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In the fall of 1996, at the tender age of 65, Glen Cron petitioned and became a Mason in Mt Olive and through his zeal for Masonry was elected to Senior Warden in October 1997. He, along with his brother Joe Cron, Treasurer of the Lodge, started a campaign to renovate the Lodge building due to its age, its condition and its historic value to the community. At the tender age of 45, having entered the Lodge in May of 1997, I was appointed Senior Deacon in October and I also agreed, whole-heartedly, that the Lodge needed to be saved and restored particularly due to it historical value. Over the next several months and into 1998, we discussed what needed to be done to restore the building, trying to estimate the cost and how much expense the Lodge would incur for the project. The main obstacle was money. We didn't have any! I applied for and received the paper work to get the building registered in the National Historical Register with the hope that the government would be able to help with the funding, but government funds were not available. Glen and Joe then laid out a plan of attack to hold fundraisers to amass funds needed for the renovation. At this point in time, the only repairs thought to be needed was a little painting, roofing and foundation work.
In September of 1998, Glen was elected and in October, installed as Master of the Lodge and I was elected Senior Warden. During that same month the first fundraiser, a turkey shoot, was held at Glen's farm netting the Lodge $600.00. In January of 1999, Glen and Joe, successfully bid on the mowing of the cemetary grounds at Mt Olive and they would deposit those earnings into the lodge renovation fund. In the spring Jim Hammons, Lloyd Coffer, and Larry Collins, new Lodge members, held a fishing tournament that netted over $400.00. In August, Glen and Joe painted the Lodge building using 30 gallons of white paint. The building was starting to look better, but the sagging on the north end needed to be fixed. We could feel the building sway when holding meetings and it was getting worse. Thinking the only remedy for this would be to jack the building up remove the old and pour a new foundation, which would level the building, we began searching for people with expertise in the field, but none were to be found. In October 1999, I was installed as Master, Joe as Sr. Warden and Jim Hammons as Jr. Warden. At the installation ceremony, I vowed to continue, if not finish, the renovation project that Glen and Joe had initiated. That same month Glen held another turkey shoot, Jim, Larry and Lloyd held another fishing tournament, and Larkin Coffer, held a trail ride. Those fund raisers netted over $1000.00 but the person who could raise the building could still not be found. All at once it happened.
....seek and ye shall find....
We Mt Olive Masons, being sociable folk, like to visit other area Lodges to help with the degree work, visit with other Masons, and in general, just enjoy Lodge and each other's company. Visiting Webster Lodge in Marshfield one evening, the previous Master, Alan Rust, told Glen about a building mover that lives in Elkland Mo. His name is Bill Stacey, owner of Stacey Metals. Bill is also a Freemason. Glen gave Bill a call at which time Bill came and looked our Lodge building over and said he could raise it with no problem. The timbers and beams, in the two places they looked, were as solid as the day they were put there. When Glen asked him to bid on the project, Bill said, "well I suppose you'll want to get it done as cheaply as possible." Glen told him, "Bill if you do it for nothing, we'll still try to talk you down in price." Bill laughed and said, "wait till we get it up and you pay me what you think it is worth, if you are not satisfied, pay me nothing." Bill asked Glen to round up some helpers so we could start the "raising."
....will you retire or will you proceed....
That evening as we spoke about the day's events, Glen told me that he was getting apprehensive. I asked Glen what was the matter? Glen said, "Nick, before we were just planning this project, but now it is going to happen, I just want someone to come in and take it over." I said, "Glen, the ball is now rolling and we must follow it no matter where it leads us. We have been searching for a Bill Stacey for nearly 2 years and now that we have found him we have got to run with this. It will work out, because we are all in this together." In truth, I was as apprehensive about this project as he was, but I felt that there were members in the Lodge who had expertise in the construction process and would step forward to offer their services.
