Most Worshipful Brother John Francis Hardie

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1898.

Brother John Francis Hardie was born in the city of London, England, November 5th, 1840, from good old Scotch stock. When two years old his parents moved back to Scotland, from whence they had gone to England. Brother Hardie was educated at St. Stephens's School, in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, and on the 20th day of March, 1856, left there for Liverpool, England, from which port he sailed on the American clipper ship "Enoch Train" for the United States, arriving in Boston, Mass., on the 1st day on May, after a somewhat tempestuous voyage, reaching Iowa City five days after landing, from which place he crossed the plains in what is known as the "Hand-Cart" company of Daniel McArthur, arriving in Salt Lake City in September of the same year. In the spring of 1860 he rode Pony Express for the Overland Mail Company for two years, during which time he met with all the hardships and dangers incident to that life. In October, 1862, he left Salt Lake City for California, arriving there in November. After spending the winter months in Los Angeles county he sailed on the old steamship "Senator" for San Francisco.

In September, 1863, after having worked at his trade, blacksmithing, in Benicia, and the Mt. Diablo coal mines, he returned to San Francisco, in which city he remained for the next two years, working at carriage blacksmithing with the firms of Folsom & Hiller, Black & Miller, and later with the Kimball Carriage Mfg. Co. While working for these firms he joined the "Old Volunteer Fire Engine Co. No. 7." on Pine street, and participated in many an exciting run for the handsomely-mounted "Silver Gray Fox Tail," which at that time had been presented by Sam Branan as a competing trophy to be run for by Engine Companies 5 and 7.

He returned to Salt Lake City in 1865, and in 1866, when the Indians commenced their depredations in Sanpete county, the Governor of the Territory, Charles Durkee, having called for volunteers to help put down the insurrection, Brother Hardie was one of the first to respond, and served with honor for three months in the regiment, furnishing his own horse, arms and ammunition. The punishment inflicted upon the Indians engaged in this campaign was of so decided a character that they have never molested the settlers in that section since; but all petitions for remuneration for the time spent and the expense incurred has never received any recognition by the United States Government.

In 1870 Brother Hardie was married to Miss A. Woodmansee of Salt Lake City, in which union four children have been born, the first of which died in infancy; his youngest son served in the Spanish-American war in the Philippine Islands as a member of "Battery B," Utah Volunteers. Brother Hardie has always been staunch and loyal to the country of his adoption, and has always taught his children that their first duty was to uphold and sustain the honor of their native country. Brother Hardie has also had the distinguished honor or raising his eldest son to the sublime degree on Master Mason in Rocky Mountain Lodge No. 11, Mercur, Utah.

The Masonic record of Brother Hardie commenced when he petitioned Weber Lodge No. 6, at Ogden, for the three degrees in Masonry; was elected and initiated May 2, 1878; passed May 27, and raised June 17th of the same year; was appointed Secretary Pro Tem shortly after being raised, and elected Junior Warden at the following election; moved to Salt Lake City in 1880; dimitted from Weber Lodge and affiliated with Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 2, February 14, 1881, of which he was elected Senior Warden in 1883 and Worshipful Master in 1884 and 1885, during which time he conferred forty degrees.

In Grand Lodge Brother Hardie was Grand Tyler in 1880 and 1882, Junior Grand Deacon in 1883, 1884 and 1885, Junior Grand Warden, 1895; Senior Grand Warden, 1896; Deputy Grand Master, 1897, and Grand Master, 1898. During the year 1899 he issued a dispensation to Uintah Lodge No. 7 to hold an open-air meeting on the top of a mountain over 8,000 feet above sea level, which he opened and presided at. He was appointed August 20, 1890, by M W Brenham Van Dusen Grand Master of Masons, of Oregon, Grand Representative of that Grand Lodge near the Grand Lodge of Utah, which office he hold today.

Brother Hardie was made a member of the Masonic Veteran Association of the Pacific Coast on November 23, 1894. June 11, 1901, he was made a life member of Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 2. January 22, 1902, he was appointed Grand Lecturer. His Lodge Number is 173; Grand Lodge Number, 513.

Ref: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Utah, 1902, page 93, 94.

OBITUARY

Brother John Francis Hardie was born in London, England, November 5th, 1840, and "Passed out of darkness into light", in St. Mark's Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 22, 1907. His spiritless body was laid to rest in the plat of Mt. Moriah Lodge, on Sunday afternoon, January 27, 1907. Mt Moriah Lodge conducting the funeral obsequies and twelve Past Grand Masters were honorable Pall Bearers.

Brother Hardie was initiated in Weber Lodge No. 6, May 7th, passed May 27 and raised to the sublime Degree of a Master Mason June 17th, in the year 1878; was Junior Warden of the Lodge in 1879; dimitted from Weber Lodge and affiliated with Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 2, February 14, 1881, of which he was Senior Warden in 1883 and Worsh. Master in 1884 and 1885.

In the Grand Lodge of Utah he was Grand Tyler in 1880 and 1882, Junior Grand Deacon in 1883, 1884 and 1885; Junior Grand Warden in 1995; Senior Grand Warden in 1896, Dep Grand Master in 1897, and Grand Master in 1998. He was Grand Lecturer from January 22, 1902, to January 17, 1906; was Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Oregon from August 20, 1890 to the day of his death, and was a Member of the Masonic Veteran Association of the Pacific Coast since November 23, 1894, His Lodge number was 173, his Grand Lodge number 513.

"His toils are ended; we must labor on
Our Master for a little longer calls
Our hearts to duty, at the rise of the sun;
Our hands to rest when evening's shadows fall."

Ref: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Utah, 1908. Page, 37.

Electronically Transcribed as written without corrections to grammar and spelling by Aaron E. Saathoff, P.M., February, 2005.