Most Worshipful Brother Parley Lycurgus Williams

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1885 1886 and 1887.

A long, useful and honorable life came to a close in the early morning hours of March 23, 1936, when Parley Lycurgus Williams went forth on the great adventure. The span of his life extended "almost through an entire century of amazing progress in national, local and personal achievement - during a marvelous era of modern miracles."

He was born at Holt's Prairie, Perry County, Illinois, April 7, 1842, and spent his early life there, being educated in the public schools and McKendree Academy at Lebanon, Illinois.

At the age of 25 he came west to Wyoming Territory, where he was admitted to the Bar and shortly afterwards was elected District Attorney.

Coming to Utah in November, 1871, he opened a law office in this city, January 1, 1872. A few months later he joined with others in organizing the horse and mule street railway system, which today is the Utah Light and Traction Company. He was one of five men who organized the Alta Club in 1883. Governor Murray appointed him Territorial Superintendent of Schools in 1886, and in 1893 and 1894 he served in the upper house on the Territorial Legislature. For many years he was general counsel for the Oregon Short Line Railroad.

Brother Williams was acquainted with every Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Utah, although he was not made a Mason until 1880. On April 22, 1880, he was initiated in Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 2, F. and A. M., of Salt Lake, passed to the degree of Fellow Craft, May 31st, and raised June 9, 1880. He was Junior Warden of Mt. Moriah Lodge in 1881, and its Master from December 12, 1881, to December 17, 1883. He was made a Life Member of the Lodge December 11, 1893.

In Grand Lodge he was elected Deputy Grand Master, in 1883, re-elected to that position in 1884, and on January 21, 1885, he was elected Grand Master and served in that station for three successive years-the only Grand Master in our history to be so honored. He was Grand Orator in 1888, and delivered the address at the laying of the cornerstone of the old Union Depot of Ogden, November 5, of that year and 36 years later was present when the box was taken from that cornerstone after the building was destroyed by fire. At the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Grand Lodge, January 17, 1922, the exercises of which were held in the Orpheum Theater, Brother Williams presided as Chairman and gave and address filled with interesting reminiscences. For 46 years he was a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Jurisprudence.

He last attended sessions of Grand Lodge in January, 1931, but that was not the last occasion when the Brethren heard his voice while assembled in Annual Communication. By means of a special public address system installed in the Masonic Temple and the telephone in his home, Brother Williams spoke words of greeting and congratulations to Grand Lodge when assembled in its 64th Annual Communication, January, 1934.

He was a member of Utah Chapter No. 1, R. A. M., having received the degrees in August, 1881; and on August 23, 1911, when in his 70th year, he was crested a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, in El Kalah Temple, Salt Lake City, and received the Scottish Rite Degrees in the Salt Lake bodies with the Fall class of 1908.

In 1876, Brother Williams was married to Miss Catherine Sharp of Salt Lake. She died in 1901. To this union five children, four sons and one daughter, were born, all of whom survived him.

With the going of Past Grand Master Williams a personality of the old school dropped out of the ranks of the living. Tall, erect, dignified, facing forward always; interested to the last in passing events, his was a character unblemished by any of the varied experiences which the long train of years brought to him.

Ref: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Utah, 1937, page 82, 83

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