Frances Elizabeth Coley
(read by Carol and Steve Coley)
Words that describe her: Devoted to family, committed co-worker, gracious host, loyal supporter, humble servant, and ardent in her love for Baha’u’llah and the Baha’i Faith. Loving, humble, pure-hearted, caring, supportive, sharing, very considerate of others, thoughtful, empathetic, high work ethic, patient, industrious, determined, persevering, quietly pursues her goal until it is accomplished
Born in Washington, DC May 19, 1920 Frances Elizabeth Masciana was born to
Peppino Masciana and Ouida Marshall Masciana
She has one older brother, Andrea P. Masciana and one younger brother, Peppino Masciana. They moved to Reggio di Calabria, Italy in 1923 and returned to USA in 1930. She has lived in Washington, DC – East Texas, PA and experienced the “one-room schoolhouse”, despite family and teachers who believed girls should not be in school, but rather should be at home helping there.
Her father passed away when she was quite young and her mother worked hard as a single mother to provide for her 3 children. She trained them in life skills she saw as necessary to them being as independent as she thought they would increasingly need to be. Thus the boys learned to sew, cook, clean house as well as their sister, and she learned to work with electric wires, paint walls, and fix things around the house.
In her early years, she was home schooled; later she received her high school diploma in Washington, DC. Frances took care of her children’s education and wellbeing before she became a student again – matriculating at the University of the District of Columbia at 77. She graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in Paralegal Studies, cum laude! She was the oldest member of her class!
We are so very proud of her!
Vignettes
Born here in the Washington, DC area in 1920, Frances’s father moved the family back to his home in Reggio di Calabria, Italy when she was a small child. They lived there several years, then returned to the United States. Her young life was permeated with classical European music – her Dad was a barber who sang opera and her Mother played the piano. Mom said when her Mother played the piano and her Father sang, people passing by would stop outside the window of their home to listen. She, of course, developed a deep appreciation for it and later, with sacrifice and patience, made sure her own children were exposed to classical music and trained on some instrument. .
At that time the economic climate began to get very bleak; work was difficult to find for her Dad and so they moved around a bit, even to a little town in Pennsylvania called East Texas.
Although she experienced racism full force, Mom never let that decide for her what her skills, strengths and aspirations should be. Schools for children of parents of African descent, she said, trained the students to be servants as that was the expectation. So it was that every day after school, Mom would go to work for someone, cleaning their house, cooking their dinner, etc., then come home and do her homework.
To make a long story short, Mom set her sights on more interesting job opportunities and landed a position in one of the administrative offices of Howard University. Later, she worked at the Afro-American Newspaper and lastly for several law firms. She managed the law office for many years and when she had to leave in order to care for her husband, C.C. Coley, the firm hired three people to handle her job responsibilities.
She became aware of the Baha’i Faith in 1949 when her older brother, then an airplane pilot in the U.S. Air Force, returned from overseas and brought with him some pamphlets he picked up on a stopover in Chicago on his way home. In the early 1950’s she was the first in the family to become a Baha’i. Later her mother became a Baha’i and steered the rest of us to the right path.
What was her most sincere desire and still is? To tell an interested someone about her beloved Baha’i Faith. Whenever representatives of other Faiths would come to our door, Mom would receive them warmly and lovingly and she would get them to agree to listen to what she wanted to share with them as well. Often, they decided quickly that that would not be acceptable to them and went on their way. When we lived on Randolph Street, our next door neighbor became a Baha’i. During one of the visits of one group of missionaries, the party left our house and went next door to give the “Good News”. A few minutes later, our neighbor came over and asked Mom what had she told that poor man? The neighbor said that when she told the gentleman et al she was a Baha’i, he began to twitch and act nervous and quickly took his leave.
Mom loves people!! She loves to host them in her home. And so it was a precious bounty for her to receive the Baha’i friends, particularly if they were new to the Faith or from some other place in the world. Our lives were so enriched by our guests and it was hoped that they, too, had been uplifted on the wings of joy and friendship. We heard reference more than once about the Coley hotel. She made it a policy to receive kinfolk and ‘Baha’i family’ whenever possible. It was especially sweet to her to have her dear Iranian brothers and sisters. As a result, she has ‘children’ from near and far. I remember coming home after 4 years pioneering in South America. The first night at home Mom was hosting a fireside. People began to arrive and they greeted her with such a feeling of familiarity, even calling her ‘Mom’. At that time I was feeling a little annoyed that all these people were calling my Mom, “Mom’. And I didn’t even know them! Once she agreed to have several Japanese pilots over for dinner. At the end of the evening, she said one of them said that if they had known there were kind people like her, they would never have taken on the missions that they did.
When the Baha’i Center was severely damaged by fire, it became necessary to cease all activities there until renovation could be completed.
So Frances Coley offered her home to serve temporarily as the meeting place for the Baha’i Community. During that time, Hand of the Cause of God, Dr. R. Muhajir came to Washington, DC and, of course, a gathering was arranged. Dad, who was not yet a Baha’i, but a serious businessman, came home and found that the first floor was full of people. He went downstairs to the basement door and found that the basement was also full of people. He went back to his office, called mom and told her he was going to stay there for a while because he couldn’t get into the house. He just wanted her to let him know when he could come home and get in.
