Ruby (Hebe) Struven (1882—1973)
Ruby Jean Struven (née Moore) was born in the town of Hume, NY on November 4, 1882. She was the ninth out of ten children of Reuben Moore (born circa 1817) and Ellen McBride Moore (born circa 1842), both from New York State and she was also the younger sister of Lua (Louise) Getsinger (née Moore) . Hebe, as she was commonly called, came from a Baptist tradition and accepted the Baha'i Faith around 1896-98 in Hume, NY. Her belief in Bahá'u'lláh probably occurred through the influence of her older sister Lua (1,2).
In 1907, Hebe visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the prison city of 'Akká and also met with Roy Whilhelm and his mother on their return from 'Akká (18, 19). When she arrived in Palestine, she had to be smuggled in "under a load of vegetables" in order to get access to the Master (3). By 1910, Hebe was living in Washington, D.C. where she was part of the Assembly and was very active in that community.
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Struven's family house is the one on the corner with red awning (photograph courtesy of Divine Kebulu). |
She married Howard C. Struven, on Feb. 24, 1912 in Washington D.C. and they made their home at 1800 Bentaloo Street, Baltimore, Maryland. It was here that 'Abdu'l-Bahá, during His visit to Baltimore on November 11, 1912, visited the Struven household for lunch and a meeting with the friends (17). |
During the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Washington, D.C. area (including Baltimore), Hebe actively participated in the various committees which made arrangements for meetings, banquets, talks, etc. (4). She later participated at the Fourth Annual Convention of Bahá'í Temple Unity, Chicago, April 27th-May 1st, 1912. (5)
A year later, their only son, Howard Douglas was born on December 8, 1913.
Marriage license and certificate (6)
(Click picture for larger image)
The Worcester years
The Struven family, and their young son, Howard Douglas moved to Worcester, MA during the “war years” (7). The 1920 census records their residence at 166 Heard Street. It also records H. Douglas to be 6 years old and born in Baltimore, therefore they must have moved on or after 1914.
House at 166 Heard St, Worcester, MA built by Howard C. Struven and his brother in law, Howard Blakely. Source: Worcester LSA
The Struvens brought the Faith to Worcester. They initially “interested a few of their friends in the movement explaining its principles and providing them with the literature of Bahá'í. Gradually, form small gatherings at the Struven home, the group has increased until now they meet every Thursday night in the Bahá'í assembly rooms at 293 Main street. Brief talks are given on Bahai principles by members of the assembly and occasionally by visitors from other assemblies”. (7)
During the years in Worcester the Struvens kept active in teaching activities in Worcester and around the area:
- In 1918 Hebe was the Worcester delegate to The Tenth Annual Convention of Bahá'í Temple Unity (8)
- At the 1920 Annual Convention of Bahá'í Temple Unity, Hebe is reported to say on behalf of the Worcester, MA assembly " ..that great bounties have descended upon that city." (9)
- In a letter from 1922 addressed to the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of North America, Shoghi Effendi, states:
For the members of the Children's Educational Work Committee, Mrs. Grace Ober, Mrs. Louise Boyle, Mrs. Victoria Bedikian, Mrs. Hebe Struven, Mrs. Grace Foster, Mr. Stanwood Cobb and Mr. Allen McDaniel, I supplicate Divine Assistance, that He may graciously aid them in a work which was so near and dear to the Master's heart and enable them to assist in the rise of future devoted and efficient servants to the Cause of God. (10)
- At the annual Baha'i Convention/Congress of 1923, Hebe gave a presentation during a conference for the discussion of new methods in education. "Mrs. Howard Struven of Worcester, Massachusetts, spoke of how, in this New Day the lives of both parents and children must be founded upon the Word Of God, of how they must stand, together, in obedience to the Law of God. The child seeing clearly this Universal Law will be no longer a rebel but will become self-restrained through choice and reason, and will enter into the true relation of friendship and understanding with his parents." (11)
- In May 1925, during a Teaching Convention in Boston she and her husband were elected to a committee to "draft resolutions embodying the ideas brought out during the Convention as to the best methods of teaching the Cause in the Northeastern states region." (12)
- In 1928 she is listed in the Baha'i directory in Baha'i World (Vol. 2 part 3) as secretary of the Worcester LSA residing still at 166 Heard St, and in 1937-38 she is listed as part of the Northeast Regional Teaching committee (13) as well as part of the Green Acre Committee, along with her husband Howard C. Struven and Florence Morton around 1937 (14).
