We are moved by a deep sense of loss in the passing of Marguerite Sears. Her more than six decades of outstanding, tireless endeavor in promotion of the Cause of God were impelled by a flame of faith that warmed countless hearts in various parts of the world. Among the efforts that distinguished her record of service, two highlight the intensity of her exemplary dedication: one on the American homefront when, encouraged and accompanied by her then non-Bahá'í spouse, she went to Utah in response to the beloved Guardian's call for "nine holy souls" to settle in one of nine states that were yet unopened to the Faith; the other, in South Africa, where she and her much-loved companion, now a believer later to be elevated to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God, established residence as the first pioneers to that country during the Ten Year Crusade. We recall with abiding appreciation her contributions to the work in the Holy Land for the period he served as one of the Custodians of the Faith at its World Centre, her extensive teaching trips and her valuable assistance to Bahá'í communities in numerous lands. Kindly convey to the members of her dear family and bereaved friends our heartfelt condolences and assure them of our ardent supplications at the Sacred Threshold that her illumined soul may be rewarded with joyous progress throughout the divine worlds.

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Tributes and Memories

Marguerite Reimer Sears

November 23, 1912 – July 17, 2006

To the Reimer clan Marguerite was the Queen Mother, whose totem was the Lioness. Even her beloved Bill referred to her as his spiritual mother. Everyone who knew her recognized that she displayed the kind of courage that is likened to the heart of a lion. Her father, Charles, was the first in the Reimer clan to recognize Baha’u’llah. Everyone who knew him would understand that her totem was a part of her genome as she came from the loins of a lion king. Regal bearing was as much a part of her heritage as was her benevolence toward all within her realm, high and low alike.

Marguerite’s character was formed by those who influenced her and reflected in those whom she affected. It started with Uncle Charley, as we knew him. He was an audacious teacher of the Faith he had adopted in the 20’s. Marguerite was not close to her father growing up because her parents divorced when she was eight. However he did support her while she studied interior design in college. In 1935 he offered her an automobile if she would provide transportation for a Baha’i teacher from Canada who was on a summer-long teaching trip. Her name was Mary Maxwell. That summer culminated in a week-long course at Green Acre during which Marguerite declared her belief in Baha’u’llah. Wasn’t that a courageous thing for two young, twenty-something women to do: to drive around the US, 20 years before the Interstate system began? It bonded the two into a life-long friendship and signaled the transition in her life from being influenced to having an impact on others.

The next year she brought her cousin, Manny Reimer to Green Acre. Manny was studying to be a minister in the Church of Christ. It was a struggle for him, but by the end of the summer he recognized Baha’u’llah as the return of the Christ-like spirit. The two of them returned to Wisconsin, formed a teaching team and roamed all over the state hunting for receptive souls. In one little town called Manitowoc, they were interviewed by a radio announcer named William Sears. The rest is history.

To Bill, Marguerite was not only his spiritual mother, but she protected him, defended him and nursed him through the wounds and illnesses, trials and tribulations of his spiritual battles throughout their incredible life of service… as a lioness would to her king of the jungle.

Upon marrying Bill, Marguerite inherited two male cubs, Billy and Michael. She enfolded them with the kind of love and nurturing that led them to their own lives of international service. In return they provided her the kind of love and devotion one only finds in a pride.

As one of a handful of Western believers who attended the Inter-Continental Conference in Kampala, Uganda, this lioness found her spiritual home. She expanded her vision from influencing individuals to empowering populations. At “the Farm” outside of Johannesburg, Marguerite and Bill created an embryonic form of what we now call training institutes for the development of human resources. Through their efforts, future teacher, administrators and Counselors honed their skills for teaching, consulting and improving the quality of Baha’i community life.

In Canada Marguerite and Bill formed a pack with Nancy and David Hadden to formalize the practices begun at the Farm in Africa. They established the institute in Port Hope, Ontario, known as Batterwood. Its programs and productions inspired a continent and sent tribes of pioneers throughout the globe.

Here at Desert Rose the Sears and the Haddens teamed up again to demonstrate how the dynamic force of individual initiative contributes to a sense of community in support of institutions collaborating to advance the process of entry by troops.

Even as we prepare to lay her earthly remains in the ground to return to the dust, we know that her soul is winging its way through that tunnel of light. I am reminded of an African expression that leads us to expect that we have only begun to appreciate who was Marguerite Reimer Sears. It says,

“You can only tell the color of a bird’s wings at the moment it takes flight.”

--Dan Reimer

A Letter From the Sears Family in South Africa