Just my cup of tea

June 29, 1972
Art and Sally Dionne, Grants Pass, visited her parents Dale and Leota Tucker, Selma, June 25. The occasion was Sally’s birthday, which they celebrated with an outdoor supper in the Tucker’s lovely yard with other members of the family present.
Mrs. Diana (Tucker) Jordan from Castle Rock, Wash., accompanied by her son Andy and daughter Sarah, visited her parents four days last week. They came especially to celebrate Dale’s birthday, June 18. On that occasion all of the Tucker’s children and grandchildren were present except two. They also remembered Father’s Day, especially since it was the first time Dale’s birthday and Father’s Day occurred on the same day in 25 years.
Earl and Josephine (Pfefferle) McLeish, Medford, spent the weekend in their travel trailer which they parked on property recently acquired on Takilma Road. When Phayo and I visited them, they said it was the quietest, most peaceful time they had spent in years.
Janet Oliver, daughter of navy Commander Frank Oliver, Singapore, visited her grandmother Agnes Oliver, Kerby, for a week, a stop over on her journey from Singapore, where she has been keeping her father company, to Annaville, Virginia to spend her summer with her mother. Her mother came back to the States some months ago because the tropical climate didn’t agree with her. Janet was in Hong Kong during the time of the recent tropical storm with high winds and torrential rain which caused flooding, landslides, and collapse of high-rise buildings. While she was visiting in Kerby she heard of the storm on the east coast which caused so much damage. Agnes and Janet were concerned until they heard that the town of Annadale is on higher ground, although it was cut off from other areas by the flood.
Agnes Oliver’s father Frank Jackson recently celebrated his 94th birthday. Agnes and several of his children visited him at the rest home in Merlin and took cards and gifts to help him remember the day with a birthday party.
House guests for a week at the home of Joe and Grayce Hudron were Elnora Grimmett Whitehead from Yuma, Ariz. And her two daughters, Christine Leppert and Betty Jean Whitehead from San Diego. While they were here, they visited relatives and friends still living in the Valley whom they knew in former years.
Joe and Grayce were dinner guests Sunday at the Oregon Caves Chateau. They felt honored to be invited to help Art and Irene Cribb, Kerby, celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. The Cribbs were married at the Oregon Caves and have never missed a year of returning to celebrate each anniversary with a dinner. During the war years when the Caves were not open to the public, they thought it would not be possible to have their dinners there “for the duration,” but Dick Rowley who was a guide for many years, arranged to have Mr. and Mrs. Bill Armstrong, the caretakers, cook their anniversary dinners, because Bill knew how much it meant to Art and Irene.
Morris Dutton Jr. and his wife Violet from Orange, Cal., visited his parents the Rev. and Mrs. Morris Dutton for four days last week. They also visited with his brother Dave and his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mohn. The Duttons and Mohns live on Lone Mountain Road, O’Brien.
The Duttons had other visitors at the same time when their son and daughter-in-law were here. His brother Willard and wife Minnie from Rialto, Cal. wee guests while taking care of business concerning the property on Dick George Road.
I have an old account of when the Masonic Belt Lodge No. 18 got its charter and name. I think a number of people in the Valley will be interested in the story. According to this account, Western Star Lodge, No. 18, A.F. and A.M. was organized at Kerbyville and a charter granted July 18, 1858. Belt Lodge N0. 26, A.F. and A.M. was organized at Browntown and the first meeting was held March 14, 1859. Among the officers named at that first meeting was George W. Thrasher S.W. On June 20, 1859, a charter was granted to them and this was a regularly constituted lodge until July 6, 1864. The two lodges, Western Star and Belt Lodge No. 18, which has remained to the present time.
The original hall in Kerbyville was an old barn. (I have recently seen a picture of this barn.)
On February 16, 1867 a resolution was adopted amending the by laws to read that meetings were to be held on Saturday night, on or near the full moon of each month.
As near as can be determined, this was done because many of the brothers at that time came from long distances or horseback carrying their rifles with them, as there was still trouble to be expected from the Indians. Distances involved required that they be gone from home over the weekend and that some of their traveling be done at night. If this travel coincided with the light of the moon, it was felt a brother had a chance of attending lodge and getting home again without a “hair raising” tale being told about him afterward.
The present Masonic Hall in Kerby was built in 1907. At first only the second floor was used by the lodge, the first floor was a store. But for many years Belt Lodge No. 18 has occupied all of the building and it is on of the landmarks of Kerby.