Memories from Levon Raybon – Charter Member of White River Lodge

I transferred to the Ft. Apache Reservation in 1959 and discovered the nearest lodge was in Globe and Holbrook, the Masonic Study Group was in existence and included masons from the Whiteriver, Show Low, Pinetop and Eagar areas. We would travel to Holbrook to assist in the raising of a new brother. Please remember that most of us were raised under many different Grand Lodges including foreign countries. This problem had created difficulties in establishing a lodge in the area in the past. We did not have enough Arizona raised brothers to meet the requirements of the Arizona Grand Lodge.

I was elected President of the study group in 1960 and was asked to serve a second term as such. I agreed to serve provided we agree to strive to get our own lodge. All local area masons and foreign raised masons met this agreement, the Holbrook Lodge and several from the Salt River Valley area assisted us in many ways. Some of the brothers that lived or worked in the White Mountains Apache Reservation were members of the Holbrook Lodge and had started the study club years before. Remember McNary Lumber Industry and the Reservation were the largest employers of all of us foreign masons. Two Native American were living and working on the White Mountain Reservation who had been raised by the Holbrook Lodge. One of the brothers later became Deputy Under Secretary of the Interior of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The other brother became the tribal Chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The first lodge jewels were hung on beaded artwork made by the tribal members.

The Study Club Group met with the Grand Lodge officials and decided White River would be the name of the our Lodge as there already existed a White Mountain Lodge in Globe. The only connection between the Lodge and the town of Whiteriver is the beadwork attached to the jewels and some of us founding brothers living on the reservation at the time.

Four members of the study club were merchants in Whiteriver. However, only two of them became members of the White River Lodge. There was George Simpson, our Worshipful Master; the other merchants were Johnny Lee, Charles Montgomery and Elliott Kirkpatrick. The majority of the other charter members were educators, federal employees, ranchers, bankers, timber workers and other professionals. You can see by the diversity of the brothers the problems we encountered filling the chairs with qualified brothers. We all took positions but some of us could not advance because of our jobs required a lot of travel. If my memory is correct, I believe our first candidate raised was Brother Morris Abernathy who became Worshipful Master in a few short years. He along with several Brothers were raised in the Elks Lodge where we met. The building of our Lodge building is quite a story in itself. I will attempt to tell my memories of that later.

I am hesitant to record the names of the brothers that I can still remember that were members of the study club that were active when we received our charter for White River Lodge #62. I ask forgiveness to the families of those brothers that I cannot remember:

Levon Raybon – Bureau of Indian Affairs

Hal Butler – Lumberman

George Simpson – Merchant

Johnnie Lee – Merchant

Charles Montgomery – Merchant

Elliot Kirkpatrick – Merchant

Sam Gordon – NavoApache Director

Benton Snoddy – Banker

Fred Lewis – School Superintendent

Lewis Martin – Bureau of Indian Affairs

Mr. Montgomery – School Principal

John O. Crow – Bureau of Indian Affairs

Loy Varnell – Catteman

Bill Bourdon – Rancher and later Arizona Grand Master

Lester Oliver – Tribal Chairman, White Mountain Apache Tribe

George Leech – Bureau of Indian Affairs

There were many other members of the study club form the surrounding areas that participated regularly. However, my memory is very limited. I hope and pray that any members or families that I have failed to mention will forgive me. I do know there were many more. I also believe that we had 31 masons at the time receive dispensation from the Arizona Grand Lodge.