MULLEN REBEKAH LODGE 315

by Violet Kraye and Sherron Sullivan

Entry T52 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Since the Mullen Rebekah Lodge was
started after the one in Seneca, we felt a little
note on the Seneca Lodge should be included.
The following notes are taken from the
minutes of the organizational meeting of the
Seneca Lodge.

Seneca, Nebraska, October 4, 1912 - a
lodge of Rebekahs was opened by State
President Margarette A. Holcomb, assisted
by a number of members from Broken Bow
Lodge No. 110. This meeting was called by
the state president for the purpose of institu-
ting a Rebekah Lodge in Seneca to be known
as Fraternity Lodge No. 302. Immediately
after the opening ceremonies the following
names were presented for initiation as char-
ter members: H.P. Roberts, Jay Oliver, B.F.
Flock, W.J. McKelvay, Myron J. Gilbert,
P.N. Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Edith Roberts, Mrs.
Sue B. Marcy, Mrs. Maude Oliver, Annie D.
Flock, Mrs. Grace Weesner, Mrs. Veda
McIntyre, Myrtle Gilbert, Maggie A.
McMurtry, Laura M. Kelvay, Lola A. Zim-
merman, E.S. Zimmerman, R.F. McMurtry,
Edwin Cooper, Agnes Frank, Mabel A. Fox,
Clara Kirkpatrick, R.S. Fox, H.D. McPher-
son, R.A. Parrish, Eunice Parrish, Sara E.
Fox, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, Effie M.
McPherson, J.I. McIntyre, Jason W. Baker,
D.O. Weesner and Roy Beatty. This lodge
eventually was moved to Thedford and they
continued as Fraternal Lodge 302.

Mullen Lodge was organized by the lodge
from Seneca. Here are the minutes of their
organizational meeting. Mullen, Nebraska
February 11, 1914 - a lodge of Rebekahs was
opened by President of the State Assembly,
Susan B. Kirstead, assisted by a number of
members from Fraternity Lodge No. 302 of
Seneca, Nebr. This meeting was called by the
state president for the purpose of instituting
a Rebekah Lodge in Mullen to be known as
Mullen Rebekah Lodge No. 315. Immediately
after opening ceremonies the following
names were presented for initiation as char-
ter members and by card. By card: Oliver Z.
Cudebec, Myrtle Mae Peterson, Eva D.
Wigent, Jacob Mickey. By initiation: Ross H.
Welton, Viola Welton, H.M. Curie, Ida Curie,
Clara F. Adams, W.B. Adams, Edna Catron,
C.C. Campbell. The Rebekah degree was
conferred by the Grand Officers present.
After which Mullen Rebekah Lodge No. 315
was organized.

After the first meeting it should be noted
that the treasury balance was $29.40. The
first Nobel Grand was Myrtle Mae Peterson
and the first Vice Grand was Eva Wigent
Lowe. The meetings were held in the hall
above Dr. Walkers, and the shop Mrs. Paul
Coble had not long ago. The lodge met twice
a month which is still a practice today. The
Noble Grands served only 6 months and now
they serve a year. At that time they had about
as many men members as women, both the
secretaries and treasurers were usually men.

The first time they had a penny march was
April 13, 1914. This is one way for the lodge
to make spending money and it is a practice
we still use today.

They had a Degree Team which marched
for different events and for initiation. The
first captain was Mr. Cudebec, and Roy
McCully was the second one elected in May,
1922.

The Rebekahs had a Altha Triple Link
Club, which was for past Noble Grands. It
was later changed to a Rebekah club and still
later to the social hour after the second
meeting of the month, which is also continued
to this day.

In April 1981, Thedford consolidated with
the Mullen Lodge. There is still a lodge in
Tryon and that makes up our present district.
The district used to have Stapleton, Thed-
ford, Whitman, Gandy, and Mullen, with
Rebekah Lodges and now there are just two.

A lot of history is written up in the minutes
of the lodge in both Seneca and Mullen, and
we're proud of the history as well as the
present in Mullen.