# Margaret Ariel Gallagher: Field Sergeant of the Western Frontier

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Margaret Ariel Gallagher: Field Sergeant of 
> the Western Frontier
> Excerpts from the lives of early believers
> Compiled and edited by N. Richard Francis, written by Nevada Metherd
> 
>  
> Margaret Ariel Gallagher was born on July 10th, 1920 
> in Omaha, Nebraska. Her proud parents were Julius James Ellerman and Rhona May 
> Marshall. She grew up in Denver, Colorado, the oldest of 7 children. While her 
> mother and step-father were hard at work all day Margie raised her siblings and 
> managed the household. After a difficult childhood, she left home at the age of 
> 17 and headed for California. She married young and had her son James who was 
> her pride and joy throughout her life. She divorced when he was a baby and went 
> to work to support them. Margie was not afraid to try any job. She worked as both 
> a short order cook and an ambulance driver among other things.
>  Margie met and married John Joseph Gallagher, a handsome 
> naval officer, in the 1940's. As a navy family the Gallaghers traveled around 
> the United States for some time before settling in Hayward, California in 1950. 
> Margie and Joe were a dashing couple and Joe loved Jimmy as his own child. They 
> settled into a happy family life together.
> In 1954 Margie was introduced to the Bahá'í Faith. She soon 
> declared her belief in Bahá'u'lláh as the most recent of God's messengers to humanity 
> and dedicated her life to sharing her new religion with others. Her energetic 
> service to the Faith combined with her extensive knowledge of its teachings led 
> to her appointment, in 1969, as an Auxiliary Board Member for the western states. 
> As a member of this Bahá'í institution her responsibilities included: California, 
> Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. 
> (1)
> When Margie was on the road (in her lime-green Tornado that 
> cruised at 80 mph.) she taught classes at summer schools and conferences and met 
> with countless Bahá'í groups. Everywhere she went was like a homecoming. She was 
> lavished with love and affection wherever she went. 
> At home Margie hosted numberless Bahá'í meetings and provided 
> hospitality to many distinguished members of the international Bahá'i community 
> including several Hands of the Cause of God and members of the Universal House 
> of Justice. 
> Other distinguished features of Margie's life as a Bahá'í 
> included: two pilgrimages to the Holy Land; attendance at both Bahá'í World Congresses; 
> being present at the dedication of two Bahá'í Houses of Worship (Panama and India); 
> and travels to many foreign countries (Mexico, China, Canada, England...) to spread 
> Bahá'u'lláh's message of love and world unity.
> One of Margaret's most outstanding accomplishments was her 
> skill as a public speaker. With just a high school education and at a time when 
> a woman's domain was thought to be the home, Margie worked hard to develop her 
> talents in public address. She was in the vanguard of women who set out to transform 
> the world. She could speak to 10 people, or 100, or 1000 and make them howl with 
> laughter, move them to tears, and bring them closer to their own spiritual nature.
> In their 55 years of marriage Margie and Joe provided a 
> loving home for their cherished son, Jimmy. They took in and raised Margie's grand-niece, 
> Margaret Ann as their own for the first six years  of her life. They became surrogate 
> parents to many of Jimmy's teenaged friends. Any night of the week folks would 
> drop in, unannounced, and be treated to great food (always enough to feed the 
> troops), scrumptious deserts, good company, a challenging game of Scrabble, and 
> enough laughter to choke a horse (let's not forget the colorful expressions).
> Her beloved Joe passed away in 1999 and with the assistance 
> of many of friends, she relocated to Placerville, California. After a lengthy 
> illness she ascended on July 23, 2001. Her earthly remains were interred at Green 
> Valley Cemetery, Cameron Park, California.
> Margie's lifetime of service to the Bahá'í Faith was commemorated 
> by both the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and 
> the Universal House of Justice. She will be remembered for many outstanding qualities. 
> Her humor, courage and confidence were powerful. Her warmth, culinary talents 
> and hospitable nature was a blessing. Her sense of adventure and daring escapades 
> were legendary. Her commitment to and love for all people, regardless of their 
> race, religion or culture as her guiding principle, was  an example to us all.
> 
> Notes: 
>  Marsha Gilpatrick remembered Margie's 
> indomitable spirit: how, at the time of her appointment to the Auxiliary Board, 
> it was like a life sentence, because she was one of the first and the position 
> was relatively undefined at that time. She was well organized, maintaining files 
> on just about everything. She spent most of her time on the road, in the "boonies" 
> visiting everyone, safe-guarding the Faith. She kept in touch with pioneers and 
> helped them understand and impressed upon them the importance of their work.
> Tony Lease described Margie in the following manner 
> "She wore the Faith like armor". She met with the Friends constantly and if one 
> asked a question, they had better be prepared to receive an answer. The Bahá'í 
> youth respected her for being forthright; and when so many of them finally became 
> parents, they carried on the ideas she inspired in them. Once she heard that there 
> was a man in a Montana prison claiming to be Bahá'u'lláh. In short order "Sergeant 
> Marge" met with him and afterwards the man asked to be kept in prison.
> Richard Francis recalls the time in 1972 when Margie 
> was attending the Continental Board of Councilors Conference in Reno, Nevada. 
> After the evening program a large number of the Friends proceeded across Virginia 
> Street from the conference site at the Pioneer Theater to a Denny's restaurant. 
> At the conference Florence Mayberry had just given a talk on the virtues of obedience 
> to Bahá'í laws. Having proceeded with the rest of the Bahá'ís to the restaurant, 
> upon entering, she succumbed to temptation and placed a nickel in one of several 
> slot machines near the front door. (Bahá'u'lláh expounds in the  Kitáb-i-Aqdas 
> the "prohibition of games of chance") To her surprise, it hit and all the bells 
> rang, the lights flashed and the jackpot dropped into the tray below with a loud 
> clang. All attention was subsequently drawn to her direction and all knew who 
> she was. Displaying a rather embarrassed demeanor, her only commit was: "Bahá'u'lláh 
> doesn't let me get away with anything!"
>
> — *Margaret Ariel Gallagher: Field Sergeant of the Western Frontier (Used by permission of the curator)*