Saskia Praamsma - The Urantia Diaries of Harold and Martha Sherman: Volume Three: 1943

Introduction

This volume documents a full year of Urantia-related activity as witnessed by Harold and Martha Sherman and described in their diaries and letters. During this year, 1943, the Shermans continue to attend the weekly Forum meetings almost without fail and to record their recollections soon afterward. Feeling unjustly blamed by Dr. Sadler for the so-called rebellion the previous summer, they share their frustrations with their few friends in the Forum, and confide their growing doubts about the Doctors trustworthiness as custodian of the Urantia papers. Their closest confidante remains Harry J. Loose, now in failing health but still providing advice and instruction through long, frequent letters. The year culminates with Looses death, which Harold and Martha perceive as opening a new era in their lives. 1943 is also a busy year for Harold career-wise, as he continues his pursuits as author and playwright, and becomes host of his own radio program in Chicago.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the following people for the help or information they have given us:

Martin Gardner, who announced the existence of the diaries in his 1995 book, Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery, and said theyd be made available at the University of Central Arkansas in January 2000.

Our friends John Bunker and Karen Pressler, who traveled to UCA as soon as the diaries were released and copied them for us. More recently they helped us fill in gaps in the Sherman-Wilkins correspondence with letters they found in the Sir Hubert Wilkins papers at the Ohio State University Byrd Polar Research Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Mary Sherman Kobiella and Marcia Sherman Lynch, the daughters of Harold and Martha Sherman, who allowed us to include the Harry Loose letters as well as the Ara messages, both of which were still in their private possession when this project began. They also gave us permission to quote from Harold Shermans published works. Both Mary and Marcia were gracious hostesses on the occasions when we visited them at their homes. They gave freely of their time, sharing memories and photographs, and have since become lasting friends.

The staff at the Archives and Special Collections at the University of Central Arkansas, especially Jimmy Bryant, David E. Bowie, Jr., Betty Osborn, Cynthia Frase, Artency Davis, Michelle Strouse, Sarah Langford and Aryn Denette, for helping us locate various materials.

The unnamed persons who provided documents from the Forum years, particularly the lists of names and addresses of Forumites and Seventy members, to the ubhistory.org and urantiabook.org websites.

Saskia Praamsma

Matthew Block

Bilthoven, Netherlands

July 2018

1. A New Year

DIARY

January 1, 1943

Early in the afternoon Mrs. Steinbeck phoned to wish us a Happy New Yearthe only one of the Forum members so to do. She said they were going to the New Years reception at Dr. Sadlers which was being held from 2 to 6 p.m. In previous years it had extended throughout the evening also. Martha said that we, the girls, and Mother Sherman, who was visiting us during the holidays, were going to visit friends in Winnetka (Hugo Rusch family) (but of course we would not have attended the open house anyway with present relations being what they are).

Martha sees Leone frequently on Diversey or Clark while shopping, and she and the children are always most friendly. Even Marcia comments on their unusually warm attitude.

HARRY LOOSE to HAROLD SHERMAN

Monterey Park, January 1, 1943

Harold:

Yesterdays mail brought a card from the Readers Digest announcing a years subscription as a Christmas present to Ma and I from Martha and Harold. Such a subscription is a much appreciated gift that is repeated every month the whole year through. BUT Harold, you should not have made such an expenditure at a time when finances are at such a low ebb particularly. I will be much relieved when you write me that the financial strain has been alleviated.

I am enclosing a carbon copy of a letter that is self-explanatory. [ Ed. note: Letter follows.]

I would very much like to write the real story of Ohlson. He was intended for a great and good purpose and was one of those peculiar people set aside for a purpose, but one of those strange accidents occurred that are not readily foreseen in the flesh and do happen. All is not perfect. A physical condition developed in the fleshy content of the cranial cavity that prevented in a manner the full reception of, and fulfillment of, his real purpose. His death cause was really a brain tumorwhich would explain. He was born in Stockholm near the House of the Dark Men, so called, who were Italian merchants. He was a prolific writer of much philosophical data. HE DID HAVE SOME SPIRITUAL ACCESS. By that I mean the very real thing. He was what has been termed Clairvoyant in these later days. Forevision in truth, etc. Because of the whole general condition, purposeful great errors were introduced in his writing to protect, and confuse, the truths wrongly expressed included therein. His philosophy, Creation is deadman is deadand their apparent Life is from the Divine presence, is a very concrete sample of what I am trying to illustrate. There have been MANY such in the realms of time. I could name a few.

Again, thanking you both, very necessary small Martha of the biscuits and yourself, for the kind Christmas gift much appreciated but which I am still a bit worried about.

Love as Always,

Harry

[ Loose wrote: ]

January 1, 1943

Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred C. Kellogg

533 Diversey Parkway

Chicago, Illinois

My Dear Friends:-

Both Mrs. Loose and I were pleased to receive the announcement of Ruths marriage. When you write to her, please tell her of our congratulations and our best hopes for a long and happy married life. Ruth is a very fine girl and the young man who married her has a wife very far out of the general run. Tell him that when you write.