INTERESTING STORIES ABOUT GRACE OBER AMAZING

Service... 
There are many stories about beloved Grace Robarts Ober who, for so very many years, dedicated every moment of her life to the service of our glorious Cause. And this experience, she felt, was the 'first small step' - to use her words, that set her feet on the path.

Grace had been introduced to the Cause by that early dedicated soul, Lua Getzinger, and Grace had, at once, recognized Baha'u'llah and become a Baha'i. Not long afterward, Lua came to Grace and told her that very soon Abdu'l-Baha was to arrive in New York and she, Lua, had been asked by Him to go to Chicago and prepare a place there in which he might stay when he arrived in that city. Would Grace like to go to Chicago with Lua and help with this preparation? Of course Grace would! So, together, they went to Chicago from Los Angeles, found a suitable apartment, prepared it and, eventually, Abdu'l-Baha came to live in it.

When His stay in Chicago was nearly over, suddenly one morning Grace realized what it would mean to go back to the dead stuffiness of her former life and leave this clear and radiant glory in which she'd been living while she helped Lua keep house for the Master. So she went to Abdu'l-Baha and begged that, when he returned to New York, she might help with that household too, as she had been privileged to do in Chicago. Abdu'l-Baha looked at her very searchingly and said, "Greece (His loving nickname for Grace) Greece, are you SURE you wish to serve ME?" Grace said, with great enthusiasm, "Oh, YES! More than anything else in the world!" Abdu'l-Baha made no answer but walked away. The next morning this scene was repeated. On the third morning, Grace, frantic at the realization that this was the last morning before He was leaving to go farther West, went to Him a third time - and this time He became very stern. Are you VERY SURE you wish to SERVE ME? Grace was startled at the sternness but she didn't waver. "YES I am VERY SURE." So then he nodded. "Very well go, settle up your affairs, and we will meet in New York." Jubilant and radiant, Grace settled up her 'affairs' - which consisted of subletting a cottage she had taken at Greenacre for the summer and doing a few other things. Then, with wings on her feet, she went to New York. Lua was already there and together they prepared for Abdu'l-Baha's return. The day came. Many Baha'is had gone to meet Him, though Lua and Grace had remained at the house to welcome Him. The door opened, He came in. He welcomed Lua warmly, glanced at Grace as at a complete stranger, and turned away. Grace was appalled, shocked. Hadn't He recognized her? Had He forgotten her? Had she misunderstood the permission to come to New York? Or had she displeased Him and was this punishment?

Whatever it was, it continued with no let-up. During all the days that followed Abdu'l-Baha never showed by word or glance that He recognized her in any way - except to put her to work. Whenever she relaxed at all throughout any day, word would come at once, through Lua, setting her to work harder at some new task. She worked in that household until long after midnight - cleaning, cooking, scrubbing, and then she would rise at five in the morning to begin all over again. She worked as she had never worked before in all her life and Abdu'l-Baha ignored her completely. If they ever chanced to meet he would draw aside His robe for her to pass and his glance would go through her as if she were not there.

At last came the day when the movies of Abdu'l-Baha were to be taken over in Brooklyn at the home of Howard MacNutt. And Grace thought, wearily, "at least I will be included in THIS since EVERYONE in the household is to go." But, an hour before the several carloads of people were scheduled to leave, Lua came to Grace to say that Abdu'l-Baha felt that someone should remain at the house to welcome two ladies who were expected that morning, and Grace was to be the one to stay behind. So when the cars left - Grace stood at the top of the flight of brownstone steps and watched them all roll away. Then, she turned and went into the empty house. For a moment she stood there, fighting the feeling of desolation and abandonment and loneliness, and then she thought of the white roses that had been delivered that morning, as they were daily, for Abdu'l- Baha's room. The one bright spot in these dreadful days for Grace had been that she was the one to arrange these roses each morning. So, with the long florists' box in her arms, she climbed up to Abdu'l-Baha's room at the top of the house, where He had wished to be. She reached the top of the third flight - and found the door not only closed, but locked against her. And always before it had stood wide open! This, for Grace, was the last straw. Overwhelmed by all the hurt and bewilderment of all these days, she sank down on the floor and wept with the fallen roses scattered around her. At last, the sobs faded, her tears spent themselves, and, exhausted, she gathered up the roses and went back downstairs.

The expected ladies had not arrived, nor did they ever arrive. But Grace - it was now past noon - was hungry. So, she went down to the kitchen to get something to eat. And in that house that fed, each day, so many dozens of people, there was nothing to eat but one egg and a small piece of leftover bread in Abdu'l-Baha's bread-box. (this bread was especially baked for Him by a Persian believer who had begged to come on this journey just so he might cook Abdu'l-Baha's food). So Grace boiled her one egg and put her small portion of bread on a plate. Putting the egg in an egg cup, she chipped the shell - and the egg, as bad as an egg can get, exploded in her face. She cleaned up the mess and returned to her bit of leftover bread. And, as she crumbled the bread, eating it crumb by crumb she realized, suddenly, exactly what she was doing - she was, blessedly, eating the crumbs of the bread of life from Abdu'l-Baha's table. She began to eat even more slowly as the spirit of prayer came to possess her.