The morning of November 2nd, Art Wolfe, Mike Walker, Joe, Glen, and myself began tearing into the stone foundation. Removing the first big stone, we noticed that the beam holding up the wall on the south side was rotten. I went inside and began removing the flooring along the edges of the walls and discovered all the beams on the north and south were rotten. I looked at Glen, Joe, Art and Mike and said, "We are in BIG Trouble!" Not only were the beams rotten, but also the floor joists were not making contact with anything on the outside walls due to the sagging. Three questions came to mind. How could this building still be standing in this condition? How were we going to raise the building without the support of the joists, thus preventing a collapse? Had we bitten off more than we could chew? By that time Bill had arrived with his crane truck, jacks, oak lumber cribbing, two-fifty foot steel beams and began looking the situation over. Voicing our concerns about continuing the project, Bill looked at us and said, "Guys, determination is 90% of any project." Then with a grin he said, "my question to you is will you retire or will you proceed?" Glen said, "We would like to proceed if at all possible." Bill then said, "This is a major problem, but not one we can't overcome. I'll study on this and come up with a plan."
The next morning Bill came back with 4 long pieces of angle iron, steel, chains and boomers to begin clamping the walls on the inside and outside. This would keep the north & south walls from spreading in or out and would allow the joists to rise no further than the angle iron on the inside of the building when we began jacking up the 50 foot steel beams. We boomered the 2 walls together on the inside with chains in two places as an added precaution. We then began removing the stones in order to slide the two 50 foot beams, using the bucket of Glen's tractor, under the building. Some of those stones were very big and we had to use the tractor and a chain to pull them out. At the same time, we were shoring the building with cribbing and raising it an inch at a time with three 30 ton hydraulic jacks under the outside angle iron clamps. We finally got enough stone removed to begin maneuvering the 50 foot beams under the building. We were concerned that there was not enough room under the floor joists to accomplish this, but by using the bucket of the tractor to lift the beams on the end, we were able to bury the front of the beams into the soft earth under the flooring and slide them under the joists. With the two steel beams in place, we were now ready to begin raising Mt Olive.
Many Master Masons have been raised in Mt Olive Lodge since 1872. At 3:00p.m. on the 5th of November 1999, 127 years to the month after receiving the charter, the favor was returned and Mt Olive Lodge #439 was raised by 6 Master Masons. Bro Bill Stacey, SW Joe Cron, WB Glen Cron, WB Art Wolfe, JD Mike Walker and WB Nick Breedlove. The glow on Glens face could have lit up the whole night sky. Bill's expertise and engineering abilities, all of our determination and hard work had won. We could not have done this without Bill Stacey and we have no doubt that no one else would have attempted it. Our main concern now was to rebeam and get the building back down on a solid foundation as quickly as possible. On Sunday, the 7th of November, Glen held another turkey shoot, which cleared over $900.00. Our renovation fund was nearly $4000.00.
....ask and it shall be given you....
The raising of Mt Olive Lodge stirred up quite an interest among the community thru television, newspapers and area Lodge meetings. The CBS affiliate in Springfield came to the Lodge and did an interview with me and ran the story on their five and six p.m. newscast. When asked why we were restoring this old building, I said, "This building is our historical landmark. This Lodge defines who we are as Masons, not only in our community but to Masons in our area Lodges as well. We visit area Lodges dressed in our bib overalls and people instantly recognize us as members from that old Lodge out in the country upon the hill, Mt Olive. That is what makes our Lodge work. We passionately believe in Freemasonry, have fun in the process and proudly display it." Before the news team left, they took pictures of the work crew. WB Dean Rowe of Hazelwood Lodge secured a prison work crew to dig a trench around the building that would be used for the concrete footing. Those prisoners came back the next day, finished the digging and put in the re-bar. The Marshfield Mail ran a full page article with pictures detailing the renovation as well as did the Seymour Citizen. Glen and Art went to Solomon Lodge and gave a report on our renovation progress. Bro Larry Houge, SW at Solomon, imediately donated all the re-bar we would need to finish the foundation. After Lodge, a new Master Mason, who had been through the one day conferral in October and was attending his first Lodge meeting as a Master Mason, came to Glen and said, "if you need any help with your renovation, let me know." Glen said, "thanks," and as he was leaving, was again approached by the new Master Mason who said, "Look, I am serious, my name is James VanZandt, I am a construction contractor and if you need anything let me know!" Glen said, "well James we need someone who knows about concrete and laying blocks." The next morning, James VanZandt was at Mt Olive unloading 250 concrete blocks (which he donated) and shot the grade for the footing. Bro. VanZandt is the perfect example of a Mason putting to use what he has learned from the craft, both operative and speculative. The speculative side after a one day conferral. What a testimony for these conferrals.