Dad was surprising. When he first learned that his wife had become a Baha’i, his response was ‘what is that?’ and he was not at all impressed with her choice. As time went on and he continued to meet the friends, he became ever more supportive of any and all of Mom’s participation in community activities. He often supplied the refreshments for large gatherings and let his vintage car be used in parades and for transporting people and things. He owned several restaurants and at any time Mom was having dinner with him and someone would stop at the table to chat, he would introduce them to Mom and ask them, “Do you know about the Baha’i Faith? Let my wife tell you about it!” Much later he became a Baha’i!!
Shortly after becoming a Baha’i, she was voted onto the Local Spiritual Assembly – a membership which was repeated for the next several decades. Her service on that esteemed body as Secretary for those many years came to an end when she resigned due to family matters. Still she served the community as Librarian until 2005 and managed the Book Store for several years at DaySpring Baha’i Summer School.
Along the way she was a member of the team that identified the current Baha’i Center as suitable; was the official representative Baha’i ‘Marriage Bureau” person for several years; chose to attend the University of the District of Columbia for the sole reason of starting a Baha’i student organization on campus; sang with the Washington Metropolitan Baha’i Chorale for a while - base!!!: participated in all teaching campaigns possible, e.g., street teaching in this city, and being part of holiday celebration activities in nearby communities, such as in parades; hosting firesides, Ruhi sessions, special occasions; Aide to Zylpha Mapp Robinson who ran a 5-week summer day camp at the Baha’i Center for 3 years that the neighbors remember until this day!!; she is a firm supporter of the Capitol Area Baha’i Property on the Potomac River.
She attended the 1992 World Congress in New York City; a Baha’i international conference in Sapporo, Japan; visited the Baha’i House of Worship in India and even got to serve as a guide there; attended the 50th wedding anniversary of her very dear friends, Henry and Sheila Dolphin, in Barbados where members of the party from Washington were interviewed by one of the major newspapers there and a well-written article with reasonable and accurate information about the Baha’i Faith appeared in the next day’s edition.
The time has come when we have been graciously blessed with being able to serve her, who for so long has given so much to so many. She is still an inspiration – her modus operandi is; everything, including herself, must have a useful purpose.’ and that purpose must, in the end, lovingly serve Baha’u’llah.
We recently came across a piece of paper on which handwritten is her answer to the three most important things in her life: her Faith, her family, and to handle money wisely!
(read by Carol and Steve Coley)
Words that describe her: Devoted to family, committed co-worker, gracious host, loyal supporter, humble servant, and ardent in her love for Baha’u’llah and the Baha’i Faith. Loving, humble, pure-hearted, caring, supportive, sharing, very considerate of others, thoughtful, empathetic, high work ethic, patient, industrious, determined, persevering, quietly pursues her goal until it is accomplished
Born in Washington, DC May 19, 1920 Frances Elizabeth Masciana was born to
Peppino Masciana and Ouida Marshall Masciana
She has one older brother, Andrea P. Masciana and one younger brother, Peppino Masciana. They moved to Reggio di Calabria, Italy in 1923 and returned to USA in 1930. She has lived in Washington, DC – East Texas, PA and experienced the “one-room schoolhouse”, despite family and teachers who believed girls should not be in school, but rather should be at home helping there.
Her father passed away when she was quite young and her mother worked hard as a single mother to provide for her 3 children. She trained them in life skills she saw as necessary to them being as independent as she thought they would increasingly need to be. Thus the boys learned to sew, cook, clean house as well as their sister, and she learned to work with electric wires, paint walls, and fix things around the house.
In her early years, she was home schooled; later she received her high school diploma in Washington, DC. Frances took care of her children’s education and wellbeing before she became a student again – matriculating at the University of the District of Columbia at 77. She graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in Paralegal Studies, cum laude! She was the oldest member of her class!
We are so very proud of her!
Vignettes
Born here in the Washington, DC area in 1920, Frances’s father moved the family back to his home in Reggio di Calabria, Italy when she was a small child. They lived there several years, then returned to the United States. Her young life was permeated with classical European music – her Dad was a barber who sang opera and her Mother played the piano. Mom said when her Mother played the piano and her Father sang, people passing by would stop outside the window of their home to listen. She, of course, developed a deep appreciation for it and later, with sacrifice and patience, made sure her own children were exposed to classical music and trained on some instrument. .
At that time the economic climate began to get very bleak; work was difficult to find for her Dad and so they moved around a bit, even to a little town in Pennsylvania called East Texas.
Although she experienced racism full force, Mom never let that decide for her what her skills, strengths and aspirations should be. Schools for children of parents of African descent, she said, trained the students to be servants as that was the expectation. So it was that every day after school, Mom would go to work for someone, cleaning their house, cooking their dinner, etc., then come home and do her homework.
