Comet Lodge #229 A:.F:. & A:.M:. Ceresco, Nebraska was organized December 5th, 1894 under warrant of the Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska.
Brothers Livesay and Curyea walked and measured the distance From Ceresco to Wahoo, then from Ceresco to Valparaiso. The latter was the shorter distance and permission to organize was received from Square Lodge #151, Valparaiso, Nebraska.
The Charter was granted June 13th, 1895. Charter members were: Bros. Phillip Opp, William E. Yokum, Russell D. Bush, Charles D. Curyea, James S. Livesay, Jerome Burnell, Charles H. Wray, Henry C. Horton, Hugh Leal, William W. Jones, Jeoff E. Wrinkle and John Crawer.
The bylaws read as follows: The Regular Meeting of this Lodge shall be held at the Free Masons Hall on the Friday on or preceeing each full moon and every two weeks thereafter and on the Festival of St. John the Baptist. On April 24th, 1903 it was changd from Friday to Thursday. On January 17th, 1935, it was amended to read: The Regular Meeting of this Lodge shall be held at Free Masons Hall the first Thursday of each month.
The first meetings were held in a building owned by John Martin, (Lot 3, Block 3, Original Town, Ceresco). It had a coal stove, kerosene lights, no water and an outside stairway. On April 6th, 1933, the first Communication was held at a new location - "The Turney Hall", (Lot 6, Block 3, Original Town, Ceresco). This hall was purchased on July 1st, 1948. The remainder of the of the building was acquired on March 5th, 1953.
On April 2nd, 1953, M.W. Brother Ernest Scheifelbein presented the Lodge with their first Certificate of Proficiency.
Our current Masonic Building was constructed in 1978, (lots 10 & 11, Block 5, Original Ceresco). The first meeting held in the new building was in November of 1978.
Laying of the Cornerstone and Dedication of the new Masonic Temple of Comet Lodge #229 by the Grand Lodge A:.F:. & A:.M:. of Nebraska was held Saturday, April 28th, 1979.
-thanks to W.B. Robert Schmucker for providing this information.
Past Masters: