MASONIC SKETCHES

FANCHER, BESTOW, CROCKER, PEPPER, ROOK

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 2/15/2005 at 12:02:21

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, January 30, 1908

As Master of the Masonic Lodge, of this city, G.G. Fancher, has embodied the
following in his annual summary and report:

'NECROLOGY'

I had scarce assumed the duties of Master, when we were called upon to mourn
the loss of our valued friend and brother, Hon. SAMUEL L. BESTOW. He died
at his home in Chariton, Iowa, on the 10th day of January, 1907, in the 84th
year of his age. For more than half a century brother BESTOW had been an
active Mason. Honored, esteemed and loved by all who knew him. Most of our
present membership had known him from our childhood, and for years we went
to him for advice in our perplexities, consolation in our sorrows and to
share in our joys. To him, to be great was to be good, and indeed he has
enshrined in our memory his acts of kindness and deeds of beneficence, and
while we mourn the departure of Father BESTOW, of him it may be truly said,
"He rests from his labors and his works do follow him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the morning of October 31, 1907, our entire community was shocked,
stunned, dazed by the intelligence of the untimely end of Brother FRANK R.
CROCKER. Our citizens stood in groups, looked at each other, unable to
comprehend the calamity that had befallen us, and at this date it is
impossible to fully grasp the situation or understand the wide-spread wreck
and ruin that has been wrought. It is neither my province or desire to
speak of this lamentable occurrence except in kindly terms. No man stood
higher or was more implicitly trusted in any community than was FRANK R.
CROCKER in ours. Now he is "beyond man's praise or blame." But, my
brethren, are you and I wholly blameless in this matter? How many times
have we gone to Brother CROCKER for advice and aid? yet who, in the hour of
his trials, and when he was bending under a load which no man could bear,
went to his assistance? Who among us even attempted to befriend him? Do not
say, I did not know," for while none of us did know the truth, yet we all
know that he needed our sympathy and kindly words and acts. Yet we allowed
ourselves to become absorbed in our own affairs and left him to "tread the
wine press alone." I do not desire that we allow our sympathy to remove our
sense of justice, but while we are demanding justice from others, let us not
shrink from the fulfillment of our own obligations, and perform no act of
injustice toward any one, and remember that Free-Masonry need no apology
from any one; principles are eternal, man is nothing; he may forsake truth
and abandon the practice of virtue, yet the fundamental basis of morality is
not disturbed. Free-Masonry lives and will continue to flourish though
Masons prove false to their trust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On August 29, 1907, Brother ROBERT L. PEPPER died at Petoskiy, Michigan,
where he had gone for relief. For more than 20 years he had been affiliated
with this Lodge, and did his part to raise the standard of morality and
honor in this community. To him duty was as inflexible as fate, as
imperative as destiny. At any moment he would have yielded up his life
rather than to have forfeited his integrity. Scorning all subterfuge and
honeyed words, in every walk of life and upon all occasions, he stood forth
for the right and true in a plain, blunt and uncompromising manner. His
departure is a loss to both ouM lodge and community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On December 19, 1907, Brother DAVID C. ROOK, died at his home in Liberty
Township. For more than 40 years Brother ROOK had been a true and faithful
Mason, and in a quiet and unassuming manner reflected in his life the tenets
of our institution. In his death we lost an honest friend and brother. And
are again reminded that whether we move in the world's highest stations, or
glide by in the vale of obscurity, unnoticed, save by the few, it matters
not, for a few rolling suns will level all distinctions, save only that of
goodness.
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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
January 24, 2005
iggy29@rnetinc.net