A dispensation was issued on April 20, 1909 to form a new Prince Hall Affiliated Chapter in Marion, Indiana. The Charter for Amaranth Chapter #35, Order of the Eastern Star, Prince Hall Affiliation, Jurisdiction of Indiana was issued June 24, 1909. The Grand Officers were: Ida M. Harris, Grand Worthy Matron; Walter Russell, Grand Worthy Patron; and Anna M. Ashworth, Grand Secretary. Walter Russell, a member of Ophelia Chapter #27 in Wabash, was the Great Uncle of Past Grand Worthy Matron, Claudette (Johnson) Casey. Principal Officers of the new Chapter were: Etta White, Worthy Matron; Thaddeus Smith, Worthy Patron; and Lucinda Young, Associate Matron.
There were 31 other Charter members: Martha Bailey, Minnie Bridges, Martha Butler, Edith Burden, Henry Burden, Jasper Burden, Ophelia Burden, Marsha Burden, Will Burden, Johnie Casey, Caro Chavis, Vina Claybrook, Beth Cromwell, Nellie Dixon, Pearl Dixon, Theo Dixon, Don Graham, Henry Gulliford, Robert Julius, Pheba Kinney, Ellen McMath, Leday McMillen, Geneva Mitchell, Bertie Mosley, Sarah Peak, John Robinson, May Robinson, Mary Smith, Charles Spires, Jane Wallace, and David Weaver.
All Charters of the Prince Hall Affiliated Chapters in the Indiana Jurisdiction were re-issued in 1975 under the leadership of: Annie L. Harris, Grand Worthy Matron; Henry S. Kendrick, Grand Worthy Patron; and Inez (Ingram) Stone, Grand Associate Matron. Sister Stone is the Senior Past Grand Worthy Matron of the state and supplied Prince Hall Grand Chapter Proceedings Books, useful in the compilation of our history.
Amaranth Chapter has had one Most Worshipful Grand Master, Otis L. Dodson (2011-14) and two Grand Worthy Patrons, Albert Hawkins (1945-47) and Milton Jeffries (1955-57). We have also had three Grand Worthy Matrons, mother and daughter Claudette Casey (1987-89) and Melody (Johnson-Moore) Julian (2003-05) as well as Mary A. Lewis (2013-15). Sister Casey served Prince Hall Grand Chapter 18 years as Grand CCFC ending in 2017. Sister Julian also served as Grand Youth Supervisor for the State from 1994-97 and was the Midwest Regional Conference Chair for the Midwest Region of 11 states held in Des Moines, Iowa in 2005. Estella Casey served one year as Right Worthy Grand Associate Conductress in 1928. K. Asenath Burden (more commonly known in our Chapter as Asenath K.), who came from Mary Chapter #10 when they relinquished their Charter in 1963 had also served as Grand Worthy Matron (1950-52).
Additionally, we have had 11 District Deputy Grand Matrons of District #6: Elizabeth Martin, Mary Bellamy, Gertrude Davis, Esther Lewis, Claudette Casey, Martha Gulliford, Wanda Clariett, Melody Julian, Sheron Carson, Maxine Greer, and LaTandra “Tanya” Smith. (The 1959 Souvenir Journal shows two Past District Deputy Grand Matrons from Amaranth Chapter: Mary Bellamy and Elizabeth Martin. Our records show Mary Bellamy served as Worthy Matron in 1957 and 1958. We do not have record of service years as Worthy Matron for Elizabeth Martin.)
Several Past Matrons have served and continue to serve Prince Hall Grand Chapter with distinction in various capacities. We have 11 living Past Matrons and three Past Patrons. (Demitted to Amaranth Chapter when Golden Link Chapter #34 in Kokomo was closed: Bertha Gregory and Della Waggoner, Past Matrons and Kevin Dyer, Past Patron.)
We had a large group of over 40 youth in the Asenath K. Burden Youth Fraternity from 1974-80 including two of our Past Matrons, Tanya Smith and Melody Julian.
