Past Grand Masters from Livingston Lodge #32
Past Grand Masters for the State of Montana from Livingston Lodge are Edward C. Day, John D. Davis, Byron Robb and Lorrie A. Peterson.
Edward Cason Day
Grand Master (1897-98)
Born in Kentucky in 1862, Edward Cason Day lived the life of a country boy in his youth. He mingled work and play and was joyous in his freedom which advanced his physical and mental powers. He attended the schools of Cynthiana where he was born and graduated high school in 1878. He was a thoughtful youth with an aspiring ambition. He had the good fortune to enter Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA, graduating in 1880 with a Bachelor of Arts. Having decided to follow the profession of law, he began reading law under the direction of Judge Ward, a distinguished judge of Kentucky. This study was rewarded by his admission to the Bar of Kentucky in 1882. Returning to his alma mater he graduated in 1883 with a Bachelor of Laws. The next year he was admitted to the Bar of Ohio and immediately began active practice in Cincinnati. In 1887 he moved to St. Paul, MN entering the employment of the West Publishing company (then one of the great law publishing firms in the country) being entrusted with editorial charge of law reports. Desiring to enter active practice, Mr. Day came to Livingston, MT in 1890, where he became associated with Judge Savage under the firm name Savage and Day. He allied himself early with the Masonic fraternity, receiving the Master Mason degree in Livingston Lodge #32 in 1891. He was appointed Senior Deacon four months later, and elected Worshipful Master two years after that. He first appeared on the floor of the Grand Lodge of Montana in 1894, and was there unanimously elected Junior Grand Warden. He became Grand Master in 1897. To Masons, this record is little short of phenomenal. Having served as Grand Master, he went on to become Grand Commander of the Knights Templar, and Sovereign Grand Inspector General for the Orient of Montana in the Scottish Rite. Mr. Day's love was with his profession however. Feeling that he was fit for a wider field, in 1897 he moved to Helena, associating himself with William Cullen. Mr. Cullen was at that time enjoying a large and important practice. Mr. Day at once plunged into some of the most important litigation the Montana courts have seen. The "copper war" came on, and many great cases were fought out in district and supreme courts in which Cullen & Day participated. Through several firm changes, Mr. Day was personal attorney for many prominent Montana industrialists as well as some of the state's first corporations. In 1918 he was appointed the United States attorney for the District of Montana, a position he held until the close of the Wilson Administration. An ardent supporter of the public schools, and forceful in saying so, he was for 24 consecutive years a member of the board of trustees of the Helena school district and chairman of that body for 23 of those years. An outstanding leader, he was also president of the Masonic Home board of trustees for 25 years, President of the Helena YMCA, member of the board of manager of St. Peter's Hospital, on the Board of the Montana Club, and chancellor of the diocese of the Episcopal church of Montana. |
John D. (Jack) Davis
Grand Master (1975-76) Jack was born July 4, 1916, in Lolo, the son of Lloyd L. and Blanche (Detmer) Davis. He spent his early life and attended schools in Hamilton, graduating from Hamilton High School in 1934. After attending the University of Montana in Missoula for a time, he was accepted into Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago and graduated in 1937. He was employed as a licensed mortician in Winnemucca, Nev., for two years. On March 5, 1938, in Winnemucca he married Roberta C. "Bobby" Daniels of Deer Lodge. In the spring of 1940 they moved to Livingston where Jack became associated with Franzen Mortuary, later renamed Franzen-Davis Funeral Home. He was actively involved in its daily operation until February of 2004. His son, Tom Davis, became his partner at the funeral home in 1975. At the time of his death, Jack was the eldest actively licensed mortician in Montana. In his 65 years in Livingston, Jack served with professionalism, care and compassion, countless individuals and families who had experienced the loss of a loved one. Often, several generations of families placed their trust in him to care for them at the most difficult time in their lives. Jack was always active in the Livingston and Park County community. He served as a Trustee of District No. 4 School Board from 1950 to 1962. During the 1960s he was active in the Boy Scout program in Livingston, particularly BSA Troop 552. He was a member of the Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce, a member and past president of Livingston Rotary Club, served on the Livingston Police Commission for many years, and, for 28 years, served as Park County Coroner. Jack was a member and Past Master of Livingston Lodge #32, AF & AM and served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Montana in 1975-76. He was an active member of Livingston Scottish Rite Bodies where he held several offices including that of treasurer for a number of years. In the Scottish Rite he received the high distinction and honor of being coroneted as a Thirty-third Degree Inspector General. Jack was a Past Worthy Patron of Orient Chapter #6, Order of Eastern Star and a member of Algeria Shrine Temple of Helena. He was very proud to have received the Legion of Honor of the Order of DeMolay for Boys for his many contributions to that organization. |
Lorrie A. Peterson
Grand Master (1996-97)
Lorrie was born Dec. 22, 1928, in Great Falls, the son of Alvin and Ruth (Smail) Peterson. He attended school through his freshman year in Lewistown and, in 1944, the family moved to Bozeman. He graduated from Gallatin County High School in 1947. On May 21, 1950, he married Jeannie Swanson in the Methodist church in Bozeman. They lived at various locations in Montana until 1958 when they settled in Livingston. Together they started their registered Hereford cattle ranch, which they operated for the next 38 years. One of Lorrie's proudest accomplishments during his cattle career was showing and selling the grand champion horned Hereford bull known as the "G.P. Golden Treasure" at the National Western Stock Show in 1974. The bull was sold to the 26 Bar Ranch in Arizona owned by John Wayne and Louis Johnson. It was during a visit to the ranch that Lorrie had the opportunity to meet and visit with John Wayne. Lorrie was an active member of Holbrook United Methodist Church in Livingston, Park County Fair Board, and the Livingston Ditch Co. He was a member of and past president (1980) of the Montana Hereford Association, and a member of the Park/Gallatin Hereford Association. One of Lorrie's greatest passions was the Freemason Brotherhood, and he dedicated much of his time to its many appendant bodies. He served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ancient & Accepted Masons of Montana from 1996-1997 |