Marguerite and William met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - he having attended the University of Wisconsin and she Marquette University. She had only recently joined the Baháʼí Faith, despite hearing of it from her father earlier, after meeting Mary Maxwell. He was working in Iowa for the formerly "WGRR" station of Radio Dubuque having just applied for work in California. On the way to California for a job with KFBK (AM) the Searses considered living in Utah because it was a goal area for the religion. They show up living in Salt Lake City in spring 1939, (apparently as their contribution to Shoghi Effendi's call for Baháʼís to relocate to support the religion) where he was soon assistant manager of "KUTA" radio station (later KNRS (AM).) Marguerite and William's marriage was arranged in San Francisco by Marion Holley during their visit out there for a radio broadcast Bill did in September 1940. Between them there were two clear understandings. On her part it was that the religion was a prominent part of her life and he would have to work with it being a priority for her — affecting, for example, where they would live. On his side, it was that he had a year-old son with tuberculosis, and he needed someone to help care for him. Marguerite left the Baháʼí book The Dawn-Breakers out for him to read. After picking it up and setting it aside once, he read it three times in three weeks and by December 1939 was avowedly a Baháʼí, officially joining the religion in 1940.