Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-10-19
THE LODGE CORNER. F;
Oddfeiiows Lifted the Mortgage for the
widow of "a Brother-True Fraternity
Exemplified.


Exemplified.
Owosso Evening Argus, Oct. g, 1899.
In June 1898 Deputy Sheriff w. r.
Gibson, of this city, died leaving 4
wife and three daughters. Since
that two of the daughters have died.
leaving only one girl of ten years 10
gladden. the home with her presence
and smiles. To add to the other
misfortunes of the home, there was
mortgage of two hundred dollars
hanging over it. Mr.. Gibson had
been member of the Fraternity Of
Odd Fellows for years. Honored
and respected for his devotion to
the principles of the order. Know
ing that its great and underlying
principles were TO protect the widow
and educate the orphan, but little
thinking that his loved ones would be
so soon the objects of the care and
protection of his brothers and Sis
tiers in their extremity, the brother
hood nobly came to their assistance
BY permission of the Grand-mas-
ter Of the state, f.. Il. Sellers, of
Detroit, No. SO Lodge, solicited aid
from the lodges of the state. Re
sponces came so cheerfully and
quickly that inside of two weeks
enough had come to pay of the
Indebtedness, and now all has been
paid and about a hundred dollars
left for the benefit of the family, and
still il comes.
Last night the members of the
lodge met at the home of Sister
Gibson and filled the house to over
flowing, not only the house, but
filled the Sisters heart with graft
tude.
A. 7. Fowler, chairman Of the
committee on solicitation, stated the
object of the gathering and called on
T. NJ Wiley. who very feelingly pre-
scented Sister Gibson with the can
celled mortgage, remarking that it
was the spontaneous gift of the Odd
Fellows of the state of Michigan,
asking her to accept it as token of
love and regard for her beloved hus-
baud and his bereaved family. 1t
is yours he said, and we hope you
will live To enjoy its blessings, with
il is some money, Seventy-five dol
lars, for your future use, take 1t and
use it for your own good.
Mrs. Gibson said she had dreaded
this meeting because she could not
express her thankfulness to the
brothers and sisters for this expires
sion of their kindness to her. She
had dreaded the thought of the debt
on her house for she never could pay
il. But believe me my brothers
and sisters, we shall always enjoy
our home because it is the gift of
those who have nobly stood by me
during all of my troubles and afflic-
tions, accept our thanks from the
bottom of our hearts"
Sister a. l.. Fowler responded by
saving, I'VE have done our duty to
wards you and shall rest much bet
ter ourselves when we remember
that you, dear Sister Gibson, won I
wet your pillow with tears because
you are afraid that the sheriff will
take your home from you.
Brother Fillmore was called for
and said, I'VE are as thankful in
this act of duty towards our sister
as the nation is in its gifts 10 the
hero of Manila This is the grandest
moment of my life. | realize that it
is more blessed to give than 10 re-
ceive. This act will live after we
are forgotten, the children will re-
member and tell il to their children
for generations to come. God bless
the widow and orphans; God bless
Odd Fellows.
Brother Brooks said: This kind
ness was simply carrying out the
great underlying principles that the
two hundred and twenty lodges who
had SO nobly responded in the call
for aid, had remembered that we
owe a duty to our membership.
Odd Fellowship in the last year has
given for charity over four million
dollars more than any other three
fraternities combined.
81 am glad to belong to such a
band Of brothers and sisters, said
Mr.. Brooks. Let us renew our
allegiance TO each other, and resolve
that in the future we will ever re
member our duty and obligations to
each other.
The ladies' served light refresh
ments after which the company dis
persed to their homes Telling that il
had been one of the most pleasant
evenings they had ever passed as
10.