Amelia E. Collins (1873-1962) – Hand of the Cause; “lady of the Kingdom”; “indomitable spirit of faith and love"; "single-minded and wholehearted devotion"; “profound sense of devotion”; "passionate fervor”; “calm sanity”; “very generous offerings”; “prized co-worker”; her “inner deep spiritual relationship and devotion” to the Guardian; “The high rank” she occupied “which no Baha'i has ever held in his own lifetime”; “so distinguished a handmaid of Baha'u'llah and Hand of His Cause”

"O thou lady of the Kingdom!" With these words 'Abdu'l-Baha addressed Amelia Engelder Collins in His Tablet to her, dated December 6, 1919. It was an answer to the longing of this newly awakened heart to serve the Kingdom of God. The "hope" of 'Abdu'l-Baha as expressed in the Tablet became fulfilled in fullest measure in the life of this devoted Baha'i:

"In brief, from the bounties of His Holiness Baha’u’llah, My hope is that thou mayest daily advance in the Kingdom, that thou mayest become a heavenly soul, confirmed by the breaths of the Holy Spirit, and may erect a structure that shall eternally remain firm and unshakable."

'Abdu'l-Baha passed away in 1921. Amelia used to say that, "After the provisions of His Will became known, my whole heart and soul turned to that youthful Branch, appointed by Him to watch over and guide the Faith of Baha'u'llah. How I prayed that God would help me to make him happy!"

This became her guiding light, to serve the beloved Guardian and make him happy. She often said that to see the Guardian smile just once was worth a lifetime of suffering. To this end, then, she poured forth unstintingly her love, her strength, her means, throughout the remaining years of her life, often and increasingly, at the cost of great physical sacrifice. Her personal possessions, art treasures, life itself, had meaning only as they could be used to serve the Cause of Baha'u'llah and the one on whom had fallen the responsibility of carrying forward "the great work entrusted to his care."

As the years passed, in numerous letters and messages to her, the Guardian referred to her "indomitable spirit of faith and love", her "indefatigable services'', her "single-minded and wholehearted devotion" to the Cause of God, her "self-sacrificing efforts" - examples which "will live and influence many a soul." These services were crowned by Shoghi Effendi in January 1951 with her appointment as member and vice-president of the newly-appointed International Baha'i Council, "forerunner" of the Universal House of Justice, and in December 1951, with her appointment as one of the first contingent of living Hands of the Cause.

Valiyu’llah Varqa (1884-1955) – “outstanding Hand Cause God”; “exemplary trustee Huquq”; “distinguished representative most venerable community Baha'i world”; “worthy son brother twin immortal martyrs Faith”; “dearly beloved disciple Center Covenant”

Profoundly grieved loss outstanding Hand Cause God, exemplary trustee Huquq, distinguished representative most venerable community Baha'i world, worthy son brother twin immortal martyrs Faith, dearly beloved disciple Center Covenant. Shining record services extending over half century enriched annals heroic formative ages Baha'i Dispensation. His reward Abha Kingdom inestimable. Advise erect my behalf befitting monument his grave. His mantle as trustee funds Huquq now falls on 'Ali Muhammad, his son. Instruct Rowhani Tihran arrange befitting memorial gatherings capital provinces honor memory mighty pillar cradle Faith Baha'u'llah. Newly-appointed trustee Huquq now elevated rank Hand Cause.

Shoghi

November 15, 1955.

Autobiography

"Some time ago the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Tihran asked me to write my autobiography for them. In reply, I explained that during my youth I had had the privilege and honor to be in the blessed presence of His Holiness 'Abdu'l-Baha and to be one of His attendants during His visit to America. I had always seen and witnessed His utter self-abnegation in words and deeds. When I stop to ponder the resplendent services rendered by the early believers of the Faith and their heroic sacrifices, I do not see how I can give any account about myself.