Principal officers of Amaranth Chapter #35 during our 100th Anniversary who served four years (2008-12) were Worthy Matron, Claudette Casey (W.M. 1977 & 1978); Worthy Patron, Otis Dodson (a Chapter member over 30 years who concurrently served Prince Hall Grand Lodge as Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master and went on to serve as Most Worshipful Grand Master for three years from 2011-14); and Associate Matron, Wanda Clariett (W.M. 1985 & 1986). Siblings Sheron Carson (W.M. 1997 & 1998) and Edgar Price served five years (2012-17) as Matron and Patron. Current principal officers elected December 2017 are Kimberly Queen Townsend, Worthy Matron & Michael Townsend, Worthy Patron (husband and wife), and Emma Weatherly (W.M. 1999 & 2000), Associate Matron.
At the Annual Communication in 2017, Sister Gilda Sloan-Perry raised $3,000 and was crowned Miss Prince Hall, a first for an Amaranth Chapter member! Ironically, the following year, Sister Dorothy Davis raised almost that amount but came in second.
Worthy Matrons and Worthy Patrons of Amaranth Chapter #35
Marion, Indiana
Past Matrons and Patrons demitted from Golden Link Chapter #34, Kokomo, IN
Bertha Gregory, P.M. Della Waggoner, P.M. Kevin Dyer, P.P.
| Years | Worthy Matrons | Worthy Patrons |
|---|---|---|
| 1909 | +Etta White | +Thaddeus Smith |
| 1912 | +Katherine Winslow | +Jasper Burden |
| 1915 | +Belle Cromwell | +Jasper Burden |
| 1921 | +Gertrude Smith | +Jasper Burden |
| 1922 | +Myrtle Barber | +Jasper Burden |
| 1927 | +Estella Casey | +Jasper Burden |
| 1928 | +Opal Artis | +Albert Hawkins |
| 1929 -1940 | No information available | |
| 1941 – 1942 | +Gertrude Davis | +Thaddeus Smith |
| 1943 – 1944 | +Minnie Russell | +Theodore Dixon |
| 1947 – 1948 | +Pearl Casey | |
| 1949 – 1950 | +Ruth Weaver | +Alfred Pettiford |
| 1951 | +Edith Faulkner | +Arthur Martin |
| 1952 | +Hazel Hawkins | +Clarence Faulkner |
| 1953 | +Hazel Hawkins | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1954 | +Edith Faulkner | +Albert Hawkins |
| 1955 | +Edith Faulkner | +Harice Reeves |
| 1956 | +Gertrude Davis | +Harice Reeves |
| 1957 – 1958 | +Mary Bellamy | +Clarence Faulkner |
| 1959 | +Dorothy Miles | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1960 – 1961 | +Mildred Beck | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1962 – 1963 | +Margaret Jeffries | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1964 – 1965 | +Clara Gault | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1966 | +Helen Jones | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1967 – 1968 | +Esther Lewis | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1969 – 1970 | +E. Corean Pettiford | +Milton Jeffries |
| 1971 – 1972 | Shirley Lett | +Theodore Reed |
| 1975 – 1976 | Marilyn Stewart | +Billy Stewart |
| 1977 – 1978 | Claudette Johnson | +Noble Jones Jr. |
| 1979 – 1980 | Martha Gulliford | +Willis Lewis |
| 1981 – 1982 | +Louise Jones | +Willis Lewis |
| 1983 – 1984 | +Betty Gordon | +Willis Lewis |
| 1985 – 1986 | +Wanda Clariett | +Willis Lewis |
| 1987 – 1988 | Mary A. Lewis | +Willis Lewis |
| 1989 – 1990 | LaTandra Smith Troutman | +James Stewart |
| 1991 – 1992 | Melody Moore | +Noble Jones Jr. |
| 1993 – 1994 | Thelma Cobb | +James Stewart |
| 1995 – 1996 | Geneva Churchill | +Noble Jones Jr. |
| 1997 – 1998 | Sheron Carson | +Noble Jones Jr. |
| 1999 – 2000 | Emma Weatherly | +Lawrence Levi |
| 2001 – 2002 | Delbra Gee | Herschell A. Moore |
| 2003 – 2005 | +Maxine Greer | Herschell A. Moore |
| 2006 – 2008 | +Jo.Ann Anderson | Herschell A. Moore |
| 2009 – 2012 | Claudette Johnson-Casey | Otis L. Dodson |
| 2013 – 2017 | Sheron Carson | Edgar Price |
| 2018 – | Kimberly Queen Townsend | Michael Townsend |
Prince Hall Grand Chapter 