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Bro. Edward P. Casterline

Edward P. Casterline, 84, of Exeter, passed away Sunday, December 30, 2012, in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, surrounded by his family. Brother Casterline was a self-employed trucking contractor and owner, along with his son, of Casterline Trucking Co. He was made a Master Mason at George M. Dallas Lodge 531 in 1993.

Interment was held in St. John the Baptist Cemetery, Schooley Avenue, Exeter.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Casterline.

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Bro. Barry Landmesser

Bro. Barry R. Landmesser, 71, of Shavertown, passed away on Monday, November 26, 2012. Barry owned and operated an International Harvester dealership and then, for 19 years, owned and operated L&W Creations, a jewelry distribution business. Bro. Landmesser was made a Master Mason at George M. Dallas Lodge No. 531 in 1965 and was a member of the Irem Shriners, Dallas.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Landmesser.

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Bro. William Volrath

Bro. William A. Vollrath, 74, of Harveys Lake, passed away Friday, October 12, at his home. Brother Vollrath became a Master Mason at Lodge 531 in 1971, and was a member of Caldwell Consistory, Bloomsburg. He was a Shriner and was active in Irem Temple’s transportation unit for many years.

Interment was held in Bloomindale Cemetery, Ross Township.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Vollrath.

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New Lodge Bulletins

Our Lodge introduced the new Stated Meeting Bulletin this month! This new version was a combined effort between Worshipful Master John Sinclair; Acting Secretary Barry Wagner, PM; and Brother Jim Byers; but was originally initiated by the late Robert Lewis, PM. It’s a tri-fold bulletin unlike the former version which was a 2 two-page notice. The front cover has a new design and lists the Lodge’s website. The PA Grand Lodge had to approve of the new bulletin before it could be mailed to members.

The old version had been printed for decades by Brother Lewis who passed in December 2011. He owned and operated Wilkes-Barre Printing for almost 60 years. Brother Lewis and the Lodge’s secretaries worked together each month to produce the bulletins. Now, the Secretary will be in charge of producing the bulletin which is printed by Nick of Time Printing in Dallas which is owned by a Brother of 531.

531 will also be revising its Bylaws in the near future which will be mailed to members and also available at the Lodge. It will most likely be printed as a tri-fold too, rather than the small pocket-sized version that Brother Lewis had also printed. The PA Grand Lodge will also have to approve of the Bylaws before it can be mailed to members. This is another undertaking be led by Sinclair, Wagner, and Byers.

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Bro. Richard (Dick) Evans Jr.

Bro. Richard (Dick) Evans Jr., 73, of Dallas, passed away Friday, October 5, at his home. Brother Evans served his country in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife Mary Lou were the founding partners of Sew Fine Draperies and Interiors. He was made a Master Mason in 2005 and was a member of the Irem Temple Shrine; Dallas Lions Club; a board member of the Back Mountain Library and Auction; a board member of the Luzerne Merchants Association; and a member of the Newberry Home Owners Association.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Evans.

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531 Hosts 1-Day Masonic Journey

New Brethren were welcomed into the Fraternity during the 1-Day Masonic Journey hosted by George M. Dallas Lodge No. 531 on Saturday, October 13.

The First Degree was conferred by Brother Peter Calkins of Lodge 531; the Second Degree by Brother Thomas Craig WM, of Landmark Lodge No. 442; and the Third Degree by Brother Christopher Matus, PM, Lodge 531. Of the three Candidates two became members of our Lodge and the other joined Lodge 474. Between each Degree, a short Q&A session was held in order to familiarize the Candidates with Freemasonry. There were 13 members of Lodge 531 present and 6 visitors from Coalville Lodge. The event began at 7 a.m. with a light breakfast and concluded at 1 p.m. after a light lunch.

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Bro. Walter Gosart

Brother Walter G. Gosart, 92, of Shavertown, passed away Tuesday, September 4, at his residence. Gosart was a grocer, owning Gosart’s Grocery in Shavertown, and a US Army veteran of WW II. He was initiated into Freemasony in December 1946 at Dallas Lodge 531. He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and devoted much of his energy to the church, as well as the local Food Bank of the Back Mountain.

Masonic Funeral Services were conducted by George M. Dallas Lodge No. 531 and interment was held in Fern Knoll Burial Park, Dallas.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Gosart.

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Bro. William Sorokin

Bro. William Sorokin, 67, of Plains Township, died Thursday, August 16, 2012, in a weather-related boating accident while fishing on Lake Michigan. Brother Sorokin was a US Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He became a Master Mason in October 2004 and was a member of George M. Dallas Lodge 531; the Irem Temple and its Motor Corps; Boy Scout Troop 146, Jackson Township; and Cub Scout Pack 232, Dallas. He worked as an auto and refrigeration mechanic, was a truck owner and operator and electrician/lineman and dispatcher for Detroit Edison. He recently retired as fleet operations mechanic from Sears Logistics Services, Wilkes-Barre.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Sorokin.

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Bro. Royal J. Culp

Royal J. Culp, 90, of Kingston, passed away Sunday, June 24, 2012. Brother Culp was a graduate of Lehman High School and Wilkes College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing. He was a WW II veteran serving as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps. Prior to retirement, he was employed by Culp Brothers and later founded Royal Acoustics, which he owned and operated. He resided in Huntsville for many years but spent the past 20 years in Kingston. Royal was made a Master Mason in March of 1950 and later became a member of Irem Temple.

Masonic Funeral Services were held and interment was conductedat at Huntsville Cemetery, Jackson Township.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Culp.

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Bro. James Sangston

Bro. James Howard “Howie” Sangston, 71, of North Pioneer Avenue, Dallas, died on Monday, June 4, 2012. Brother Sangston was made a Master Mason at Dallas Lodge 531 in October 1990. He was active in Caldwell Consistory, becoming a 32nd Degree Mason and served as Most Wise Master of Rose Croix. Sangston was active in Irem Shrine for 21 years as a member of the Irem Legion of Honor and currently served as Treasurer; the LOH Drill Team and had served as Drill Team Commander; an associate member of the Irem Patrol and had served as co-chairman of the Irem Shrine Membership Committee; the Irem Shrine Golf Association; the Shrine Club of Greater Wilkes-Barre; and the Shrine Hillbilly Clan 119. Howie loved to golf and was lucky enough to have made two holes-in-one on the 17th hole at Irem County Club.

Please join us in prayer and remembrance of Brother Sangston.

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