferred her to a public school as he disagreed with the harsh discipline of the Catholic school.[1]
In her youth Sims investigated several religions including Mormonism and Rosicrucianism.[2] She became a teacher and while working in Oak Park she met Stuart Sims, an English electrical engineer, and married. As female teachers were not allowed to marry she kept the marriage secret for one year in order to finish the school year. They had a daughter, June, in 1930 and a second daughter, Shirley, in 1931.[3]
In 1933 the Sims moved to New York City. She made weekly visits to a public library and borrowed a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era however while she was inspired by the book she was unable to find any Bahá’ís. The family moved to New Jersey where Stuart had found work and they met a Freemason whose wife was a Bahá’í and Sims began attending Bahá’í meetings in New York City.[3]
Sims was reluctant to declare unless her husband also accepted the religion but in 1938 she fasted and studied Gleanings and declared, and her husband declared a few months later. The Sims became active members of the Bahá’í community of New York after declaring serving on the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Newark and New Jersey and the Regional Teaching Committee. Sims gave several public talks and was appointed chairman of a Bahá’í publicity committee. They had a third daughter, Dawn Tahirih, in 1944.[3]
In 1952 Sims separated from her husband. She considered pioneering to Africa after her separation but ultimately decided not to.[3] In 1953 she attended the dedication of the Wilmette Temple and was in a serious car accident while returning to New York requiring a year to recover from her injuries. In the mid 1950's she met with members of the National Spiritual Assembly of South America and the Western Hemisphere Teaching Committee and with the approval of Shoghi Effendi she pioneered to Paraguay with her youngest daughter Dawn.[4]
Sims settled in Asuncion in Paraguay and was elected to the cities Local Spiritual Assembly. In 1957 she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay when the body was formed and served on it until 1961 when it split into Assemblies for the constituent countries. In 1961 she pioneered to Colombia with Dawn living in Medelin and then Pereira and she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia, attending the First International Convention in Haifa as a member of the body.[4]
In the late 1960's Sims pioneered to Bolivia, as she felt that the Bahá’í community of Colombia had become well established and was being sustained by local Bahá’ís. She settled in Cochabamba in Bolivia and served on the countries National Spiritual Assembly, National Teaching Committee, and also a Regional Teaching Committee. She was assaulted and robbed while in Cochabamba and required hospitalization and used the situation as an opportunity to proclaim the Faith. Rúḥíyyih Khánum requested that she move to Sucre during visit to Bolivia and Sims did so. While in Sucre she broke her hip requiring an extended period to recover.[4]
Sims moved to Argentina, staying in Rosario, where she received an operation on her hip. The National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina appointed her to the National Proclamation Committee while she was recovering and she was supported by her daughter, Dawn, and son-in-law, Zia, who were also members of the Committee. After recovering she pioneered to Santiago del Estero and after another period in Rosario for a second hip operation she returned to Paraguay, settling in Caacupe, where she was appointed to the Summer School Committee and National Bulletin Committee.[4]
After Sims had lived for two years in Caacupe the National Spiritual Assembly of Paraguay requested she move to Asuncion to serve as caretaker of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. She was also elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Asuncion, and appointed the Feast Committee and National Teaching Committee. She continued to serve as caretaker of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds into her final years rarely leaving the building due to ill health towards the end of her life.[4]
On August 24, 1993, she completed a translation of an article about Huququllah and submitted it to the National Spiritual Assembly of Paraguay and she passed away at one o'clock in the morning on the 25th of August, 1993.[5] The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after her passing:
GRIEVED PASSING OF DEVOTED PIONEER OF FAITH ELLEN SIMS. HER MEMORABLE RECORD OF SERVICE TO THE FAITH GREATLY ENRICHED BY FOUR DECADES OF SACRIFICIAL TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES IN SOUTH AMERICA. PRAYING FOR PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL IN THE ABHÁ KINGDOM. KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPTHY MEMBERS HER FAMILY.[6]
