Worshipful Master Kenneth Harvey Secretary John çCorkyé Daut Hempstead Masonic Lodge Was Chartered December 6, 1893

Volume 110 Issue 12 Masonic Myths of the Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson Thirty-three of the of age when he arrived in December 2003 Myth: Fact: and Patrick Henry were generals serving under America. It's highly likely Freemasons. Washington were members that Washington never did Hempstead Masonic Lodge know they were Masons. #749 AF & AM Fact: Neither Thomas Jef- of the Craft, a long way ferson or Patrick Henry from "all." The late James The stories of both of these P.O. Box 1251 were members of the Craft. R. Case and Ronald E. men are highly interesting, An exhaustive search of Heaton made comprehen- but space prohibits the tell- Phone: 979-826-3933 Masonic records in Vir- sive studies of the Revolu- ing of them here. Special points of interest: ginia, and elsewhere, offers tionary period and de- Myth: The governors of no iota of evidence to make bunked many of the claims the thirteen original colo- • Meetings every second them Freemasons. Jefferson considered here. nies when Washington was Thursday at 7:30 P.M. participated in the corner- Myth: Washington insisted inaugurated President of the United States were • Family style meals before stone laying of his Univer- that the Marquis de Lafay- the meetings at 6:30 P.M. sity at Charlottesville, ette be made a Mason be- Freemasons. which was done Masoni- fore he would promote him Fact: From Lexington un- • Study nights, Degrees and floor work, Mondays 7:00 cally. He praised Freema- to general, and the same til the inauguration thirty P.M. at Waller Lodge. sonry and his own words claim has been made about different men served as proved he had never been a the Baron von Steuben. governors. Of these ten • Waller Lodge meets on the second Tuesday at 7:30 P. member of the Craft. Fact: Both Lafayette and were Freemasons. That's M. Myth: All of George von Steuben were Freema- one-third! Wouldn't it be Washington's generals dur- sons before they arrived to wonderful for the country if • Waller Lodge family style we could claim the same meals before the meetings ing the War for American help fight the British. This at 6:30 P.M. Independence were Masons. was true of Lafayette even percentage today? though he wasn't 21 years Inside this issue: Ten Reasons to Become a Mason T“Lheea rBneinggi nTnhien gWs oOrfk ” 2 Freemasonry Masonry is a place to nity. Masonry is a place to spend time with good men Masonry is a place meet community leaders O“Luert ’Es dGuoc aTtoe dL odge 3 who will make you want to where you can be part of a and take an active part in Sports Figures become a better man. great fraternity that believes community activities. “Going To The Masonry is a place The Liendo Civil 3 in Brotherly Love , Masonry is a place where moral virtue is taught Relief and Truth. where you will find unlim- War Weekend and respected as the corner- Masonry is a place ited opportunity to acquire Thoughts From The 3 Pray For, Birthdays 3 stone of life. where you can support leadership experience, self Masonry is a place and Anniversaries others and give them en- development and personal Birthdays 3 where the spiritual growth couragement as well as growth. Why Rednecks Are 3 of every member can rise to receive it yourself. Masonry is a place Masonic 3 Not Paramedics its fullest potential. Masonry is a place where you can be sure Masonry is a place to where outstanding individu- every man is a true and Say A Prayer For 3 Christmas Dinner 3 become better prepared for als from every walk of life trustworthy friend. service to your family, your will greet you and call you Courtesy: First Masonic District Humor 4 church and your commu- "Brother." of Ohio Officers Association Hempstead Masonic Lodge AF & AM December 2003 Issue