When the concrete arrived, James and Alan Rust poured the footing. James also contracted the block layers who laid the block (the first one in the northeast corner) in 2 days. RWB Randall Jones secured the sand and mortar for the blocks. Steve Rost, Master of Webster Lodge, enabled us to get the best deal on concrete. The outpouring of assistance from our Masonic Brethren indicates that we will have the building back down on the foundation one month after raising it. The real story behind our project is not the renovation itself, but the way this project has united brethren from different Lodges toward a common goal. To me it is magnificent and exemplifies the true meaning of the word Freemason. The foundation poured, the blocks now laid, the renovation will begin.
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On August 27th, 2000, Mt. Olive Lodge #439 was Re-dedicated by Grand Master Wilfred G. Soutiea, D:.G:.M:. Freddie D. Adams, S:.G:.W:. Glenn E. Means, J:.G:.W:. Jimmy D. Lee, Grand Secretary Ron D. Miller, Grand Lecturer James Spencer, J:.G:.M:. Webb Edwards, Grand Pursuivant H. Vayne “Jake” Jacobs, Grand Chaplin Billy Potter, Grand Orator Larry D. Reynolds, and the Brethren of Mt. Olive Lodge #439. 150 citizens from the surrounding community and 50 Masonic Brethren from around the state attended. Two out of state Freemasons, Bro. Max Clanton, from Baxter Lodge, Baxter Springs, Kansas and Bro. Edsel Groves, Wahoo Lodge, Courtland, Nebraska, attended the ceremony also. After opening the special communication of the Grand Lodge on the 3rd Degree, Grand Master Soutiea moved the ceremony outdoors so the multitude of Citizens and the Masonic Brethren could witness the event. Grand Master Soutiea, in his opening remarks to the audience said, “What a tribute it is to Masonry and to Mt. Olive Lodge by the large number of people who came out to see this ceremony today.” No truer words could ever be spoken. We were pleasantly surprised by the large number of Citizens who came to the ceremony as the afternoon temperature was already above 100 degrees. Those Citizens, many of whom have relatives buried in the cemetery, were so impressed with the Renovation that they were on the verge of tears. We could not begin to count the number of times each one of us were thanked by them for renovating the building and also for Joe and Glen’s excellent care of the cemetery grounds. Our brother Masons were impressed greatly also. The correspondence we recieved from Brethren across the nation and the state, after reading our article in the Missouri Freemason, totally amazed us. Letters that were sent by Brothers from Ft. Pierce, Forida, Tucson, Arizona, Roanoke, West Virginia, Fernandina Beach, Florida, Courtland, Nebraska, Dallas, Texas, Atchison, Kansas, Los Angeles, California, and letters from brethren and entire lodges across the state, all of whom, requesting the prints of our lodge to help us with the funding. That article in the Freemason alone helped us in selling additional prints of Mt. Olive and gave us over $600.00 toward the renovation and we very much appreciated this support.
The support from our Brethren and the thanks we received from the citizens has touched our hearts and has given us the comfort in knowing that we are having a positive effect in area lodges, that we are doing something right in the community, but most of all it proves to everyone that masonry is effective in the community and that it is alive and well in our Missouri Lodges. Every Mason holds dear to his heart the Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry because the precepts which are inculcated in them inspired the founding of this Nation and reminds us all of whence we came. Consequently, we understood that by saving our own landmark, the lodge building would remind our community of whence WE came. Judging by the turn out of the community, the support of our Masonic Brethren in our state and the Brethren from “Sea to Shining Sea,” the Historical and the Symbolic significance was understood by them as well and to me it is a most remarkable testament to the Citizenship of the community and to Masonry.
