Independent Order of Odd Fellows

POPE, FELTON, CONNEL, TOBIAS, RAMSON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/7/2008 at 16:27:28

Jackson Sentinel
Centennial Edition, 1938

Odd Fellows Formed a Pioneer Lodge in Maquoketa

The Jackson Lodge, No. 33, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was instituted in Maquoketa on October 27, 1852, with five charter members, John Pope, founder of Rebekah Lodge here, J. N. Felton, Thomas E. Connel, Jobe Tobias and L. G. Ramson.

The first person to sign the Maquoketa lodge’s constitution was W. H. Abby, and the last member at the present time is John. L. Jones, who was initiated on Friday, April 13, 1938.

The purpose of this lodge, which meets weekly, are “to visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.” In its philanthropic sense while the statement of its objective to improve a member’s character is as follows: “To improve and elevate the character of man, imbue him with proper conceptions of his capabilities for good, enlighten his mind, enlarge the sphere of his affection and lead him to a cultivation of the true fraternal relation designed by the Great Author of his being.”

On the whole, the organization of the I. O. O. F. is much the same as that of the Rebekah Lodge, with many of the same officers.

For a number of years the Odd Fellows met in what is now Graham’s Store. At that time there was a third floor on that building and the prosperous club owned the third floor. However, this was eventually torn down.

The present officers are: Glenn McCarron, noble grand; Gene Jensen, vice grand; F. H. Cornish, secretary; W. H. Harrison, treasurer; E. L. Reynolds, warden, Frank Reiter, conductor; Kenneth Nairn, inside guard, Carl Muhlhausen, outer guard; William Weets, right supporter to noble grand; Charles Sanger, left supporter to noble grand; H. R. Timpe, right supporter to vice grand; William Sims, left supporter to vice grand; John Fischer, chaplain; Joe Corbot, right scene supporter, and Ben Wilson, left scene supporter. Ninety-seven members are in good standing.

The Encampment

The second branch of the I. O. O. F. organization is Maquoketa Encampment, No. 104, which is in one sense a military as well as fraternal order. It was chartered October 7, 1882, the charter being transferred here from the Fulton Encampment.

Officers include John Fischer, chief patriarch, and Glen McCarron, scribe. Meetings are held regularly twice monthly, on the first and third Thursday evenings. There are 60 members.

Canton Jackson

The highest rank of the organization is Canton Jackson Council patriarchs Militant, which was started in 1907. Wilford Sackrider is the captain; John Strodthoff, lieutenant; William Weets, ensign; W. H. Harrison, clerk, and Glen McCarron, accountant.

The Encampment and the Canton have members from various parts of the county.