Special Thanks same tradition of generosity proba- The Liendo Civil To Kelly and Toya Cox and son bly saved it from destruction. for all of the extra work preparing and Among the more notable statesmen War Weekend cooking the briskets, both Friday and and historical figures that have spent Saturday nights. time at Liendo was George A. Cus- Once again the Hempstead and To John Daut Sr. and Mike Risley ter. At the end of the Civil War, he Waller Lodges joined forces to feed for preparing the way at Liendo. was stationed at Liendo. It is said the people at the annual Civil War And a special thanks to Brother that both Mr. Custer and his wife battle at the Liendo Plantation. We Calvin Trapp who ran all over west were so impressed with the planta- had a very good day Friday and Houston for a week to find and buy tion and the gracious hospitality Saturday was a little over 3 times as almost all of the groceries and sup- shown them during their stay, that good. The rain and cold norther blew plies and for baking the peach cob- they made sure Liendo was not in around 11:00 AM Sunday morn- blers again. I think the peach cobblers harmed in any way in appreciation. ing and just about ruined the day. and ice cream are becoming our trade Liendo was also occupied by Sunday’s sales were about seventy mark at Liendo more then the bar-b- world renowned sculptress Elisabet percent less then Saturday. que briskets. Ney from 1873 until she died in We want to express our thanks Liendo Plantation was built in 1907 and by her husband Dr. Ed- from both Lodges to everyone who mond Montgomery until 1911. volunteered to work during the sale She and her husband had immi- Friday grated years before from Europe to Dual members of both Lodges, the United States but had never John Daut Sr., ‘Corky’ Daut, Jim found a new home until they found Faure’ Liendo. It is reported that she, upon Hempstead Lodge Brother, Ken- arriving at Liendo, walked out on the neth Harvey. balcony, threw out her arms and said Waller Lodge Brothers, Bob "This is where I will live and die:' Scarborough, Mike Risley, Wes and She lived out her life at Liendo, Liz Mersiovsky and Waller’s newest commuting to her art studio in Aus- E.A. of less then a week . 1853 by Leonard Waller Groce, the tin. She and Dr. Montgomery are Saturday son of Jared Groce, who was one of buried on the Plantation grounds. Dual members ‘Corky’ Daut and the largest most respected land owners She sculpted many notable works, daughter Becky Huber, Steve York, in . Originally a Spanish land two of her most recognized pieces John Daut Sr., Kelly and Toya Cox grant of 67,000 acres assigned to Justo being the statues of Stephen F. Aus- Hempstead Lodge Brothers, Ken- Liendo, the plantation's name-sake, tin and Sam Houston which now neth Harvey and Jimmy Zepeda Liendo was one of Texas' earliest cot- stand in the state capitol. Waller Lodge Brothers, Calvin ton plantations. It was considered the In 1960 Carl and Phyllis Detering and Mrs. Trapp, Bob Scarborough, social center of Texas receiving and purchased Liendo from Miss Wil- Mike Risley, Danny Williamson and lavishly entertaining early Texas dig- lene Compton and began their 10 the new E.A.. nitaries and notoriety's. Liendo was year job of restoring the plantation Sunday considered a typical Southern planta- home. Traveling throughout the deep Dual members John Daut Sr., tion, having over 300 slaves and being South and Europe, the Deterings ac- ‘Corky’ Daut and daughter Becky itself built by slave labor. Sufficient in quired period furnishings and faith- Huber, Steve York, Kelly and Toya all its needs; it was a self contained fully restored Liendo to its former Cox, and ‘Bob’ Podvin community. Like most Southern plan- glory. Liendo is recognized as a Hempstead Lodge Brothers Ken- tations, however, Liendo fell on hard Texas historic landmark and is listed neth Harvey, Junior Bridges and times after the Civil War and changed on the national register of historic Jimmy Zepeda. owners several times thereafter. places. Today, Will Detering owns Waller Lodge Brothers, Calvin Liendo had always been recog- and operates Liendo Plantation and and Mrs. Trapp, Mike Risley. Wes nized for its warm Southern hospital- continues the work of preserving and Mersiovsky and the new E.A.. ity, but few people know that this sharing this Texas landmark.