To make a long story short, Mom set her sights on more interesting job opportunities and landed a position in one of the administrative offices of Howard University. Later, she worked at the Afro-American Newspaper and lastly for several law firms. She managed the law office for many years and when she had to leave in order to care for her husband, C.C. Coley, the firm hired three people to handle her job responsibilities.
She became aware of the Baha’i Faith in 1949 when her older brother, then an airplane pilot in the U.S. Air Force, returned from overseas and brought with him some pamphlets he picked up on a stopover in Chicago on his way home. In the early 1950’s she was the first in the family to become a Baha’i. Later her mother became a Baha’i and steered the rest of us to the right path.
What was her most sincere desire and still is? To tell an interested someone about her beloved Baha’i Faith. Whenever representatives of other Faiths would come to our door, Mom would receive them warmly and lovingly and she would get them to agree to listen to what she wanted to share with them as well. Often, they decided quickly that that would not be acceptable to them and went on their way. When we lived on Randolph Street, our next door neighbor became a Baha’i. During one of the visits of one group of missionaries, the party left our house and went next door to give the “Good News”. A few minutes later, our neighbor came over and asked Mom what had she told that poor man? The neighbor said that when she told the gentleman et al she was a Baha’i, he began to twitch and act nervous and quickly took his leave.
Mom loves people!! She loves to host them in her home. And so it was a precious bounty for her to receive the Baha’i friends, particularly if they were new to the Faith or from some other place in the world. Our lives were so enriched by our guests and it was hoped that they, too, had been uplifted on the wings of joy and friendship. We heard reference more than once about the Coley hotel. She made it a policy to receive kinfolk and ‘Baha’i family’ whenever possible. It was especially sweet to her to have her dear Iranian brothers and sisters. As a result, she has ‘children’ from near and far. I remember coming home after 4 years pioneering in South America. The first night at home Mom was hosting a fireside. People began to arrive and they greeted her with such a feeling of familiarity, even calling her ‘Mom’. At that time I was feeling a little annoyed that all these people were calling my Mom, “Mom’. And I didn’t even know them! Once she agreed to have several Japanese pilots over for dinner. At the end of the evening, she said one of them said that if they had known there were kind people like her, they would never have taken on the missions that they did.
When the Baha’i Center was severely damaged by fire, it became necessary to cease all activities there until renovation could be completed.
So Frances Coley offered her home to serve temporarily as the meeting place for the Baha’i Community. During that time, Hand of the Cause of God, Dr. R. Muhajir came to Washington, DC and, of course, a gathering was arranged. Dad, who was not yet a Baha’i, but a serious businessman, came home and found that the first floor was full of people. He went downstairs to the basement door and found that the basement was also full of people. He went back to his office, called mom and told her he was going to stay there for a while because he couldn’t get into the house. He just wanted her to let him know when he could come home and get in.
Dad was surprising. When he first learned that his wife had become a Baha’i, his response was ‘what is that?’ and he was not at all impressed with her choice. As time went on and he continued to meet the friends, he became ever more supportive of any and all of Mom’s participation in community activities. He often supplied the refreshments for large gatherings and let his vintage car be used in parades and for transporting people and things. He owned several restaurants and at any time Mom was having dinner with him and someone would stop at the table to chat, he would introduce them to Mom and ask them, “Do you know about the Baha’i Faith? Let my wife tell you about it!” Much later he became a Baha’i!!
Shortly after becoming a Baha’i, she was voted onto the Local Spiritual Assembly – a membership which was repeated for the next several decades. Her service on that esteemed body as Secretary for those many years came to an end when she resigned due to family matters. Still she served the community as Librarian until 2005 and managed the Book Store for several years at DaySpring Baha’i Summer School.
Along the way she was a member of the team that identified the current Baha’i Center as suitable; was the official representative Baha’i ‘Marriage Bureau” person for several years; chose to attend the University of the District of Columbia for the sole reason of starting a Baha’i student organization on campus; sang with the Washington Metropolitan Baha’i Chorale for a while - base!!!: participated in all teaching campaigns possible, e.g., street teaching in this city, and being part of holiday celebration activities in nearby communities, such as in parades; hosting firesides, Ruhi sessions, special occasions; Aide to Zylpha Mapp Robinson who ran a 5-week summer day camp at the Baha’i Center for 3 years that the neighbors remember until this day!!; she is a firm supporter of the Capitol Area Baha’i Property on the Potomac River.
She attended the 1992 World Congress in New York City; a Baha’i international conference in Sapporo, Japan; visited the Baha’i House of Worship in India and even got to serve as a guide there; attended the 50th wedding anniversary of her very dear friends, Henry and Sheila Dolphin, in Barbados where members of the party from Washington were interviewed by one of the major newspapers there and a well-written article with reasonable and accurate information about the Baha’i Faith appeared in the next day’s edition.
The time has come when we have been graciously blessed with being able to serve her, who for so long has given so much to so many. She is still an inspiration – her modus operandi is; everything, including herself, must have a useful purpose.’ and that purpose must, in the end, lovingly serve Baha’u’llah.
We recently came across a piece of paper on which handwritten is her answer to the three most important things in her life: her Faith, her family, and to handle money wisely!
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