The Story Of The Unknown Mason

The remains of a Caucasian male were uncovered in El Paso, Texas on June 12, 1998 during a road work project. The skeleton was contained in a wooded coffin which was almost completely decomposed. Texas Department Of Transportation archaeologists and the Medical Examiners Office in El Paso was immediately contacted. They determined that the skeleton remains were at least 100 years old and contacted the Anthropology Research Center at the University of Texas El Paso.  After archaeological research, it is suggested that the  grave was part of a cemetery that had been relocated to this site in 1868 and later relocated to the existing Concordia Cemetery in El Paso. This grave was apparently missed in the later move. The original cemetery was a Masonic Cemetery located next to a Masonic Lodge. Therefore, it is presumed that the remains were of a member of the Masonic Fraternity.

Dr. H. Gill-King (above), Director, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Human Identification at the University of North Texas in Denton and member of Washington Lodge in Richardson, Texas was requested to examine the remains. Dr. King has determined that the remains were of a Caucasian man approximately 40 years old, 5' 9" tall and of slender build. Data indicates he was buried around 1858. This would make his birth somewhere around 1818.  He would have been described as a "wiry" individual with a strong handgrip. He had done considerable walking but was also a horseman. He was buried with a smoking pipe and a tin of pistol firing caps. His teeth were stained from smoking and the pipe had caused two of his teeth to be grooved. The size of the ulna bone in his right arm suggests he was right handed.  This is further supported by the position the pipe had to be held to cause the groves. He had suffered from a cranial infection and malnutrition. This is normal for that period of time and neither had caused his death.

At the conclusion of his examination it became Dr. King's responsibility to re-inter the remains. Since the remains were presumed to be a Mason, Dr. King contacted The Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas. The Masons of Texas have taken responsibility for his re-internment.

Clair Billington, President of the Masonic Service Bureau in Ft. Worth (2000-2001), was contacted to arrange for a burial site and assist in the preparation.

Brother Melvin Ford of Gus Garrison Lodge in Winnsboro, Texas prepared a wooden container for the remains (above).

This container was placed inside this coffin (above) built by Brother R.E. McGowan, Past Master of Keller Masonic Lodge #1084 in Keller, Texas.

Monte Brown, President of Brown, Owens & Brumley Funeral Home and member of Arlington Height Lodge in Ft. Worth, assisted the Masonic Service Bureau by providing preparation service and transportation to the cemetery.

Masonic Memorial Services were held on August 29, 2001 at 10:30 AM at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The Services were conducted by Dan Gilbert of Haltom City / Riverside Lodge located in Haltom City, with assistance from Clair Billington and Max Billington of Keller Lodge in Keller, Paul Mason of Richland Hills Lodge in Richland Hills, and Bob Franklin of Cooke-Peavy Lodge in Ft. Worth, and Johnny Cozart of Southside Lodge in Ft. Worth.

The Pall Bearers were Richard Davies of Richardson Lodge in Richardson, Brian Bass of Handley Lodge in Ft. Worth, D. Randall Lockhart of Hurst Lodge in Hurst, and Phillip Moore of Arlington Lodge in Arlington.