"I was born in Tabriz, 1263 Persian solar calendar (1884). My father, 'Ali Muhammad Varqa, a martyr of the Cause, was the third son of Haji Mulla Mihdi Yazdi, known as Atri, and my mother, Fatimih, was the daughter of Haji Mirza 'Abdu'llah Khan Nuri of Mazindaran. These two grandparents were both staunch believers of the Cause, which they most earnestly served. I had three brothers. (My mother gave birth to four children.) The eldest was named Mirza 'Aziz'ullah Khan, the second was named Ruhu'llah, who was martyred, the third was myself, and the fourth was called Badi'ullah, who died in childhood. As a family we all lived in Tabriz in the household of our maternal grandmother in perfect love and harmony and in complete ease and honor."

Valiyu’llah's father and brother

“This happiness was, however, upset and shattered in consequence of some false reports submitted by certain enemies of the Cause to the Prince Regent, Muzaffari'd-Din Shah, to the effect that Mirza 'Abdu'llah Khan, my grandfather, who was then a member of his court, was acting against the Government and had put his house at the disposal of Baha'is gathering there to conduct anti-government activities. My grandfather was obliged, therefore, to escape to Tihran, and in his absence, my grandmother, who was a fanatical Muslim, found the opportunity to exert her enmity by opposing my father so strongly and relentlessly as to compel him to leave his home and native town, accompanied by his two eldest sons. My junior brother, Badi'ullah, and myself, being too small, were left behind with our mother in the same house where my grandmother lived. This did not, however, appease my grandmother. She had such a deep hatred of the Cause that she began to make evil suggestions to me against my father and to sow the seeds of hatred and enmity in my soul against him. She was able to impress my tender soul to such an extent that in my Islamic prayers, which I was obliged to say, I wept in bitter grief for my father's deviation which had earned him so much hatred from the public.

Roy C. Wilhelm (1875-1951) – Hand of the Cause: “greatly prized, much loved, highly admired herald (of) Baha'u'llah's Covenant”; “Sterling qualities”, “saintliness, indomitable faith”, “outstanding services”, “exemplary devotion”

"Heart filled (with) sorrow (for) loss (of) greatly prized, much loved, highly admired herald (of) Baha'ullah's Covenant, Roy Wilhelm. Distinguished career enriched annals (of) concluding years (of) Heroic (and) opening years (of) Formative Age (of) Faith. Sterling qualities endeared him (to) his beloved Master, 'Abdu'l-Baha. His saintliness, indomitable faith, outstanding services local, national, international, (his) exemplary devotion, qualify him (to) join ranks (of) Hands (of) Cause, insure him everlasting reward (in) Abha Kingdom. Advise hold memorial gathering (in) Temple befitting his unforgettable services (and) lofty rank."

-Shoghi

December 24, 1951

In the history of the Baha'i Faith during the first half of the twentieth century, Roy C. Wilhelm occupied an important place. The firmness of his faith, the purity of his devotion, his self-sacrifice and his untiring activity enabled him to make a unique contribution to the establishment of the Faith in North America and indirectly, through his generous aid to Miss Martha Root, and his distribution of Baha'i literature in many languages, to its spread in other continents. Essentially humble, he carried heavy administrative responsibilities with a winning charm which endeared him to a host of friends.

Roy Wilhelm was first and foremost a man of integrity who applied the high Baha'i standards of conduct to himself before he applied them to others. Born in Zanesville, Ohio, September 17, 1875, Roy Wilhelm and his parents moved to West Englewood, New Jersey, and opened their import firm in New York City, which he actively conducted until the last few years of his life. It was on this property in West Englewood that 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1912, during His North American visit, held a unity feast for the Baha'is of the New York metropolitan area at which He announced that on that date the Faith of Baha'u'llah was truly established in America. The site of that gathering will, in the future, mark the only public Memorial which the American Baha'is are permitted to construct in reverent observance of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit from April to December, 1912.