The influence that Hebe had in the early Baha'i community is commonly overshadowed by the more national and international actions of her sister Lua Getzinger or her friend Milly Collins. But her continuous work touched the soul of many Baha'is of hers and future generation. One example of the smart and delicate way she had to introduce the faith to other non-Baha'is is given in the following recount from Shirley Mather, one of the first Baha'i children in Worcester (20):
Hebe was the person who first introduced my mother, Annis Tibbetts Tarbell, to the Faith. We lived next door to them on Heard Street in Worcester, Mass. My mother and Hebe became friends while hanging their clothes outside. Mom asked Hebe why she didn't go to church since she always donated cakes to the church's sales. Hebe gave my mother a book. I forget the name but think it was "The New Era". Mom read the book then tried to give it back to Hebe. Hebe asked if Mom had any questions. Mom said no but it was an interesting book. Hebe handed the book back, saying "read it again, if you had really read it thoroughly you would have questions". Mom re-read it with paper and pencil in her hand, then had questions which began both her and my father's (Herbert Hitchcock Tarbell) study of the Faith. They went to all of the meetings held at the Struven's and became very active Baha'is.
This clothes line meeting has led to our whole family becoming Baha'is. So far it is four generations with more to come, I hope.
The latter years
During the latter part of her life, Hebe lived in Fryeburg, Maine. A couple of people from the Northeast still remember her. According to Nancy Aldrich (personal communication, March 2013):
She (Hebe) used to come to Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, ME in the late 1950's and early 1960's from Fryeburg, ME and speak about her sister Lua Getsinger! She would speak at the old Baha'i Hall, as many other prominent Baha'is did, usually in the evenings, and we listened attentively to her stories.
Jackie Sullivan remembers (personal communication, March 2013):
I remember staying in this Victorian-looking house (in Brattleboro, Vermont) with three elderly Baha'i women, one of whom was Hebe Struven. ...all I remember is that she had seen Abdu'l-Bahá during his visit to the Northeast. ....they were happy to have a young person stay with them for a while and I felt privileged to be in their company.
Hebe left us on August 2, 1973 at the age of 90 in Fryeburg, Maine. (15). She is resting at Pine Grove Cemetery, Fryeburg, ME (Sec 6 Lot 343) (16).
Image source: Find a Grave
Back to Worcester History Page
Data sources
- Bahá'í Historical Record of Worcester LSA. circa 1940
- "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M82Z-CS1 : accessed 01 Mar 2013), Reuben Moore, New York, United States; citing p. 12, family 91, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 552618.
- McKay, Doris. 1991. Fires in Many Hearts p. 42.
- D.C. Baha'i Tour 2012. http://www.dcbahaitour.org/place/?id=32
- Star of the West. Volume 3 - Issue 5.
- "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XL78-NWG : accessed 01 Mar 2013), Howard C Struven and Ruby J Moore, 1912.
- Worcester Sunday Telegram. April 27, 1924
- Star of the West. Volume 9 - Issue 4
- Star of the West. Volume 11 - Issue 11
- Shoghi Effendi. 1974. Bahá'í Administration. Letter 6.
- Star of the West. Volume 14 - Issue 3
- Baha'i News Letter. No. 5 May-June, 1925
- The Bahá’í World. Volume 7 - Part 3
- The Bahá’í World. Volume 7 - Part I
- "Maine, Death Index, 1960-1996," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KCVN-D9G : accessed 01 Mar 2013), Ruby J Struven, 1973.
- Fryeburg Historical Society. Old web page (newer page doesn't have the cemetery information). accessed March 2013.
- The Diary of Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání Chronicling `Abdu'l-Bahá's Journey to America. translated by Mohi Sobhani. 1997.
- Esta Struven. 2013. Personal communication.
- The Bahá'í World Vol. 12. Roy Whilhem In Memoriam. Page 662
- Shirley Mather. 2014. Personal communication.
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Last update: 4/15/2015