Fraternal Organizations at Mountain View
In the early years of Mountain View, special agreements were entered into with a number of fraternal organizations for burial of their deceased members and their families. Under these agreements, blocks of graves were set aside in the Jones Addition for the Masonic Order (Ancient Free and Accepted Masons), the Oddfellows, and the Knights of Pythias. These graves are easily identifiable by the engraved insignia of the various organizations.
For a look at the early history of the fraternal organization in Vancouver check out these pages on Our Roots a project by the Universities of Laval and Calgary, and Canadian Heritage.
The Order of Knights of Pythias is a great international fraternity which was founded in Washington, DC, February 19, 1864, by Justus H. Rathbone, and embraces more than two thousand subordinate lodges in the United States and Canada, with occasional lodges having been formed elsewhere. The primary object of fraternal organizations is to promote friendship among men and to relieve suffering. Each organization adopts some outstanding principle as its objective. The individuality of an order is determined by its ideal sentiment. The distinguishing principles of the Order of Knights of Pythias are "FRIENDSHIP, CHARITY and BENEVOLENCE".
It bases its lessons and builds it ritual largely on the familiar story of the friendship of Damon and Pythias, who were historical characters living about four hundred or more years before the beginning of the Christian era. They were members of a school, founded by Pythagoras, who was known as the father of Greek philosophy.
Burial list | For more information on the Knights of Pythias
Freemasons The word "Mason" means "Builder," and Freemasonry, as we know it today came into being some 800 years ago. In its operative form it lasted nearly 400 years while Masons built the hundreds of Gothic structures in western Europe. Many of these structures still stand today as a memorial to the past.
During the Cathedral Age the Masons formed themselves in workmen's Guilds; each Guild forming a Lodge with regular officers and with three degrees of Membership. The first group were apprentices or bearers of burdens, the second were craftsmen or skilled workmen on the Temples and the third were Masters or superintendents of the structures being built.
Each Guild member had to develop certain proficiencies in his work to advance to a higher status, and during this advancement each member was also taught certain attributes of moral conduct. It was these Guild Lodges which actually gave birth to the modern Masonic Lodges and present-day Freemasonry.
A list of grave markers with masonically significant symbols can be found on their web site | For more information about Freemasonry
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows In 17th century England, it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. Those who belonged to such an organization were called "Odd Fellows". Odd Fellows are also known as "The Three Link Fraternity" which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded on the North American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819 when Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England.
Odd Fellowship became the 1st national fraternity to include both men and women when it adopted the beautiful Rebekah Degree on September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honorable Schuyler Colfax who was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were also the first fraternal organization to establish homes for our senior members and for orphaned children.
Burial list | For more information on the Odd fellows.