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Charles Hermon Greenleaf

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Charles Hermon Greenleaf

Birth
Wisconsin, USA
Death
24 May 1920 (aged 63)
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Burial
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA GPS-Latitude: 41.9867317, Longitude: -87.6797431
Plot
Section K Lot 42
Memorial ID
View Source
One of the earliest believers of the Baha'i Faith in the United States, named a Disciple of Abdu'l-Baha by Shoghi Effendi

Charles Greenleaf, a Disciple of `Abdul-Baha¡, was born in Wisconsin on 6 May 1857. Raised in Wisconsin and California, as a young man he settled in Illinois, where he became a lawyer and worked for Illinois Trust and Savings Bank of Chicago. On 8 August 1882 he married E. Elizabeth Roemer of Evanston, Ill., with whom he had two sons, Albert and Charles, Jr.

Greenleaf was raised a strong Protestant. He became a friend of Thornton Chase. Charles and Elizabeth took a class on the Baha'i­ Faith from Ibrahim Kheiralla in the fall of 1897; dreams convinced them of the truth of the new religion, and they "received the Greatest Name" on 5 October 1897.

Both became active in the Chicago Baha'i community. When the Chicago Bahai'­s elected their first governing council, about 16 March 1900, he was one of the ten members. With Thornton Chase, Arthur Agnew, and Albert Windust, Greenleaf was one of four men who founded the Behais Supply and Publishing Board, which was later incorporated Bahai Publishing Society.

Albert Windust wrote that Greenleaf "was one of the three recognized pillars of strength of the Cause [in Chicago] in the early days," the others being Chase and Agnew. Upon his death on 24 May 1920, `Abdu'l-Baha¡ cabled that He was "supplicating Lord of the Kingdom" to submerge Greenleaf in "an ocean of mercy." He referred to him as a "blessed soul."
One of the earliest believers of the Baha'i Faith in the United States, named a Disciple of Abdu'l-Baha by Shoghi Effendi

Charles Greenleaf, a Disciple of `Abdul-Baha¡, was born in Wisconsin on 6 May 1857. Raised in Wisconsin and California, as a young man he settled in Illinois, where he became a lawyer and worked for Illinois Trust and Savings Bank of Chicago. On 8 August 1882 he married E. Elizabeth Roemer of Evanston, Ill., with whom he had two sons, Albert and Charles, Jr.

Greenleaf was raised a strong Protestant. He became a friend of Thornton Chase. Charles and Elizabeth took a class on the Baha'i­ Faith from Ibrahim Kheiralla in the fall of 1897; dreams convinced them of the truth of the new religion, and they "received the Greatest Name" on 5 October 1897.

Both became active in the Chicago Baha'i community. When the Chicago Bahai'­s elected their first governing council, about 16 March 1900, he was one of the ten members. With Thornton Chase, Arthur Agnew, and Albert Windust, Greenleaf was one of four men who founded the Behais Supply and Publishing Board, which was later incorporated Bahai Publishing Society.

Albert Windust wrote that Greenleaf "was one of the three recognized pillars of strength of the Cause [in Chicago] in the early days," the others being Chase and Agnew. Upon his death on 24 May 1920, `Abdu'l-Baha¡ cabled that He was "supplicating Lord of the Kingdom" to submerge Greenleaf in "an ocean of mercy." He referred to him as a "blessed soul."


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