More Glimpses of Ruth Moffett
by Diane Findlay, submitted November 2023
This is a composite piece, gathering comments left over the last 18 months or so on the Iowa Baha’i History Project Facebook page. They are in no particular order. I have grouped comments by the same contributor together, though they were offered at different times and in response to different entries on the page. Search Ruth’s name on the site for a biography and other mentions of this early teacher and powerful spirit. I hope this piece will inspire others to share their memories in the comments below.
Richard William Hillman: (about Ruth’s house):
That is where I declared my belief in Baha’u’llah! Thank You Lord for allowing me to believe!
Chris Johnson:
- After I got out of the Army in ‘73 at the tail end of Viet Nam’s war. I moved to Des Moines to start an MBA program at Drake, during the 6 months I was there I had the pleasure of meeting and knowing Ruth Moffett. I have some fond memories of Ruth and some of her insights into the Bahai Faith. She was a former fundamentalist Baptist Sunday School teacher who became a Bahai. I attended her Fireside talks and took copious notes when she talked. I also helped her with her yard at her large house, as she was in her early 90s I believe.
- When I got out of the Army in 1973 I spent 6 months in Des Moines at Drake starting an MBA program, that I dropped out of Drake to pursue Sociology at Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls in the Spring 1974 and later my PhD in Sociology at Iowa State living in Boone Iowa near Ames. While living in Des Moines I had the honor of meeting and getting to know Ruth Moffett. I attended her firesides and talks, while offering to be her yard boy at the time. I was enthralled with her new books, Keys to the Book of Revelation and Dao: On the Wings of Prayer. Also, I enjoyed her talks on her chart which were lacking a wee bit in accuracy but nonetheless interesting. I still have her chart and gave a talk on it in the Austin community. She had to be ninety something and still got around very well. Once I asked Ruth if she had any children, she said, “no we haven’t any children. We tried and we lost several to still births.” She went on to say, “I had prayed so hard for these babies while I was pregnant that God decided they could go straight to the Abha Kingdom!” … There was an older lady named Catherine who was a good friend of Ruth and looked after her quite a bit but cannot recall her last name. It was a lovely community. If anyone can remember any of these people let me know their last names. Ruth Moffett was as dynamic of a speaker and person as I have seen in Iowa. Also, I truly enjoyed taking care of her yard. Ruth recycled and saved everything. She even had me bundle her twigs so that they could be used and she was an early advocate of recycling and predicted it would soon become needed. Her Guardian notes were interesting to listen to as well. All in all, Ruth was a wonderful example of aging with grace, spunk, power and social involvement. She among others inspired me to go into gerontology in the field of Sociology, getting my PhD at Iowa State.
- [A couple of Ruth sayings] helped me to get my PhD as well. It took me five tough years to get it done after three tough years on my Masters—with children and working many jobs. Thanks Ruth for inspiring my appreciation of your efforts to teach the Faith as long as you possibly could. More importantly in my career as a Sociologist and Gerontologist it motivated me to eliminate ageism and inspire others to empower elders and persons with dementia. Even today, the topic of aging is still needed in Baha’i Summer and Winter Schools, much needed I think.
- I recall her home building an old Victorian three story. I did some yard work for her and sat in on her lectures. She was ninety something and incontinent, but the LSA helped her stay in her own home by people volunteering to help and some ladies staying with her. She has a very powerful spirit you could feel it.
- I have Ruth’s chart and her books. She had some inaccuracies in her chart which I was talking to Jack McCants about the other day. Yet she was a spiritual giant in Iowa. Ruth had two miscarriages and I asked her why God did not want her to have babies once. She said, Chris, I prayed for them both so fervently, I believe they were already prepared for arrival to the Abha Kingdom before they were born.
Don Calkins:
- Chris Johnson, she lived at 3939 Cottage Grove, two stories plus an attic.
- Ruth Moffet’s teachings, as with many of the early Baha’is, need to be used very cautiously. There were many errors, some serious, that ultimately required the House of Justice to get involved. An academic biography of her is going to take a long time to sort out. This is especially true after the three-fold catastrophes of the death of her husband, the death of Shoghi Effendi and the defection of Mason Remey. She was a great teacher, not for what she taught, but her attention to new believers.
- I had a one-week course from Ruth Moffett on the Book of Revelation! Great teacher.
- I knew Ruth Moffet. My mom was a very active Baha’i and we went to many summer schools, conferences, etc., around Iowa in the 1950s early ‘60s, and lived in quite active communities in Waterloo/Cedar Falls. Seemed like Ruth attended everything; she was always there! I remember her as being so knowledgeable, full of interesting stories and kindness to all. A great teacher. She had a bright smile that made all us kids just about giggle when we felt the beam from her eyes hit us. We owe so much to the past generations of intrepid Baha’is–they did so much to add to the foundation we are standing on now. Allah’u’Abha!
