Margarite Ullrich

Margarite Ullrich
Born	July 7, 1898 Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died	January 7, 1984 Florida, USA
Other names	Margarite Ioas
NSA member	Jamaica 1961 - 1963
Spouse(s)	Clarence Ullrich (d. 1969) m. 1922
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Margarite "Marge" Hope Ullrich (July 7, 1898 - January 7, 1984) was an American Bahá’í who pioneered to the Caribbean where she helped develop Bahá’í communities and served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Jamaica.

Biography

Ullrich was born Margarite Hope Ioas in Chicago in 1898. She was the ninth child of Charles and Maria Ioas and one of her siblings was Leroy Ioas. In 1912 she met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá alongside her parents when He visited Chicago. She wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1920 and received a Tablet in reply.

In 1922 Margarite married Clarence Ullrich and they went on to have two daughters. Clarence was a Freemason who initially objected to her intense service to the Faith which included serving as secretary of the Wilmette House of Worship Program Committee and assisting with the organization weekly lectures at the Chicago Bahá’í Center and the cities Annual Bahá’í Convention. As of 1940 the Ullrich's were living in Oak Park, Michigan, and despite his initial reaction to the Faith Clarence declared allowing for the formation of the Oak Park Local Spiritual Assembly.

In September, 1941, the Ullrich's moved to Mansfield, Ohio, joining one isolated Bahá’í and they began holding a weekly fireside. After moving to Ohio Ullrich was appointed to the Regional Teaching Committee for Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, was appointed an advisor to the National Youth Committee, and taught as a travel teacher and at the Louhelen Summer School. In 1945 the Ullrich's returned to Oak Park shortly after Ullrich was injured in an accident and she returned to assisting with the management of the Wilmette House of Worship serving on its Temple Guides Committee and was appointed to the Regional Teaching Committee of Illinois and Iowa.

In 1953 Ullrich's daughters were inspired to pioneer at the Chicago Intercontinental Conference going on to be named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh and around this time Clarence and Margarite went on pilgrimage and met Shoghi Effendi. In October, 1955, Margarite was seriously injured and in a comatose state but she gradually recovered and in 1958 undertook a teaching tour of Venezuela, Colombia, and the Caribbean.

In 1959 Ullrich's husband retired and they pioneered to Camaguey, Cuba, and assisted with the establishment of the cities Local Spiritual Assembly in 1960. Due to restrictions instituted by the United States government they had to leave Cuba and they pioneered to Jamaica in 1961 where they were elected to the countries inaugural National Spiritual Assembly with Margarite being elected as its first secretary. In 1963 they attended the First International Convention in the Holy Land as members of the Assembly and the First Bahá’í World Congress in London, England.

After attending the World Congress the Ullrich's returned to the United States for Margarite's health and they settled in Manatee County, Florida. She was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of the County in 1966 and served as its secretary until retiring due to ill health in 1975. During the 1970's she compiled the history of the Ioas families service to the Faith gathering information and correspondence.

In April, 1983, Ullrich broke her hip in a fall which caused a decline in health and she suffered several infections and shingles up until her passing on January 7, 1984. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after her passing:

SADDENED PASSING FAITHFUL MAIDSERVANT BAHAULLAH MARGARITE IOAS ULLRICH WHOSE LIFE REFLECTED BOUNTY HER ATTAINMENT PRESENCE BELOVED MASTER. HER DEVOTED PIONEERING SERVICES WITH HER DEAR HUSBAND TO CUBA AND JAMAICA ENHANCE BRILLIANT ANNALS HER DISTINGUISHED FAMILY. LOVINGLY SYMPATHIZE SURVIVING RELATIVES. ASSURE ARDENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES JOYOUS WELCOME HER RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.