The Raising, the Renovation and the preparation for the Re-Dedication of Mt. Olive Lodge #439 has been a labor of love for us but it has also provided us with an added benefit. We have proven to ourselves that we Mt. Olive Masons are “builders,” both operatively and speculatively. We have, with the aid and assistance of some very generous and talented brethren, added another 100 years to the foundation of this grand old building and with a little care and maintenance the rest of it should hold up as well. We also have a document to prove we will hold communications in the building for another 100 years. On the 20th day of December 1999, the following charter was signed by the officers of Mt. Olive Lodge and the Mt. Olive Cemetery Committee members.
We, the Mt. Olive Cemetery Committee, grant this Perpetual Charter to Mt. Olive Lodge #439 A.F.&A.M. to exclusively meet and work in the Building, known since October 16th, 1872 as Mt. Olive Lodge #439 A.F.&A.M., located on Mt. Olive Cemetery property at 6078 State Highway KK in Webster County Missouri. This Perpetual Charter will take effect January 1st, 2000 ad and will expire December 31st, 2099 ad. In consideration of the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren, who renovated the Building and with their successors continuing with the maintenance and upkeep of the building, a Fee of $1.00 per year will be tendered by the Treasurer of Mt. Olive Lodge #439 to the Mt. Olive Cemetery Committee. We the undersigned hold these to be agreeable.
| Mt. Olive Cemetery Committee | Mt. Olive Lodge #439 |
| Chairman~Randall J. Jones | WM~ Nick Breedlove |
| Member~Joe Bouldin | SW~Joe Cron |
| Member~Sterling Bridwell | JW: Jim Hammons |
I was asked several times, the day of the ceremony, how did you get the brethren involved in the renovation project in this hectic computerized world and, what is the “magic formula” that makes Mt. Olive lodge work? I can assure you, in so far as the first question, that it was not an easy task assembling the brethren at any one time to do any kind of large scale work. In truth, each of us basically knew what needed to be done and took on projects that we could accomplish in small numbers when we had the extra time with Glen and Joe Cron coordinating the more extensive jobs and overseeing the work. Brother Eddie Mitchell and his son Clint secured the siding, installed it, and replaced the bad window panes as they went along. Bro. James Van Zandt, using the old foundation stone, erected the monument at the landing and installed the inscribed stone on the front of it which was donated by Seymour Monument Co., courtesy of Bro. Wendell and Susan Matlock. Bro. Larry and RWB Scott Houge, of Security Steel, donated the metal roof, the men and equipment to install it. Bro. Miles Alexander donated the lanyard and the flag. Bro. Duke Dunham erected the flag pole which was donated by the Scottish Rite Ridge Runners. WB Dean Rowe secured the prison crew when we needed them and he also helped Bro. Joe Cron, WB Ron Cron, Bro. Don Smith and Bro. Wendell Matlock pour the concrete ramp to the stairs. Bro. Joe also secured the carpeting and the installers. The rest of us spent our time, getting supplies, buying chairs, painting, cleaning, sorting memorabilia, hammering, nailing, hauling dirt, repairing window frames, installing a door, trimming, sweeping, moving furniture, and doing anything else as it needed to be done. It was quite a task and, amazingly, the bulk of the work was done just two weeks prior to the ceremony. The central air and heat was finished by Bro. Travis Swearingin just after midnight the morning of the ceremony and the replica of the lodge, for the ceremony, was hastily constructed 20 minutes before it was needed by Bro. Robert Cron. The second question, what makes Mt. Olive Lodge work, can be summed up with the word “Desire.” First, how often have you heard brethren in lodge make these statements? “what needs to be done is......, or what this lodge oughta do is...., or if I were Master, here is what I would do.” Probably more times than you can remember and, if you are like me, you have made similar statements in moments of weakness. When ideas in Mt. Olive Lodge are brought to a motion, voted on and passed they are carried out by the brethren who made them because of their “desire” to be productive lodge brothers. There is, in other words, no “Buck Passing.” To put it another way, “we masons are builders, striving day by day not to be better than others, but day by day to be better than self” and this sums up the attitude of the brethren in Mt. Olive Lodge. Was this “Desire” instilled in them in lodge or learned by them at home? The answer is both. In our neck of the woods most of us were raised on farms and were helping with the chores when we were just youngsters. That, in itself, inspires a “Desire” for a good work ethic in adulthood but we take great care, when doing degree work, in stressing to the candidate that these degrees, oaths and obligations are not just words, but a very good way to live your life when they are put into daily practice. We desire to inspire every man into becoming the best mason he can be by putting feeling and emotion into the words we speak so the candidate knows and has no doubt that WE believe and are sincere in every word we are saying. Finally, being located out in the country sets us apart from practically every other lodge. It is quite the site when we gather at 6:30p.m. on the 3rd Mondays of the month and start the bar-b-cue on the front porch. It makes for good attendance, good fellowship and, being the pranksters, we seem to always have fun.
