The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1942-10-07
A Tribute To Joseph
I. Sims Deceased
BY E. III. Holmes

present and assisted in making
me mason:
AS the sand in the hour glass of
time denoted low twelve, the life
of Joseph t. Sirns six and four
teen grandmother State of Wash
ington and Jurisdiction, ended Sun
day July 10, 1912 and went out
with the tide that Gibbs and flows
twice in twenty-four hours, a cable
length from the shore. Called from
labor to a reward he laid down
his working tools to enjoy forever
the hour of refreshment in that
house not made by hand, eternal
in the heavens. When he reached
the golden strand just beyond the
river he met a great galaxy of ma
sons. Among them Logan, Haw-
kins, Shepperson, Asberry, Payne,
Gayles, and Nelson, Past Grand
Masters that went before him.
Oh, what meeting over yonder,
as they sang and shouted the word
of God. Joe Sims was an eminent
Mason, with Guiding Star Lodge
of Yakima then under State of
Iowa. He came into the Grand
Lodge at Tacoma in 1907 after
which the Grand Lodge was styled
the United Grand Lodge State of
Washington and Jurisdiction, Joe
learned his Masonry step by step
from the wisdom of King Solomon
who knew more of the plan and
design of God Almighty and the
history of mankind on this earth
than any other man that ever
lived. He learned that Masonry
beautiful system of morals also
taught him to behold how good
and pleasant it was for mankind
to dwell together in unity. Also
Joe, like Amos OF cid btielG e yla'i
upon wall with a plumbline in
his hand, which taught him to
walk uprightly before God and
man. But the most important les
son that Joe learned from the wis
est man that ever lived was to
Remember the Creator in the day
of YOUTH" King Solomon selected
those three lessons as the most i'm
portant things in life. Those vir-
tues Joe exemplified. He served as
Grand Treasurer, Junior and Sen
ior Grand Warden, Deputy Grand
Master and was elected Grand
Master at Yakima, July 1912. He
served until 1913, again he was
elected Grand Master at Vancou-
yer, B. c., in 1929. He served as
such until July, 1910. Grand Mas
ter Sims was an able financier. He
ruled and governed with an eye
single to make every dollar count.
He had lived in the Valley of va
kima for over generation. He
had seen the healing water kiss
the volcanic ash and convert the
sage brush into the greatest apple
capitol in the world at Yakima.
He was race, civic, and fraternal
leader. Indeed one of the leading
citizens of the state. Thursday,
July %, at Sharr and Son Chapel
in the presence of many visiting
brethren and members of the o. E.
E. the Rev T. E. Roberts, pastor
of the A. M. E. church told of his
life and time and the certainty
of death. Mrs. Margaret Malone
of Seattle whom he had known
as a girl, rich of voice sang sweet
ly and Mrs. C. Scott remembered
him with solo that touched the
hearts of all. Then John Howard
Chester Malone, Ted Spearman, j.
L. Booker, John w. Lane, and P.
Crosby, pallbearers, bore him ten
derby to the waiting hearse that
carried him to the silent city of
the dead, Tahoma Cemetery. There
in the quiet hush of a beautiful
July afternoon Grandmaster E. J.
Brown of Spokane assisted by
Newton Solomon, Senior Grand
Master, and his craft laid him
away in ample form on the third
degree of Masonry. Joe Sims had
at last reached the dead level and
his final resting place. Then his
friends, members of the craft and
his loving wife withdrew, and left
him to sleep