Montezuma Knights of Pythias donates to AL building fund

     Montezuma Knights of Pythias members, Harold Wheeler, left, and Dennis Broadston, right, present a check in the amount of $750 to Ron Hensel, commander of the Montezuma American Legion Post 169, for the Legion's new building campaign fund during a brief presentation on Thursday, Sept. 11.

By J.O. Parker        

​       Montezuma Knights of Pythias members, Harold Wheeler, Grand Vice Chancellor, and Dennis Broadston, the newly elected Grand Chancellor of Iowa, presented a check in the amount of $750 to Ron Hensel, commander of the Montezuma American Legion Post 169, in a brief presentation on Thursday, Sept. 11 at the new American Legion building on Jefferson Street. The Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias in Des Moines approved the donation to the Montezuma American Legion. According to Wheeler, there are only three lodges remaining in the state of Iowa. They are Montezuma, Manchester and Oakland. Each lodge was given the opportunity to present names of two or three charitable organizations in their area to receive funds.
       "We submitted the American Legion because they were building a new Legion Hall," noted Wheeler.
      Oakland suggested donating to the renovation of the town's movie theatre. Manchester did not nominate any organizations, so the funds were divided between Montezuma and Oakland. The donations come from remaining funds from lodges that have closed and the Grand Lodge decided to give the funds to charitable organizations in the communities that still have Knights of Pythias Lodges.
       Wheeler said there were about 400 lodges in Iowa at one time.
      "Just about every town had one," he said.
     The Montezuma Knights of Pythias Lodge was established in 1889 and a new building was constructed that same year on the northwest corner of Main and Third streets. The second floor of the building is still used to this day as a Knights of Pythias Lodge and meeting room.