Rose Perkal Gates
Rose Perkal Gates | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 13, 1904 |
| Died | February 2, 2001 |
| NSA member | Alaska 1957 - 1959 South & West Africa 1973 - 1985 |
Rose Perkal Gates, born Grosnoff, (April 13, 1904 - February 2, 2001) was an American Baha’i who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska. She was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to the Kodiak Islands. She later pioneered to South Africa, serving on the countries National Spiritual Assembly and establishing the Faith in Ciskei.
Life[edit]
Rose was of Russian-Jewish descent, and was able to speak Yiddish.[1][2] She became a Baha’i in 1948. In 1953 Rose pioneered from New York to the Kodiak Islands in Alaska, arriving in the Islands on July 8.[3] She wrote the following shortly after arriving:
"God is good to me and I am grateful for having the opportunity of being able to serve the Cause in such clean, progressive surroundings . . . At first one may be a little dismayed as I was when I first came in, but then as one looks around with the eyes of a Baha’i, he sees a wonderful future for this lovely island . . . When one begins to investigate, there are great possibilities for not only the person seeking to do business but also for a wonderful Baha’i Community . . . There is beauty here. The ruggedness of Maine, hills, green foliage, high grass, islands . . . The more I am amazed at the insight and knowledge the Guardian has in selecting these posts. Everything here is rugged, but already you can see the growth of a modern town – a new civilization."[4]
She lived in the Islands for a year, and moved to Anchorage in September 1954.[5] She moved from Anchorage to Hamilton Acres, just outside Fairbanks,[6] to help establish a Local Spiritual Assembly and was elected as corresponding secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Fairbanks when it was established in 1955.[7] She married Ken Yarno around this time, and learnt how to drive.[8] By 1956 she had moved to the Tanana Valley, and was elected to the Tanana Valley Local Spiritual Assembly as secretary when it was established in April 1956.[9] She was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska when it was established in 1957 and served on the body until 1959.
In 1960 she moved to Switzerland, answering a call for pioneers, and helped establish a Local Spiritual Assembly in Locarno in 1961.[10] In 1966 she moved to California, and by 1967 she was the Secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Southern California.[11][12] She pioneered to Capetown, South Africa in 1969, briefly visiting the Dominican Republic en route, and was appointed as the Secretary of the South African National Teaching Committee.[13] In late 1970 she visited Ciskei, an independent state or Bantustan of South Africa that had not been opened to the Faith , to teach the Faith, converting a woman in East London who helped her teach in surrounding villages. She married George Gates while in South Africa and they settled in East London.[14]
Rose was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa in 1973, and served on it until 1985. In 1978 she visited Haifa as a delegate of the South African Assembly to the International Convention.[15] During the 1970's she was in a serious car accident, had her identification stolen, and her husband George passed, but she remained at her pioneer post. She attended the establishment of an independent National Spiritual Assembly of Ciskei in 1985.[16]
She returned to the United States in 1985 at the request of her children, but planned to pioneer to Dominica in 1986. While visiting her son in California on her way to Dominica it was decided that she needed nursing home care and she remained in California for the rest of her life.[17] She passed away in Anaheim in 2001 and was laid to rest in Fairhaven Memorial Park.[18]
References[edit]
The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2002). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 29 (2000-2001), Pg(s) 270. View as PDF.
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Mazibuko, R. This Side Up: An Autobiography, pp. 183-188
- ↑ Kolstoe, J. (2015). Crazy Lovers of Bahá'u'lláh, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, pp 34-35
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 277, p 6
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 270, p 7
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 286, p 2
- ↑ Claire Vreeland, And the Trees Clapped Their Hands George Ronald: Oxford, p 60
- ↑ Alaska Bahá'í News, January 1969, p 4
- ↑ Claire Vreeland, And the Trees Clapped Their Hands George Ronald: Oxford, p 59
- ↑ Alaska Bahá'í News, January, 1969, p 4
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 366, p 8
- ↑ US Supplement, No. 109, p 8
- ↑ National Baha’I Review, No. 2, p 12
- ↑ National Baha’i Review, No. 30, p 6
- ↑ Mazibuko, R. This Side Up: An Autobiography, pp. 183-188
- ↑ Kolstoe, J. (2015). Crazy Lovers of Bahá'u'lláh, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, pp 34-35
- ↑ Mazibuko, R. This Side Up: An Autobiography, pp. 183-188
- ↑ Kolstoe, J. (2015). Crazy Lovers of Bahá'u'lláh, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, pp 34-35
- ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/163961627/rose-perkal-gates