Still yet, the real story is not the renovation itself but the way this project has united brethren from different lodges, across this state and nation, toward a common goal and it is this strong bond of Brotherhood, that “Desire” to be better than self, the willingness to proceed, that is causing Masonry to thrive in this area and in our state. The first step, in our case, was taken by Bro. Bill Stacy with his desire to donate his time, labor, equipment and ingenuity to the raising of the building but most especially to his immortalizing the words, “will you retire or will you proceed?” When the word got around, as to what Bill had said and had done, Brethren began stepping forward to offer their assistance. When Bro. Bill, the day of the ceremony, saw the newly renovated building for the first time since the raising, he was smiling from ear to ear the whole afternoon and before departing he looked at Glen and I, then said, “You know guys, I have a wonderful group of friends in you brothers here at Mt. Olive and I want to make a donation.” Glen, with his wonderful look of bewilderment that only he can exhibit said, “Golly Bill, you have already done so much there is no way we could ever repay you.” Bill handed Glen a $100.00 bill and said, “give me a print with both your autographs on it and that’ll be payment enough.”
The raising, the renovation and the ceremony are now behind us but there is still much work for us to do not only in Mt. Olive Lodge, but in Masonry as a whole. The new Millennium in Masonry has been given a resounding kick off not only at Mt. Olive Lodge, but also in every Masonic Lodge in this state. New seeds of brotherhood have been planted in our project, in the one day conferrals, and in all the other endeavors we Masons do. New seeds of Citizenship have been planted in our community due to the renovation and the re-dedication ceremony. For those of you who read the Missouri Freemason, and I know your numbers are many, it is now up to all of us to cultivate these new seeds and reap a great harvest for the benefit of Masonry. The question is, “will we retire or will we proceed?” If we desire to proceed, think of the harvest it will be. I want to thank the Brethren of Mt. Olive Lodge #439 for being such a super bunch of guys, for their desire to complete this project, for their guts and determination, and for making this year a most memorable one for me. I especially want to thank my wife Carlaa for her patience and her support during my year as Master but, most especially, I want to thank GOD for granting me the privilege to become a Freemason. On behalf of the Brethren of Mt. Olive Lodge #439, we thank everyone who supported us in this endeavor, we will NEVER FORGET IT and we hope to see you all in Lodge. We will be easily recognizable, just look for the brethren in the striped bib overalls with the Square and Compasses embroidered on the front,.... that’ll be us.
I would like to wish all of my fellow masons a great Holiday season and the best New Year ever.
I have followed the wonderful work all of you have accomplished this past year in restoring our wonderful lodge. I wish I could have been there to help you. The lodge has a special place in my heart, the rites I received there have been the foundation from which my life was built on. I often think of the brethren that helped me, Brother Brooks(Father & Son), Brother Brentlinger, Brother Faulkner and so many others.
The enclosed check, above my dues, may be used wherever you want. Thank you again for everything that being a mason has given me.
Sincerely
Dave Hammond