Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-09-28
LAST OF THE DDDY ON LODGES
BUILDING, ERECTED IN 1899, is
WIPED OUT.
WOMEN OF RE1EkAh LODGE
HAVE AIDED MATERIALLY
Goethe Lodge Organized in 1870, and
Now Has Thirty-Five Members in
Good Standins-6ut Ono Of the
Charter Members Livins-orisinaI
Debt Was $4,75o.

Before an assembly Of the members
of Goethe Lodge, No 211. l. O. o. F.
and Concordia Lodge. No. 295. r. d.
and their families, Wednesday night al
the Goethe lodge hall. Peter Mayer, a
member of the lodge. and holder of the
mortgage against the property. went
thru the Formally of burning the mort
gage which signifies the wiping out of
the last vestise of debt against the
lodges home.
1t was of as much pleasure to the
mortgage holder as it was to the other
members of the lodge to see the debt
wiped out. and to realize that. for the
first time in twelve years. the lodge had
no obligation on its building. Follow
ing the burning Of the mortgage short
program and social hour were enjoyed
Has Been q Task.
With the small membership of the
lodge the wiping out of the debt has
been no small task. There are only
thirty-six members of the organiza ton
at the present time. and they have
worked manfully to bring about the
day when there would be no debt on
the building. In their work the mem
beers Of Concordia lodge have been of
great assistance. as they have kept up
many Of the Improvements and repairs
to the building while the debt was
hanging over 1t. thus allowing the
saving of money to apply on the prin-
cipal and interest. Among the i'm
provements made by the women are
the placing OF a new steel ceiling in the
lodge room. painting the interior of the
budding and recarpeting the room.
History Of Lodge and Building.
Goethe lodge was organized by Ger
man Odd Fellows OF this city in Janu-
airy. 1870 with ten charter members.
These were ]. c. Kuhner. Moses and
Simon Stern. c. ]. Ebenieder, Louis
Arm bruster. z. E. Berchtold. Harry
Kahn. Fred Grumme David Ankeny.
and John Nestle. OF this charter
list but one Is now living.
in the person Of Moses Stern, who Is
Of the Odd Fellows home at
Mason City. Mr.. Kuhner was the first
noble grand.
In 1899 the lodge built its present
home at the corner of First avenue and
STATE Sueet, a property lIlal Is now
considered worth $4,000. A mortgage
of s4,75o was put on the building at the
time it was built, and this has been re-
duced gradually. In 1907 the debt had
been redcued to $500. and a new
mortgage was made to Peter Mayer a
me mber of the lodge. This last mort
gage has also been reduced as the lodge
could afford the payments, and on
Sept. 20 the last payment was made
1t has been planned to burn the mort
gage 90 the day the last payment was
made, but the death of Mr.. Mayors
brother at that time caused postpone
ment OF the ceremony.
The present officers Of Goethe lodge
are A. w. Zuercher. noble grand: John
BanZhaf, vice grand; Anthony Estel,
treasurer: and F. S. Wild. secretary.
Each of the lodges thirty-six mem bers
are in good standing. and twenty-one
OF them reside in this city. Twenty
four OF the memb ers are past grands.
Concordia Rebekah lodge was or
ganized in 1895, with the late Mrs.
Amelia Reimer as the first noble grand.
The present noble grand is Mrs. Chris
tina Dieterich.