FIRE!
This was our view a couple of blocks from home.
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A great many of us were impacted in one form or another by the Wall fire this month. Some were evacuated and some were on evacuation warning. We were fortunate to be included in the warning and not in the evacuation. Once again we were blessed, just as when they had evacuations due to the Oroville Dam spillway failure, and we did not have to leave home. As far as I've been able to ascertain, members of Forbestown are fine.
What have I learned from these events? I am scanning precious photos to disc, along with documents and sending copies to children. I am also passing on some things that they would have someday anyway. After all, these things are stored away and not looked at much and I can take a photo of those things, keep the memories and pass the tangible things along. I do not want to scramble trying to figure out what to take and having regrets. If there is a next time, and I am blessed to have a warning, I'll have a list inside my closet door to remind me of what needs to be packed first. I also learned we have too much stuff! |
Upcoming events for Forbestown Lodge
Every year on the first Saturday in August (this year is August 5th), the town of Forbestown celebrates Forbestown Daze. There is the parade which our Brothers from the Lodge will participate in and also a few of our mini car Shriners from the Chico Shrine Club! I believe DeMolay will be marching too! There will be vendors in the park. The Museum, which includes the replica old town of Gold Trader Flat will be alive with gunfighters and all sorts of activity. They will be going from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. It's quite the afternoon. There will be a flag raising at 9a.m. sharp at Gold Trader Flat (behind the museum) election of this years Sheriff at $1 a vote (fund raiser for the museum) there are gunfighters and live animals and a bake sale.There usually is some music and vendors at the park. The parade starts at 12 noon! It is quite the day! Our Lodge will be hosting an open house after the parade followed by our usual potluck at 6:30 and then Stated Meeting. Come and visit. And if you need even more history, tour the cemetery by the Lodge. It does date from the Gold Rush days. Join us for a full day of fun! Feel the spirit of the past!
There will be a Widow's dinner given and then a presentation by Holly Calderone from Masonic Outreach Services on September 16th. Putting this out ahead of time as Brother Ricketts would like an RSVP if possible so he has a head count for dinner. You can send an RSVP to Forbestown Lodge P.O. Box 52, Forbestown CA 95941 or email John Davis at [email protected]. The Masonic Outreach Services presentation will be about benefits available to Masons and their families. California Masons dedicated the first Masonic Home in Union City in 1898. Masonic Homes of California has expanded into a statewide network of critical resources and services for our members. MOS has a Website: http://www.masonichome.org/
Wishing a joyous day and celebrations to all those having birthdays and/or anniversaries!
Other events...
Work carries on by the Amapola Chapter OES No. 35 in the basement of Oroville Lodge. I attended this past Saturday and got dirty cleaning and sorting more wreaths while enjoying great company! The stack of boxes of bows waiting for repair is going down very slowly! There will be another wreath party on the third Saturday in August, which my calendar says is the 19th. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the coolness of the Temple basement! We desire your company! We always need help! 4,000 plus wreaths is a lot of wreaths to prepare for the graves of our veterans!
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Often I do a little history on a Past Master or a prominent figure of Freemasonry, which means I have missed the histories of the many "regular" members whose support is vital to the survival of the organization. When I have the opportunity to do a little digging just in general or for the Yuba Feather Historical Association, I sometimes come across pieces of interesting info on the "everyday person" of whom some are Masons. Today is Henry Albert Beik's turn to have a little exposure. I found a bit of information quite by accident the other day while researching some one else. Henry's name popped up in the search and I dare say I sidetracked (a bad habit) so I could read up on him. The Beik name is not unfamiliar. I've come across it many times. This time it popped up in the "History of Butte County, California: With Biographical Sketches..." by George C. Mansfield.
Henry Albert Beik was the second son of 12 boys and 1 girl born to Frederick and Mary Schmidt Beik. (According to 1871 records Frederick was also a member of Forbestown Lodge) Henry was born a "native son" of California, two miles from the town of Forbestown. Henry's father had crossed the plains from Iowa where Henry's Grandfather had brought his family from Germany. Henry's father was a placer-miner, ran a freight team from Oroville to Forbestown and lived a "hard but successful life as a sturdy citizen who provided as best he could, through honest industry, for his family.." Henry "attended public schools and from a lad helped his father in placer-mining." Eventually he worked for several mining companies, the Goldback (I believe this should be Goldbank) and Golden Queen, first as a quartz miner and then working his way to shift boss and foreman at one of the Goldback's mines. He worked for Western Engineering and Construction Company as a carpenter and mechanical assistant. He also put up dredgers for the Boston and Oroville Dredging Company. From 1903-1906 he worked for PG&E. In 1909, he became an foreman for Oro Electric Company on the irrigating and ditch system in charge of the main canal from the head of the dam to Oroville (approximately 35 miles). PG&E took over the Oro project and Henry was made a general foreman of the entire Oroville system. December 17th of 1890 Henry had married Margaret Jane Clemo of Forbestown, she born in New Jersey of English heritage. They had three children, Frederick who earned a degree of electrical engineer and after a stint with PG&E went to work for Western Chemical Co. of Contra Costa County. Frederick was a member "of the Oroville Lodge of Masons." Daughter Freda graduated from University of California with a Bachelor of Arts and from Heald's Business College at Oakland. Elizabeth May, at the time of the writing of the book was still a student at Oroville High School. Mr. Beik's life is summed up with "Mr. Beik is a Republican in matters of national politics; and a Congregationalist in preference for formal religious worship. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Forbestown Lodge No. 50, F. & A.M., and to Franklin Chapter, NO. 20, R.A.M. and to Oroville Commandery, No. 5, K.T. both at Oroville. He is also a Past Grand in the Brownsville Lodge of the Odd Fellows and both he and his wife and oldest daughter are members of Amapola Chapter, O.E.S. That was Henry's life in a nutshell. He worked hard and each generation had a foot up on the past one. The trials and tragedies of life never mentioned. The trials often being what can make or break a person and cause growth. These little biographies are often a bit glamorized. From assorted newspapers and articles we know Henry's family had its trials. In 1900 Henry's brother George Beik was killed in a cave-in of the Beik Mine, owned by the 12 brothers. Their mother forbade them of ever entering the mine again. Henry's brother Charles was accidentally shot and killed in 1921. He had gone out with a search party and at some point, was mistaken for one of the bandits they were searching for and thus he was shot. In 1914 Henry's mother, at the age of 73, was lost in the snow. She had missed her way while walking in the woods and was found at 3 a.m. near Robinson Mill as she had followed the water ditch for several miles. She suffered no ill effects. That was a trial with a good ending! In 1917 Henry was a victim of theft. Two runaway boys from Michigan, who had decided to return home, stole Henry's car. They were captured, locked up in the Quincy Women's jail (which is where they locked up underage boys). However, these two determined young men escaped the woman's jail, but unfortunately for them, they were recaptured. I love the interesting tidbits of life... |