- I lived with Ruthie for some months before I went on pilgrimage in 1972 and typed the manuscript “Keys to the Book of Revelation” on a manual typewriter. Remember well her quotes of Hoe out your row and others. She helped me focus my prayers by always voicing as I do now with my family here in Mexico who and what I am praying for… Every day she took a power nap for 20-30 minutes. She had incredible energy and listening to her present on the chart numerous times was incredible. She was a big-time science admirer and loved sharing new developments. I feel blessed to have been able to learn from her courage and fortitude. She had much to do with my pioneering as a student to Mexico to complete my undergrad and also my master’s and Ph.D.
- I lived with Ruth in the spring/ summer of 1974 and typed in her book Keys to the Book of Revelation. Powerful soul with unlimited energy who taught me many things including to focus on what you were praying for prior to offering prayers individually or as a group. I believe she saw Abdul-Baha in Chicago as a child. We were honored to receive her in Spencer when it was on fire with the faith along with many others including Javidukht Khadem, wife of Hand of the Cause Mr. Khadem.
- “Hoe out your row” and “hitch your wagon to a star” we’re a couple of her sayings or bits of advice that guided my life and still come to mind when needed. They helped me apply for medical school and stay with a challenging career.
- Brad and I met Ruth Moffet in 1975 when we lived at Living History Farms near Des Moines. She had several young adults living in her home and helping publicize her book Do’a on Wings of Prayer. She would have various meetings in her home. We moved to Davis County In 1976. Ruth and friends came to our small house on a dirt road and she gave a fireside, using her famous “Ruth’s chart.” I recall that when she was about 96 years old, she was scheduled to go on pilgrimage but got double pneumonia. Doctors said it would be impossible for her to go. But she prayed the Remover of difficulties prayer hundreds of times in the night, left the hospital the next morning and made her pilgrimage. She attributed her long-lasting flexibility and physical abilities to praying the Long Obligatory Prayer daily.
- I first met Ruth when I was in high school in Cedar Falls and investigating the Bahá’í faith. It was at a youth conference at what is now UNI. Seeing her there among all the other people much younger made a real impression on my understanding of people living their faith.
Terri Rene DaVar:
- Marian Kramer (Ridvan Garden) and Mary McDowell were two of those who cleared out her house after her death.
- As I recall, Ruth was in a train (El) in Chicago and while looking out the window she saw a man dressed in robes. She was attracted to Him and later discovered His identity.
- We spent time in Ruth’s home in Des Moines and I will never forget her trip to Spencer, our hometown, to give a presentation for the community. Her passion and incredible perspective on world religions was inspirational. I have a copy of that graph and it makes progressive revelation so easy to understand!
- When we visited her on many occasions in the early ‘70s She would have visitors every day from all over the country and evening meals were a wonderful time of serious discussions.
- I have a copy of her progressive revelation chart which she gave to me in 1973 when visiting here in Des Moines. I still have it and I wonder how many are in existence? Tamara and I spent many hours around her dinner table in 1972-74!
- I worked for a short time in the West Des Moines office of Youth For Understanding International Exchange. One day I heard a couple of coworkers in a conversation. One was telling another stories about her “Crazy Aunt Ruth,” whom she obviously considered eccentric and not to be taken seriously. The more I listened, the more convinced I became that “Crazy Aunt Ruth” was, indeed, Ruth Moffett! I was so glad for the chance to join the conversation, apologize for eavesdropping, and proceed to offer some new perspective about who “Crazy Aunt Ruth” was to the Baha’is and how honored I was to have met her.
- My first husband, Larry, worked with Ruth on her book, Do’a, A Call to Prayer. I have her Pilgrim’s notes, and a copy of her book. She was a visitor in our home in Ruthven, Iowa, and she did a talk in Spencer, Iowa on the Baha’i Faith. She was 93. I remember what I served her for supper as our distinguished guest!! Prime grade hamburger with mushrooms, and cream of mushroom gravy on toasted bread accompanied with green beans and mashed potatoes!! That was in 1974, I believe.
- I was privileged to have her stay in my home and give her food that I cooked! She was giving a talk in Spencer, Iowa!! She was a strong spirit!! She was in her nineties then!! I felt honored to serve her!!
- I remember Ruth saying that babies who are given to heaven and do not stay here in the physical plane is because they are spiritually advanced and, therefore, proceed directly to the heavenly realm!!
- Janet Larsen Zephier and I sat at her long dining table for a history lesson. My sticking point was the rational existence of God. She cleared that up.
- It was Ruth Moffett’s chart that attracted me to the Baha’i Faith in 1973 in Spencer, in NW Iowa. I was a high school senior, and a sweet Baha’i youth, Carla, had put a display on World Religion (day?) in the high school library display case, in the hallway. Simply, It had Ruth’s chart and a few Baha’i books. I first attended a meeting on world religions at Carla’s house. within a few weeks I declared.
- Karl and Grace Kough told stories about Ruth Moffet arriving in Waterloo at the train station to have Firesides. She was a highly esteemed teacher for them.