By Melanie Owen – Originally published in the 2015 Founder’s Review Magazine
To see a listing of many of the historic family names of Belleview, all one has to do is look at the list of Past Worshipful Masters of Belleview Masonic Lodge No. 95 F & A M.
As you drive through Belleview, the names jump out at you from the businesses you pass to the actual streets you are driving on. Names such as Hames, Abshier, Evans, Brown, and Ehlers. Many hardworking business owners in early Belleview were members of the Masonic Lodge.
The original Bank of Belleview President, Vince Razzano, was a Mason and a building contractor. Frank Gale, a past Worshipful Master, owned the Gale and Son Store, which burned down around 1929. W. Jeffers, a past Worshipful Master, owned a store located on Front Street. Charlie Davis once owned most of the land from Belleview to Candler. William Giles, a past Worshipful Master, was a past Chief of Police for the City of Belleview.
Many members of the Masonic Lodge in Belleview have given of themselves to the community and have been outstanding community leaders. The Lodge seems to be a starting point for many locals, past and present, who have become important figureheads in the area, molding the character of Belleview and South Marion.
As the Lodge approaches its 130th anniversary in 2017, it stands as one of the oldest active parts of the community. Masonic Lodge No. 95 started out in a one-horse town called South Lake Weir in 1887. South Lake Weir was located about two miles east of the intersection of CR 25 and Hwy 42. It was a thriving center of commerce with a school, stores, post office, and the Masonic Lodge. The Lodge burned down in 1890, and the town’s history has been lost to the ravages of time and is now consigned to history.
The Masonic Lodge moved to the town of Pedro and became Pedro Lodge No. 95 for two years before moving to Belleview and becoming Belleview Lodge No. 95 in 1892. The charter for the Masonic Lodge was officially reissued in 1904. From 1892 to 1975, the Lodge held meetings upstairs above the Belleview Post Office. At the request of older members, the Lodge built a new building. The cornerstone was laid on May 17, 1975. A past Worshipful Master, Frank Ehlers, designed the building, which is located on Baseline Road, not even a quarter mile from the old Masonic Lodge on Front Street.
Masonic Lodge No. 95 always enjoys inviting the community into their lodge with fish fries, rib dinners, and more. A monthly breakfast was once a place for community members to come together to eat and meet their neighbors in a safe, secure, and friendly atmosphere.
Support for The Masonic Home in St. Petersburg, Florida, Scottish Rite Convalescent Hospital for Crippled Children, and 22 hospitals throughout the United States, including three for treating burns and 19 which address crippled children’s medical problems. The Hospital Volunteer Program in Veterans Administration Medical Center also receives support from the Lodge.
Bernhard E. Laugesen, a past Worshipful Master, has a Memorial Pavilion at the Boy Scouts Camp Shands named for him in recognition of his years of service. They support Boy Scouts; in fact, Bud Boyer, the youngest Worshipful Master in Belleview’s history (age 26), has been a Scout Master for the past 50 years or so. He is such an inspiration that there are over 60 Eagle Scouts from that troop, including his own sons.
Many Masons have family traditions that run deep and keep families strong. Bud Boyer’s father was a Worshipful Master, and his sons are also following in his footsteps. His son Willet became a Worshipful Master 30 years after his father. Thomas Ventre is also following in his father’s footsteps; both are past Worshipful Masters.
Roy Abshier was Mayor of Belleview for nine years and then went on to become a Marion County Commissioner, serving as Chairman. Dennis Seese, a past Worshipful Master, is a chiropractor and makes donations to many organizations. Jaby Oliver proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his service in the Corps, he was a self-employed contractor and owner of Hi-Way Sign Company. Jaby was twice Past Master of the Masonic Lodge in Belleview.
New Masonic members are community members who believe in making a difference in people’s lives. Members like Lee Kitzmiller and Jacob Townley gravitate toward the Masons as a group that is part of the community and strives to make changes for the better. They will carry on the proud tradition of Belleview Masonic Lodge No. 95 and be remembered in the future as being part of a group that made a difference for everyone.
Being a part of the community is not just for people but for organizations that pass on the heart and soul of the group to its members.
