Julia Culver
Julia Culver (February 8, 1861 - January 22, 1950) was an American Bahá’í who assisted with the functions of the International Bahá’í Bureau in Switzerland.
Biography[edit]
Culver was born into an American family in 1861 but spent the first four years of her life in Germany. The family then returned to America settling in Chicago where she was raised.[1] In 1887 Culver moved back to Germany and she first heard of the Bahá’í Faith from an American Bahá’í in Munich in 1903. She accepted the new religion and returned to America in 1904 visiting the Green Acre Summer School that year and meeting Sarah Farmer.[1]
In 1920 Culver began assisting Martha Root with her travel teaching work and accompanied her on teaching trips across Europe from 1920 to 1925. She settled in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1927 in order to assist Jean Stannard with the management of the International Bahá’í Bureau with the approval of Shoghi Effendi.[1]
Stannard departed Geneva in October 1927 and a group of nine Bahá’ís consulted on the future of the International Bahá’í Bureau and voted to close it down despite Shoghi Effendi advising he wanted the body to remain operational.[2] Culver decided to keep the body in existence single handedly receiving some financial support from Shoghi Effendi but also providing much of the funding required by the body. In 1928 she was joined by Emogene Hoagg who assisted with the work of the Bureau for a time before returning to America. George Townshend visited Geneva that year and maintained a correspondence with Culver after returning to Ireland.[3]
In January 1931 Culver asked permission from Shoghi Effendi to return to the United States and received it.[3] Emogene Hoagg was intended to return to Geneva to assume her responsibilities with the Bureau however she was unable to relocate so Culver remained in Geneva until May, 1933. She settled in California after returning to America and attempted to establish a children's school, however due to her age and financial situation she was unable to do so and instead sold her property and moved to live with her sister in Berkeley.[4]
In her final years Culver moved into a nursing home in East Oakland, California,[4] where she passed away in 1950.[1] Shoghi Effendi conveyed the following message after her passing:
"Grieve passing devoted pioneer (of) Faith, Julia Culver. Her exemplary spirit, unshakable loyalty, generous contributions unforgettable. Fervently praying (for) progress (of) her soul (in) Abhá Kingdom.[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1952?). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 11 (1946-1950), Pg(s) 507. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1933). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 4 (1930-1932), Pg(s) 258. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1952?). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 11 (1946-1950), Pg(s) 508. View as PDF.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1952?). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 11 (1946-1950), Pg(s) 509. View as PDF.
