Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-10
WILLIAM R, BOWEN'SFUNERAL
Largely Attended by Members of the Masonic
Fraternity,
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER NEBRASKA
Eloquent Tributes Are Paid 10 the
Memory of the Departed Brother
by Prominent Members of
the order.

Funeral services for william r. Bowen,
twenty six years the grand secretary of the
grand lodge of Masons in this state, were
held at Masonic temple yesterday afternoon
and several hundred members of the order
from different sections of Nebraska were
present to add their final testimony of regard
for the brother with whom they had served
SO many years The services were almost
entirely under the supervision of the Masons
Rev. T. j. Mackay of All Saints Episcopal
church, himself Mason of high degree, was
the officiating clergyman and spoke words OF
encouragement and hope to those VITO HAD
been bereft The Masonic service was in
charge of Capitol lodge No 2, in which MIR
Bowen held his membership in the basic
work of all Masonry, assisted by the grand
lodge of Nebraska and Mount Calvary COM
mandery, knights Templar, j. w. Maynard
commander
After Rev. Mr.. Mackay had concluded his
address the service took on memorial char
acter and was participated in by prominent
Masons from all over the state, all of whom
at some time had been associated with Mr.
Bowen in his work. They gave testimony TO
his worth as man and as citizen and his
integrity as a member of the great secret
order. His official career covering quarter
of century was mentioned and high en-
comiums were paid to his devotion to his
work The speakers were his friends, we're
veteran Masons with him and knew from
personal knowledge the capabilities of their
departed brother. 1t is doubtful If there has
been Masonic funeral in the state where
so much sorrow was manifested by the mem>
bers of the order. Those who spoke these
words were Deputy Grand Master w. w.
Keysor of Omaha, Past Grand Master d. II.
,f Io Il,- 4 @ II
/ Davidson of Tecumseh, Past Grand Master
M b. Reese of Lincoln, Past Grand Master
j. p. A. Black of Bloomington and Past
Grand Master Charles ]. Fhelps of Schuyler.
| Grand Master Frank H. Young of Broken
Bow was present in his official capacity and
| Grand Chaplain G. II. Gilmore of Brown
vile offered an Invocation. The service was
also accompanied by appropriate music.
Subordinate lodges represented at the fu>
neral were Nebraska No. 1, w. S. Strawn,
master; st. Johns No. %, G. T. Nicholson,
master; Covert No. IL, e. r. Perfect, master;
Beo Hive No. 1874 of South Omaha, C. w.
| Mille:, master, and Capitol No. 8, ]. Z.
| Deegan, master. Members Of these lodges
in addition to the officials, were present, as
| well as those from other lodges from many
towns in this vicinity Clad in their white
gloves and aprons they gave the scene an
| added solemnity.
The casket, almost buried in floral tributes
| from Masonic bodies, individual members
and friends of the family, was guarded by q
detachment of Knights Templar in full uni
| form.
After the service the procession was
! formed, led by the Masons, and the remains
| of M. Bowen were taken to Prospect Hill
cemetery, where interment was made. Here
| the beautiful burial service of the order wa>
| given, the sprigs of acacia were droppec
upon the casket and the master, crumbling a
handful Of earth into the open grave, con-
signed the body of the departed brother to
the care Of the Supreme Architect of the uni
verse.