Odd Fellows: Regular men doing noble deeds
By Dee Dellenbach

Odd Fellows: 160 years of fellowship, service James Ebrite kneels in front of amemorial stone at Delphi's IndependentOrder ofOdd Fellows (IOOF) Cemetery onWilson Street. Severalmembers turned out for a Saturdaymorning workday to repair the foundations of toppling headstones. Ebrite is one of about 15 activemembers of IOOFDelphi Lodge #28. The group straightened about 40 stones that day.Comet photo byDeeDellenbach

Jason Lowry joined the Odd Fellows Lodge when he was 18, partly because his father was a member and partly because the lodge has a pool hall, card games and steak dinners.

Aside from being a social organization, Lowry said the Odd Fellows' main purpose is philanthropy. The group helps local clubs and organizations like Food Baskets, the health fair, the after-prom, Little League, and they recently donated for a caution light on Hamilton Street near the softball diamond.

Lowry said the club has served as a vehicle so that, "the regular man could do noble things in his community."

Why the name "Odd Fellows?"

"More than 150 years ago when a group of men donated money to kids for school clothes, some people thought that was odd," said Lowry. So the group officially convened on Feb. 13, 1846, and became the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Astately jewel The three-storyOdd Fellows building, located at the corner ofMain andWashington streets in Delphi, is undergoing a "complete exterior restoration," said Odd Fellows Lodge member Don Burkhalter. The buildingwas built in 1881.The Flower Shoppe II,American Legion and Jerry's Barber Shop are housed on the first floor, and theLodge hall is on the second floor.Among other renovations, damaged brickswill be replaced aswill a good deal ofmortar.Burkhalter said he expects thework to be completed in 30 to 60 days.Comet photo byDeeDellenbach

The group is about 50 members strong, with 15 or so currently active. The club supports two IOOF cemeteries, one on Wilson Street and the other in Pittsburg. Lowry said that at one time, there were five or more lodges in the county including Lockport, Burrows and Rockfield.

This year the group has focused on cleaning the cemeteries, dressing the headstones and renovating the exterior of the Lodge building.

The Odd Fellows' budget report, dated 1881, showed that the cost to build the Odd Fellows Lodge was about $22,000, with the land costing $5,000. The lodge is always accepting new members. For more information, contact Don Burkhalter at (765) 564-2402.