Page 2 Hempstead Masonic Lodge Hempstead Masonic Lodge AF & AM December 2003 Issue

The Masonic Funeral CHRISTMAS DINNER M E M B E R S H I P Aurthor Unknown I became a member of Hempstead Since our Eastern Star Ladies Lodge in November of 1999. Since A new Worshipful Master in a merged with the Bellville chapter then we have lost 11 members. small Georgia town spent the first they will not be hosting the meal Since then, we have not raised one four days making personal visits to new Mason and we have only gained each of the members, inviting them for the Lodge’s December Stated 2 members. Both are plural members to come to his first Lodge meeting. Meeting from Waller Lodge. The following Thursday the Worshipful Master Kenneth We now have only 54 members, Lodge was all but empty. Accord- Harvey and wife Brenda have vol- and 10 of those are plural members ingly, the Worshipful Master placed unteered to furnish the turkey and from Waller Lodge. a notice in the local newspapers, stat- dressing for our December meet- Almost half of our current Broth- ing that, because the Lodge was ing and the Lodge is requesting ers are over 60 years old. Eight of our dead, it was everyone's duty to give that everyone bring a vegetable or Brothers are between 60 and 70 years it a decent Masonic burial. The fu- desert. old and sixteen of our Brothers are neral would be held the following All Brothers and their families now more then 70 years old. Monday afternoon, the notice said. Due to 50 year, endowed or paid Morbidly curious, a large crowd are urged to join us with an old by the Lodge members, over half (28) turned out for the "funeral." In front fashioned pot luck dinner, some of the members do not pay dues of the Altar, they saw a closed coffin, good fellowship and to help us smothered in flowers. celebrate the Hempstead Masonic I am not predicting gloom and but the facts are that Hemp- After the Chaplain delivered the Lodge’s # 749’s 110 birthday. It doom, stead Masonic Lodge appears to be eulogy, he opened the coffin and in- was Chartered December 6, 1893 facing a serious problem. Somehow, vited his Brethren to come forward members of Hempstead Lodge need and pay their final respects to Ou r E d u c a t e d S p o r t s to begin working together if we want their dead Lodge. F ig u r e s to reverse this trend. Filled with curiosity as to what would represent the corpse of a Senior basketball player at the "dead Lodge," all the Brethren ea- University of Pittsburgh: "I'm go- Woodrow W. gerly lined up to look in the coffin. ing to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." Gratehouse Each "mourner" peeped into the Brother Woodrow Wilson coffin then quickly turned away with Bill Peterson, a Florida State a guilty, sheepish look. football coach: "You guys line up Gratehouse passed away No- In the coffin, tilted at the correct alphabetically by height." And, vember 26, 2003. He was 90 angle, was a large mirror. "You guys pair up in groups of years old and was raised as a Remember the obligation we all three, then line up in a circle." Master Mason 59 years ago. He took my brethren and attend and sup- on went from a Marine Private to port your Lodge!!! Mike Tyson hooking up again with Major during WW II. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO promoter Don King: "Why would anyone expect him to come out Walter A Weaver Carter, Malcolm P. 12-10-52 smarter? He went to prison for Brother Walter A. Weaver MASONIC ANNIVERSARIES three years, not Princeton." passed away Saturday Novem- Lou Duva, veteran boxing ber 8, in Pasadena, Texas. He Carter, Richard A. Jr. 12-12-88 trainer, on the Spartan training re- Daut, John "Corky" 12-22-92 was 93 years old and was raised Hartley, David W 12-08-97 gime of Andrew as a Master Mason 60 years ago. Kluna, Robert W. 12-01-73 Golota: "He's a guy who gets up at The last few years Brother Stasny, Roland E. 12-01-73 six o'clock in the morning regard- Weaver had suffered from Alz- Zepeda, Jimmy N. Jr. 12-11-80 less of what time it is." heimer's.

Page 3 Hempstead Masonic Lodge An elderly gentleman of 85 feared his wife was getting hard of hearing. So one day he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing checked. The Doctor made an appointment for a hearing test in two weeks, and meanwhile there's a simple informal test the husband could do to give the doctor some idea of the state of her problem. 'Here's what you do," said the doctor, "start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversa- tional speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response." That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he's in the living room. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for supper?" No response. So the husband moved to the other end of the room, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for sup- per?" Still no response. Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for supper?" Again he gets no response so he walks up to the kitchen door, only 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for super?" Again there is no response, so he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for supper?" "Dad blame it Earl, for the fourth time, CHICKEN!"

HEMPSTEAD LODGE #749 P.O. Box 1251 Hempstead, TX 77445