Not long after this the household returned from Brooklyn - and that evening Lua came to Grace and said, "The Master has asked me to tell you that He knows you wept." And this was the first time it had occurred to Grace that all this dreadful experience might have a reason, a pattern. And - if this were true she must find out what the reason could be. So she went up to her room to pray about it. To pray for illumination and wisdom and the selflessness to understand. And as she prayed she heard a small voice saying 'Are you as happy scrubbing the garbage pails as you are arranging the roses?' And she suddenly realized what the spirit of true service was. It was to rise to selfless joy in offering the service, no matter what form that service might take.

And as this truth swept over her, suffusing her, illuminating her, the door opened, and Abdu'l-Baha walked into the room. His arms were outstretched; His dear face was glorified. "Welcome!" He cried to Grace, "Welcome to the Kingdom!" And he held her close, embracing her deeply. And never did He withdraw Himself from her again.

Told to me by Grace Robarts Ober at Green Acre c. 1933

Grace Ober is the aunt of Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts.

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Marriage...

It was not long after this that Lua came to Grace and told her that it was the wish of Abdu'l-Baha that she marry Harlan Ober. Grace was shocked. 'Why I don't really know that man! I've only met him a few times and that very casually. Besides - I'm almost engaged to someone else. He's asked me and I'm I'm making up my mind. How could I think of marrying Harlan Ober? Lua smiled, "I'm only repeating Abdu'l-Baha's request," she said gently. So Grace quickly put the idea out of her mind. The next morning Lua came the second time to deliver the same message. Again Grace dismissed it all as being utterly fantastic. The third morning when Lua came she added her own remarks to the message. "You'd better really consider this, Grace Abdu'l-Baha does not make suggestions lightly." Grace, this time, realized how serious this was. 'But what does He want me to do? Write to Harlan Ober, whom I scarcely know - and propose to him? How could I? Oh, Lua I do want to be obedient but how on earth can I? Lua hugged her and patted her consolingly. "Ill do it," she said. "I know Harlan very well - it was through me he came into the Faith. I can do this easily." So Lua wrote to Harlan - and Harlan, radiant at the thought that he was obeying a suggestion of his beloved Master, took the next train to New York from Boston where he lived. He came at once to see Grace and together they went walking through Central Park where he proposed and Grace, still. dazed.and uncertain, accepted - because it was the will of Abdu'l-Baha.

The next morning they were called into Abdu'l-Baha's bedroom. And. Abdu'l-Baha was there, with one or two others, waiting to perform the marriage ceremony. Grace remembered, afterward, entering the room. She remembered the look of warm love on Abdu'l-Baha's face; she remembered the bands of sunlight on the floor and the bowls of roses on the tables and the next thing she was aware of was lying on a couch with Harlan bending above her asking if she felt better. She then discovered that the marriage had been performed - a marriage that, with no faltering, she had gone through with Harlan at her side then, when it was over, she had swayed a little and they had suggested she lie down. Abdu'l-Baha, smiling and serene, was watching her with great love knowing perfectly well how overcome with the spiritual force of these great moments she had been and knowing that the whole experience only proved her great spiritual susceptibility and capacity.

So were Grace Robarts and Harlan Ober married by Abdu'l-Baha. Later that same day they were married again by the laws of New York when Howard Colby Ives performed the legal ceremony.
This was told to me by Grace Ober
at Green Acre c. 1933

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Wheel chair Pioneer...

Five years after Grace told me these stories she went on an extensive teaching trip through the near-southern states. For three of these five years she had been very ill - most of the time very close to the Open Door. Finally, when she was beginning to convalesce, she was sent, by a generous and devoted sister-Baha'i, to a large convalescent home. This was at the time of our beloved Guardian's first call for pioneers to South America - a call that Grace, until this time, had been too ill to comprehend. But now she did comprehend, and all the way to the convalescent home she prayed from the depths of her hungry soul that she might, in some way, be able to respond to the Guardian's call.

