B Amalie Knobloch
Born: 1837
Death: September 30, 1908
Place of Birth: Unknown
Location of Death: Washington D.C.
Burial Location: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
B Amalie Knobloch and her husband and two daughters, Fanny and Pauline moved to the United States in 1859 from Germany. It wasn’t until her daughter Pauline became a Baha’i in 1902 and soon after she became a Baha’i and was very active. [1]
Mrs. Knobloch and her family consistently visited and hosted Americans of African descent, thus illustrating the quality of racial unity that is central to the Bahá’í teachings. While Ruhe-Schoen does not expand much on Mrs. Knobloch, it is a reminder to further explore the rare and specific guidance from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to honor and inspire the early champions of racial unity in the Bahá’í Faith.
Ruhe-Schoen notes that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recognized race amity matriarch Mrs. Amalie Knobloch and revealed a tablet to be read when visiting her grave: [2]
He is God! O, thou Pure Spirit, Amalie Knobloch! Although thou didst soar away from this terrestrial world, yet thou didst enter into the immeasurable, illumined Universe of the Almighty. While in this life thou didst hear the Divine Call, beheld the light of Truth, became alive by the Breaths of the Holy Spirit, tasted the sweetness of the Love of God, became the Maid-Servant of the Lord of Hosts and the object of the Bounties of His Highness the Desired one. Thou didst lead the erring ones into the Path of Truth and bestowed a portion of the Heavenly Food to those who are deprived. Thou didst consecrate the days of thy existence to the Service of His Highness the Clement and spent thy time in the diffusion of the Fragrances of the Paradise of Abha. There are many souls perfumed and many spirits illumined through thy services!
O, thou divine, beloved Maid-Servant! Although thou didst disappear from the mortal eyes, yet thou didst train and educate thy daughters, each of whom has arisen to serve the Kingdom like unto thee and is engaged in the guidance of the souls. In the Assembly of wisdom they are the lighted candles; they sacrifice their lives in the Path of God; they are gardening in thy orchard and irrigating thy rose-garden. Happy is thy condition, for thou art enjoying Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Everlasting Glory and hast left in this world kind and loving Remembrances.
Happy are those souls who visit thy luminous resting-place and through thy commemoration receive and acquire spiritual Powers!
Source:
1 Stockman, Robert, “Knobloch, Fanny” Bahai-Library.com: Winters, Jonah
2 Musta, Lex, “Champions of Oneness: Louis Gregory and His Shining Circle” Bahai-Library.com: Winters, Jonah
Image:
Photo courtesy of Candace Moore Hill
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