The San Francisco call., 1904-09-06
De Molay HonorS
Memory of Thomas
Starr King.
A Wreath Is Placed
With Solemn
Ceremony.

About thirty Sir knights Of De
Molay Commandery, Knights Templar
of Boston, quietly made their way to
Golden Gate Park yesterday morning
and placed on the statue of Thomas
Starr King a beautiful wreath, which
they brought carefully across the con-
tinent for the purpose. 1t was orig
inally intended TO place the wreath
on the marble tomb of the dead, but
later it was decided to place 1t on his
statue. Sir Oscar A. Shepard. emf
nent commander of De Molay Com
mandery, made the following address:
We come this morning to pay tribute Of
respect to the memory Of a Christian soldier
Rev Thomas Starr King, born in New York
December 10. 1924; son or Rev. Thomas FAR
rington King who grand chaplain Of the
Grand Lodge Of Massachusetts in 1s3s-1S39.
His father was settled in the ministry in
CIarlestown. Mass, over the First Universalist
Church and in 1916 Rev. Thomas Starr King
berame nastor over the same church his
father having died in 1889. Later in lS4o he
became pastor Of the Hollis-strest Church IN
Boston.
AS a young man after leaving school he was
employed in mercantile life and later as
teacher in the public schools Not having a
eossidte education his amoIs1on Tsused al
the spare time allowed to him. With enthusi-
asm. courage and faith From his boyhood he
had felt that his future life must be devoted
to the Christian ministry. In 1915 he preached
his first sermon.
4 letter usristsr ,afser his death by his sue
cessor in the charlestown parish SAYS: We
all loved him. He was the brightest spirit 1
have ever met His presence was an tllumlna-
tion ana inspiration wherever he went. This
was Starr King. When interested he had the
most radiant face and the finest most spiritual
eye have ever seen"
He was called to the ministry in San Fran
cisco and arrived April 2S 1850. becoming a
leader almost at once in church life and In the
public affairs of the city and the state He
became a Master Mason in Oriental Lodge NO
later grand orator of the Grand Lodge OF Call
fornia.
| quote from the report OF the proceedings
of TIE Grand Lodge OF California:
From the beginning OF his career as a
| public man to the date OF his decease there was
no pause in the growth Of his power and
..Who. more than our brother. helped in the
patriotic work of saving our beloved country
in the hour of danger? Who will stand higher
words of eloquent patriotism rang far and wide
over orr State, and moving true men to sense
of their danger and duty, saved US from seceS-
sion and the horrors of civil war; Forget not 10
sneak Of him as a patriot in word and deed
whom all true Americans delight to honor
His death came March A. 1864, at the age
of 40 years. -
.He fought the fight he kept the faith
IN LOVING tribute and respect to his memory
the Sir Knights OF De Molay Commandery.
knights TemDIars of Boston. Mass. place this
wreath this monument. erected oy the % %cit,
zens Of the state of California, In this beautiful
Golden Gate Park. .
from the shadow of Bunker Hill. to the shores
of the Pacific: from the East to the West. We
come with reverence and respect TO the shrine
| haIIowed to the memory OF this Christian SOL
der Rev. Thomas starr King.