Old Minutes 2/27/08

I got a request from a Brother from Texas that I follow up on the Jack Trice article where we learned that Trice and others had rented rooms form the local Masonic Lodge. I brought the old minute books home to look through them and while I was unable to find out anything about that I did find the following minutes. They are about my great-grandfather George A.. Underwood who was Master of Arcadia Lodge 99 years before I was Master.

December 21, 1921
The lodge was called and opened as a funeral lodge to condct funeral services for Brother George A. Underwood, who had passed away the night of Dec. 15th, 1921, while living alone in his home at 307-5th Street, Ames. Brother Underwood was last seen on the evening of the 15th and was found in the afternoon of Dec. 17th by Brother Milo A Manning, who had called on a business matter and not being able to arouse any one enterred (sic) the house and found the body of Brother Underwood, in bed where he had peacefully passed away during the previous Thursday night as stated by the attending physician.
After opening the lodge Brother Feldman called Brother Boswoeth to the East to preside during the services. The funeral was held at the home of Brother Underwood's daughter, Mrs C. G. Cole (my grandmother) at the old Underwood homestead #522 Crawford Ave. the funeral sermon being preached by Brother H.K. Hawley, and Brother Bosworth gave the house Msonic burial service and then to the Ames cemetery where a short committal service was conducted by Brother Bosworth owing to the inclement weather, and the benediction was given by Brother Hawley. The lodge then returned to the hall and the lodge closed in due form. The Master appointed Brothers Bosworth, Stull and Fincham a committee on resolutions.

I did not find the resolutions (if they prepared them) in the minute book. It would have been interesting. I have always felt an affinity with my great grandfather. He was a lawyer and served as Mayor of Ames. As I said he was Master of the Lodge 99 years before me. Here is more information about him:

In 1875 George A Underwood graduated from the law department of the University of Wisconsin, married Augusta Ames and moved to Ames.

He joined the John Stevens Law Office as a junior partner, and later went into private practice and became a very brilliant lawyer. He served Ames as mayor form 1877 – 1879, and as city attorney from 1890 – 1894 (for which he was paid $50. per year).

George and Augusta lived in a house located just north of the Congregational Church until about 1890, and then built a home at 522 Crawford. Their farm was bounded by the railroad tracks on the south, timberland on the east side of the Skunk River, and 13th Street on the north. The Underwoods had four boys and two girls. The eldest son, Frank, served in the Spanish American War, and died quite young as a result of typhoid fever contracted in that war.
( Note: Since this was written we have found out that Frank actually committed suicide. The family never spoke of it but a cousin doing geneologic research discovered it and sent the newspaper articles to us.)
He and Lou were conductors on an electric trolley which ran between Ames and Campustown. Jean graduated from the Iowa State Veterinary Department and after having a private practice in Nevada, enlisted in World War I. He retired in the 1950’s as a Colonel. Carroll was a barber. Daughter Ethel married Warren H. Meeker, for whom Meeker School is named and daughter Sadie married Dr. C. G. “Dig” Cole.

Both Augusta and George were active in Masonic Organizations. Augusta was a charter member and one of the early Worthy Matrons of Laura Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. George was a Master of Arcadia Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in 1881, 1883 & 1901.

From Faces of our Founders: The Early Leaders of Ames, Iowa

Compiled by the Ames Heritage Association

So there you have it. If the minutes had had something about Jack Trice in them I would have been very pleased. I learned some things of interest . The Charity Fund was also established in 1921. The Acacia Fraternity regularly came to the Lodge and performed degrees. There were several times where I found that. One such meeting was attended by about 300 members. The usual attendance was 23 - 29 members. The old minutes of the lodges are a valuable asset to have. Years ago I read through most of them looking for the By-laws of the lodge so that we could have a revision of the By-laws. There is a lot of information in them. Dan Shaffer has also done this and his Tid-bits From the Past can be found on the Arcadia Web Site.