Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-06-02
GALA DAY FOR cREscO
Establishment of Cresco Council, K
of c., Decoration Day.

Through the untiring efforts of the
Rev. J. c.. Wagener of St. Joseph's
church and the local KING hts:.of Colum-
bus, Cresco Council No. 1871 has be-
come a realization. On Monday, dele
gates and officers of the various coun-
ellis of the state began to pour in and
on Tuesday fifty-three applicants took
the degrees of the order.
At $3.50, the first degree was con.
ferred at the Armory by the Austin de-
gree team. after which all marched to
st. Joseph's church in a body to attend
solemn high mass, the Very Rev. John
Garland being celebrant, assisted by
F, Father Louis Gmeinder of Spring Val
ley, Mimi, and Father Maurice Nolan,
of Calm ar, Iowa, as deacon and sub
deacon respectively, and t'.e Pew y. P.
Wagener as master of ceremonies.
The Rev. Michael Eardley, of Sabu-
la, Iowa, delivered the Sermon The
reverend speaker spoke feelingly of
the evidences of Catholicity in Cresco.
He declared the fiourishing conditions
of both Cresco parishes speak louder
than words of the zeal and labor of
their present and former pastors and
the responsiveness of the people.
Touching on the great honor it was to
be knight in the Middle Ages when
the sacred places were to be wrested
from the hands of the infidels, he said
that an honor not less marked came to
those who today pledge fidelity to
church and faithful performance of
their sacred duties, and that chivalry
and knighthood today, in the twentieth
century, consisted not in armory of
steel and helmet, but in character and
Christian manhood, and that ''honor
and glory from no condition rise" clos
ing with an earnest appeal to those
present to always remember their
pledges and promises of the day. The
church was beautifully decorated for
the occasion.
After mass, the visiting and local
clergy partook of a sumptuous dinner
at St. Joseph's parsonage.
The afternoon work began at one
O'Clock at the Armory for final degrees,
the third and last degree being con-
fcrred by. Dubuque degree team, head
ed by District Deputy Hugh Stuart,
assisted by Leo MuIgrew. Over 300
visiting and local enthusiastic Knights
were present to witness the impressive
ceremonies of the day, the same con-
cluding at 1880 p. m., after which all
repaired to Nichols hall to partake of
the grand banquet served by the ladies
of the Assumption parish.
The banquet room was elaborately
decorated with the national colors,
ferns and roses being tastefully ar
ranged on every table. The ladies hav-
ing charge waited on the tables and
the extreme care and attention given
every visitor merited the many words
of praise from the speakers and all
present.
TIE toast program that followed was
quite in keeping with the lessons of the
day. Hon. d. A. Lyons acted as toast
master and proved himself master Of
the situation with sallies of wit and
playful humor as he introduced each
speaker.
D. H. Fitzpatrick, of Mason City,
was first called. whose toast was cit
izenship." Good, clean living with a
high sense of religious responsibility
and civic righteousness, the speaker
declared, was citizenship
Rev. M. F. Eardley, of Sabula, re-
sponded to present Observations" {"