- 1920-06-01 — The first Regional Teaching Committee in Canada was appointed by the Executive Board of the Bahá'I Temple Unity. The members were May Maxwell, Elizabeth Cowles and Mabel Rice-Wray Ives of Detroit. [SoW24Jun1920]
- 1937-09-00 —
Mabel Rice-Wray Ives (1878-1943) was the first Bahá'í to initiate a systematic teaching campaign starting in the Fall of 1937 in Moncton, NB. She was assisted by Rosemary Sala of St. Lambert. [TG102, 108; OBCC153]
- 1939-05-00 —
With the assistance of Mabel Ives who extended her travel teaching plans in Toronto, a Bahá'í booth was set up at the Canadian National Exhibition. Over 15,000 pieces of literature were distributed. [OBCC179, 307]
- The Canadian National Exhibition, "the Ex", is a Canadian institution first held in 1879. [Wikipedia]
- 1939-06-25 —
What has been termed the "first international Bahá'í picnic embracing Canada and the United States" was held at Queenstown Heights at the invitation of the Toronto Assembly. It was the brainchild of Howard Ives who was living in Toronto at the time. He and Mabel had "grand-children" on both sides of the border.
- Willard McKay chaired the event with talks provided by Doris McKay, John Stearns, Mrs. Pettibone, Elizabeth Brooks, Mrs, Marguerite Firoozi. Lulu Barr, Mrs. Enos Barton, Mr, and Mrs. John Robarts and, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ives.
- It was attended by 74 persons, 4 of which applied for enrollment in the Faith that day. It was an occasion for Bahá'í youth on both sides of the border to meet each other.
- Plans were made to widen the New York-Pennsylvania Bahá'í speaker circuit to include Canada and the first youth conference was planned for Jamestown, NY.
[FMH277; BN No 128 August 1939 p7; OBCC179]
- Bahá'ís will note the significant fact that a decisive battle was fought on this site during the Revolutionary War. General Isaac Brock was killed but thanks to a regiment of "coloured" soldiers and Native allies, the Canadian forces were able to dispel the invading forces and take almost 1,000 prisoners.
- 1941-05-00 —
Lulu Barr pioneered to Saskatoon from Hamilton where she had learned of the Faith from Mabel Rice-Wray Ives two years earlier in May 1939. She stayed for two years with no apparent results. [OBCC186]
- 1941-06-20 —
The passing of Howard Colby Ives (b. 11 Oct 1867, Brooklyn, New York, d. Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA). He was buried in Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas. [BW9p608-613; Find a grave]
- He and his wife Mabel spent nearly the last twenty years of his life as itinerant teachers. (Often teamed up with the Obers and the McKays) For example they came to Toronto in November of 1938 and stayed for about 10 months. During that time Mabel gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and about 70 in Hamilton, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, who was had had heart problems and who was rapidly losing for sight and hearing at the time, complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls. [TMLF62-67, SEBW139-154]
Some of his works were:
- The Ocean of His Utterances Unpublished study course in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh using the books of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l‑Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, compiled and with commentary by Ives. Not yet formatted.
- Portals to Freedom (1937) A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Baha's travels to the United States, as told by one observer. [BEL7.1313 to 7.1320]
- The Song Celestial (1938) A mystical book about Mr. Ives' search for God, in which a seeker asks God various questions, and God responds. [BEL7.1321-1322]
- Also see Mother's Stories:
Recollections of Abdu'l-Baha by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall (Daughter of Howard and Mabel Ives)
- 1943-06-18 —
The passing of Mabel Rice-Wray Ives (Rizwanea) (b. in St. Louis, MI in 1878) in Oklahoma, OK. She was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery. [BW9p616]
She first heard of the Faith at the age of 21 in 1899 under miraculous circumstances. [Mabel Ives & The Mysterious Trolley Car Ride]
In 1903 she married Theron Canfield Rice-Wray and they lived in California from 1909 to 1914 where her marriage ended and she returned to the East. In 1919 she met Howard Colby Ives and they married in 1920. They teamed with another couple, Grace and Harlan Ober as well as Doris and Willard McKay in both business and the teaching work, moving from one virgin territory to another.
See the story of how Mabel resolved the situation when she could no longer tolerate the itinerate lifestyle in the story When Mable Ives Could Endure No More, She Prayed .
In 1937, the suggestion was made that Moncton, New Brunswick would be a fertile ground for the Cause. The Ives went. During the first six weeks of her stay, Mrs. Ives gave public lectures, radio addresses and formed a study class. She introduced the Faith to St. John, N.B., Halifax, N.S. and Charlottetown, P. E. I. Her untiring efforts, led to Moncton, NB forming the first Spiritual Assembly in the Canadian Maritimes, April 21st, 1937.
In spite of Howard's failing health, they travelled to Toronto in November of 1938 for ten months to assist in the formation of Toronto's first Spiritual Assembly. Rizwanea served on that new Spiritual Assembly until she left Canada. She gave more than 150 lectures in Toronto and 70 in Hamilton, Ontario, Toronto's expansion goal. Howard, although experiencing heart problems and rapidly losing both his sight and hearing complemented her abilities by doing personal deepening with receptive souls downstairs, while she would be presenting the Teachings upstairs.
See the tribute paid to her in the Canadian Bahá'í News No 202 November 1966 p4.
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