The Vidette-Messenger Centennial EditionThe 1936 special edition celebrating Porter County's centennial year . . . .
The following article has been transcribed from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger, published in Valparaiso, Indiana. This particular special edition focuses on Porter County's centennial celebration and contains a 94-page compendium of Porter County history up to that time.
Return to the index of articles from The Vidette-Messenger's Porter County Centennial special edition.
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 2, Page 13.
Valparaiso Lodge Loyal Order of Moose Founded In 1913 By 49 Members
The Loyal Order
of Moose is a great international fraternity engaged, in a humanitarian mission,
of which Valparaiso Lodge is an integral part. It is the youngest yet one of the
largest fraternities in the world. Valparaiso lodge was instituted in 1913 with
forty-nine charter members, and the present membership is 225.
In the early days as well as the present, Valparaiso Lodge was prominent, and
considered leaders in all social and community welfare movements. Unknown to the
outside world, hundreds of families have been aided and thousands of dollars
have been expended to alleviate suffering of those less fortunate. During the
economic crisis of the winter of 1929 and 1930, Valparaiso lodge alone expended
over $2,000 for food, clothing and other necessities of life for the needy of
Valparaiso, besides sums of money for services, they, themselves, were unable to
render.
At Mooseheart, "the school that trains for life," are more than 1,000 orphan
children ranging in age from infants to those ready for college. They are given
a home, a high school education and instruction in a trade or profession. Those
desiring a college education are loaned the money to assist them. The aged and
infirm members are not forgotten. At Moosehaven, Fla., a home is provided for
them.
Charter members of the Valparaiso lodge are: Hollis P. Billings, Joseph Decker,
George Dixon, Robert B. Ford, John Schumacher, James Young, Fred Post, Glen B.
Crisman, Gust Kinder, William Coyer, Charles Specht, George King, George Coyer,
Frank B. Fabing, John Deardorff, John T. Scott, Arthur G. Bruns, Joseph Kelley,
George W. Shuey, Floyd Foster, Gus Long, Walter Foster, W. B. Williams, Joseph
Garshman, Rudolph Will, William E. Wansbrough, George Kindt, John F. Take, Bert
Mitchell, Joseph T. Glinski, A. R. Gray, Herman J. Marks, Frank Horak, William
E. Crews, Ellis A. Mittenthal, Frank E. Bai, Roy R. Pierce, Max Seidel, Louis
Vitner, William Golden, William Reinert, Bernard Claney, Walter J. Fabing, Bert
Drake, Dale Barnes, Fred Wiencken, Edward C. Hill, Theobald Erler and Harry
Meeks.
In 1932 the Valparaiso lodge was host to the tenth annual state conclave of the
Loyal Order of Moose. A big street parade, a band concert by the Mooseheart
band, and a football game between Valparaiso university and Mooseheart were
features of the two-day meeting.
Past Dictators of the Valparaiso Lodge have been: Edward Shinabarger, E. O.
Goodrich, A. R. Havens, A. R. Gray, George Coyer, Jesse Edwards, C. E. Norton,
Harry Deu, Charles E. Plummer, Chester D. Anderson, Merlin Snyder, Harry Walker,
and Fred Holst. O. E. Norton is the present dictator of the lodge.
Article transcribed by Steven R. Shook