She arrived at the home and discovered that, that very evening, a masquerade was planned to celebrate Valentine's Day. Grace at once began to plan a costume for herself. She was very ingenious and clever about such things, and she was delighted that, so soon, she might have an opportunity of meeting her fellow guests - and maybe giving the Message- who knew? Eagerly she began to dress. She was powdering her nose in the bathroom when she fell. Whether she slipped or whether she fainted she herself was not sure. But when they found her she was lying unconscious - and unable to walk. She was put to bed and there was no party for her that night. And the next day when she finally went down stairs to meet people she met them from a wheel chair. And the people she met were from Chile and Argentina and Peru and Brazil! All the countries she had so longed to pioneer in - all the countries her beloved Guardian had said should be given the Message. So Grace being Grace, saw the beautiful joke that had been played on her - and she began to laugh. And all the people said, "Why, Mrs. Ober, how can you laugh when this dreadful thing has happened to you?" And Grace said, "Because I am a Baha'i do you know what that means?" Of course they didn't so she told them. And from her wheel-chair she did her pioneering in South America and these people from Chile and Argentina and Peru and Brazil, took the Message home with them together with all the literature Grace gave them.

Told to me by Grace Ober at
the Kinney home in New York City, Winter 1937

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To The Light...

It was a short time after Grace told me this story that she went on the teaching trip through the near-southern states that I mentioned above. The teaching trip ended in time for her to reach Wilmette and attend the Convention in the spring of 1938. It was a very radiant Convention and the report Grace gave of her teaching trip was one of the high points of it because Grace herself was so radiant and filled with the glory of the great privilege of teaching. She stood there, before the crowded hall in the foundation of the temple, filled with the great glory that shone from her and, closing her report, she uttered a tremendous clarion call for pioneers and for teachers. Then she walked down to resume her seat amongst the delegates. But on her way she paused beside Harlan, who had just been reelected to our National Spiritual Assembly. "I want to congratulate you now" she whispered, "I may not have time later", They smiled at each other with the perfect understanding that had always existed between them. Then Grace slipped into her own seat. As she sat down her head drooped slightly and those glancing at her assumed she was lost in prayer. But when she made no movement for many moments someone touched her someone realized something was wrong Edris Rice-Wray and Katherine True both moved forward - and Grace was gone - gone through her Open Door - gone on her beautiful journey to the arms of Abdu'l- Baha - (Both Edris Rice-Wray and Katherine True are doctors).

Told to me by Edris Rice-Wray, M. D. c. 1944(BTW, Elise knew Dr. Rice-Wray at the National Teacher's College, a women's college for teachers at the time, and located only 3 blocks from the House of Worship. She studied there from 1947-1950, and they became good friends.)

Green Acre...

The story of Green Acre itself is intensely interesting. The beautiful property the rolling meadows, the dear wide-verandahed Inn and, now, all the cottages surrounding it, together with the Tea House at the entrance leading from the highway and, farther down the road, the gracious Fellowship House - rises above the Piscataque River, the River of Light. And it was originally owned by Miss Sarah J. Farmer who was present at the Chicago Exposition in 1893 when, as we all know, the first mention of the Baha'i Revelation was made at the Congress of Religions. Miss Farmer became deeply interested in this matter of comparative religions and from that time was inspired to establish a summer school on this property of hers which became later our beloved Green Acre. In the summer of 1904 the brilliant and deeply loved Persian teacher, Abu'l Fadl, taught there and, of course, Abdu'l-Baha was there for some time during the summer of 1912.

But before this, before the property became definitely Baha'i property, there had been a good deal of contention and difficulty. Miss Farmer, after a few years spent in listening to the various speakers she brought to her summer school, realized that what the world longed for and what all peoples needed was One Universal Faith - and the Baha'i Revelation was the only answer to this problem. So, radiantly and with great certainty, she became a Baha'i. And this was all very well until she announced that she had made her will leaving her property to the Baha'is. Then her family rose in outrage and fury. They demanded that she change her will in their favor. She refused. At which they declared her insane and clapped her into an insane asylum. When the Baha'is heard of this, there was great consternation and horror and grief. That such a dreadful thing could happen to this great and wonderful woman was simply past all belief. But it had happened and something, certainly, must be done about it. They tried to have her released but her family had consigned her, and only her family could release her, and this they refused to do. Then, an appeal was made to have Miss Farmer examined by atieniate to establish her sanity but this, too, could not be done. Other attempts were made - but there was no step that was not balked at by the Farmer family. Finally, in desperation, three Bahais (Harlan Ober and Montfort Milts were two of them) engineered a most dramatic rescue involving a ladder that took them over the high wall surrounding the insane asylum where Miss Farmer was incarcerated and then another tall ladder leading to her room. She had been told what to expect and she was waiting to be carried down and away.

In the Ober home, Grace also was waiting for the return of the rescuers and the rescued. In the dark hours of the early morning they all arrived and there was great rejoicing.

Eventually, of course, there was great hubbub and fury raised by the Farmer family and finally, they dragged the Baha'is into court to have the matter legally settled. The case was brought by John Mitchell who was a most brilliant lawyer and who, at that point, had never lost a case. The Baha'is were represented by Montfort Mills, and the Bah'is won. They won the freedom and safety of their radiant and devoted sister Sarah Farmer and they won Green Acre.

Told to me by Grace Ober
as Green Acre, Summer 1933