Telegram-herald., 1888-10-22
ODD FELLOW SERVICE
MEMORIAL SERMON ~ o.. FAs
May s1ela osfs - lhs craft fEsssst al -.
A@Fks ChsFcs L&st AEs1faE -Jsnass
kisxsly ~. fs4saeE sf ths
OFaeE a. America

sessral Hundred Odd Fellows Of Grad
Rapids attended services ln 81. Mara
clurch isst sssains. the services osing Ia
Aso0ram" Vi J4Ass l. ki5sely, = notsd
snd distinguished member VI tas craft Ia
addition ~ The members present large
coasFss alton wss ssssn- ed. 80 tast TIE
srzad ola charoa, capable 81 sesIing from
i 80 - ] 49,. Sas ~eli hlied. Aas uss
choir under The leadership Of II. b. oaynor
rendered tie musical parts of the service IA
q most attractive form. the anthem, ~fhe
Wilderness Shall Blossom a. the Klss, b"
being one Of the nusst pieces oi sacred
music ever rendered ia Grand Rapids
Ths service Was conducted by the Right
Rev. Campbell Fair, ID d. who also
preached the memorial sermon, OF which
se give the foliow-us outline.
10 TIE year l5l2. a. Manchester. Eng
land, commsncsd the great work of
puilanthry new knosa as The
independent Order of Dad Fellows" Tue
slfors was small and humble a. nrst. but
its object being grand aud noble. success 10
numbers xas soon vOuchssied. Human
nsturs Is charitable. znd when Odd Fellow
ship aVOWed tnat It's work Was 10 visit The
SICK, 10 bury the dead, 10 provide Tor the
orphan, and 10 succOr the widow. men
rslhed TO It's flag and wanted 10 be Initiated
into its membership. The Fatherhood OF
God and the Brotherhood of Man
were truths Odd Fellowship made
realized he was brother TO his fellow man
and ever tried 10 govern himself according
ly. A quaint description thus pictured an
Odd Fellow: He Is ike q fox for cunning.
= lamb for innocence, a lion for boldness, A
bee for industry and . sheep for usefulness.
Odd Fellowship soon reached the United
States OF America. finding IN Thomas VIII
deg It's founder and IN James Ridgeiy its
father, suitable honOrs TO which both are
fully entitled II is characteristic ofthe Or
Ger that II reveres the dead and ever holds
lis worthy members in grateful memorial.
| Our service tonight Is an evidence OF graft
tude Ii IS In Memorism" of James l..
Ridgely. Past Grand Master OF the Jurisdlc-
| ton of Maryland. and Grand Secretary Of
| the Sovereign Grand Lodge of |. .. .. r.
IL is a coincidence that am not altogether
out OF place IN preaching this memorial
sermon Mr.. Ridglsy was born in Balti-
more and worked and died ia Baltimore;
| for twelve happy years it was my great
| privilege 10 labor a rector OF one OF balu-
mores largest congie5 5ations. MY Mary
| land geographically describes where a
| large share of my hearts gratitude must
ever be placed, anything aud anybody from
| Baltimore has my heartfelt interest and my
| brotherly attention. Further, Mr.. Ridge
| leys brother and family attended the
! church of which | WAS rector. his niece
was one of my successful and faithful Sum
day school teachers, and 10 make closer
| connections between tonIghts preache- and
| the man whom tonight We honor, / may
add that my wife's uncle married MIR.
| Rideely's daughter | AN not therefore a
stranger TO the man OF whom tonight L
| speak.
| Who was James L. Ridgely, the man
whom today we honor? Let the following
| outline of his life suffice for the present as
| the answer to the question asked. lie was
| born he 9th day of January, 1907, In Bal
timore, MARYLAND of family long and
| honorably connected with Maryland. be
was educated in MS native city and at
| Mount st. Aary's College. EmmettsbuTg,
| where be graduated with honors. For a
| profession ne selected the legal, and with
| bright prospects of success he was called to
J the bar of Maryland, June, 1882. As a
proof of his fitness for public life, IN its po-
litical and commercial bearing, | may men
ton that from time TO time be was entrusted
| with the duties and honors of being a
member of Baltimore's City Council.
of Maryland's Legislature, OF two
of its important State conventions. be
was President of Bsltimore's School
| Board, Register of Wills. and President of a
large and influential Insurance company.
Al ~ be sought and obtained q mem cership
IN the Independent Order OF Odd Fellows,
Joining Columbia Lodge No. 3, Baltimore
| city, the 9th of May, 1929. Once member
| he rapidly Obtained distinction in the Or
der, filing high positions of trust, aud de-
clining others. but in the end remaining
Grand Secretary Of the Sovereign Grand
| Lodge for nearly halt q century of years.
| His connection with the Order largely
shaped its character and gave to Odd Eel
| lOwship some of Its most brilliant virtues,
while he tore from it anything that was oo-
| iectiOnabe or lmpure. Time tOrDids me
telling you the whole story of his lie or
al the actions he performed as a member
of his Order, other services must hear the
recital Of his deeds so grand
and noble. james l.. Ridgely died Novem-
Der Is. 1851. and on November %. 1851, the
grateful members Of his beloved Order lsid
him TO rest with all the honors OF their
craft. Let me sum op the character of the
man, who vss OF odd Fellowship bright
and shining light, so that If any one wOul d
attain TO the pinnacle of fame on which he
rested. they should go and do Likewise,
even IS he ever aid.
First-He was careful to recognize the
4
! issding principle Ia the life and actions Of
James l. Rldgeiy. Read his reports and
ia them ne sckrovleiges Gods guiding
hand As an Odd Fellow. he should believe
ia God aud as a man, he was not sshau ed
70 trace Gods pr0vidence in the destiny OF
human lite.
| Second-The brotherhood Of man was a
principle 80 strong ina him - TO bring
forth IN conduct a beautiful proof Of Us
power and grace. Every man with bis
vas son OF God. aud q brother to all
| hence conduct which knew no malice, but
was ever fruitful Of love
| Third-"Good in Others" was with bin
more than q motto. il was = principle. hs
was great because be could see greatness in
Others. There = perhaps 10 stronger proof oi
mans lsrreness OF hesrt and mind than
when ne sees the srsstness and goodness Of
bis fellow men Mr.. Ridgsly could judgs
of character and Ell ths good man pos
sesssd was ever acknowledged and praised
| by bin Who ssT it
Foarth-Hs hsd a susvitv Of msnnsr
uhich pleased his friends and sppesssd bis
enemies If Re hsd anv. Re vas polite
ssntle thoughtful - beautiful char
scf-ristics for a. who have 20 dea|
With men NJ wonder James T.
Ridxsiy bad the oon68snos ~ msa vhsn
his manner o. them wss tbst of friend
snd hrotbeT gentleman.
| Finh-Th@ 6-fsis o. the Order rscei vel
from him TO closest sffsntion snd nros'
sccursfe kno~lsdEe He xrrr sverT pom
| caBnectsd with to os3s~. % mater ws'
too Insignificant a things ~sre IN p0rfsnf.
/ All aecsuse ~ 60 taus Dssfsf Of -stsil.
- va honcrsd wifh positions % trnsf
! 4hs lrnsst rsv 20 fully srpreclsrs good
fhing s 90 trGT s1cuf IL sr1 nsCager
james Z. Ri6gsly mastered svs-Y 5stsii ri