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William Mark Sexson was born at Arnica Springs,
Missouri,
July 8, 1877. He was the son of Thomas and Hanna Sexson
who came from Illinois
as pioneers in the early settlement of southwest Missouri, located upon a farm in the
valley
of Sac
River, Cedar County,
Missouri,
near the village
of Arnica
Springs.
At twelve years of age he
joined the church, and at fourteen began his ministry. At seventeen he
was ordained a minister of the Christian (Disciples) Church by Elder
John H. Breeze. He married Miss Edith Edwards of Windsor, Illinois, and as a young married
couple they went to Bloomfield, Indiana,
where he became pastor of the First Christian Church. After serving for
two years as minister of this church, he moved to Indianapolis where he entered Butler College in
further preparation of his ministry. He served as Evangelist in the
Christian Church conducting revival meetings in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
and a number of western states. He came to Cleveland,
Oklahoma,
in 1906 as minister of the Christian Church at that place. He
afterwards served the church at Cherokee and Stroud, Oklahoma.
Mr. Sexson
was made a Master Mason in Bloomfield, Indiana,
during the time that he was minister of the First Christian Church of
that city. He immediately became identified with the craft as a
lecturer and contributor of fraternal literature. He spent practically
all of his life in this field of research work and as a result of such
research has been honored by the Fraternity on many occasions.
He was initiated, passed, and
raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason Bloomfield Lodge No. 80. at Bloomfield, Indians, in 1902. He was made
Master of the Royal Secret 32 degree in Oklahoma Consistory No. 1, at
Guthrie, May 30, 1907. In October, 1911, he was crowned Knight
Commander of the Court of Honor at Guthrie,
Oklahoma.
In 1912 W. Mark Sexson came to McAlester
as Secretary of the McAlester Scottish Rite Bodies, serving them as
such until January 1, 1922. In 1913 while Secretary of the McAlester
Scottish Rite Bodies, W. Mark Sexson was
made a thirty-third degree Mason and coroneted as Inspector General
Honorary by the Supreme Council at Washington
D.C.
W Mark Sexson
was also;
A Royal Arch Mason, member of Indian Chapter No. 1, North McAlester, A
Knight Templar, member of McAlester Commandery
No. 6
A Noble of the mystic Shrine holding active membership in Indian Temple
at Oklahoma City, and honorary membership in Bedouin Temple at
Muskogee, and Akdar Temple at Tulsa,
Oklahoma.
A member of Amrita Grotto of Fort Smith, Arkansas,
A Past Grand Patron, O.E.S., of Oklahoma.
A Past Master of South McAlester Lodge No. 96 (1921)
Served the Grand Lodge as Grand Chaplain in 1920 and 1921
Served as Grand Orator in 1923 and 1924.
At the meeting of Grand Lodge
in Tulsa, 1925,
he was elected Junior Grand Warden, in 1926 was elected Senior Grand
Warden, and in 1927 was elected Deputy Grand Master. On February 15,
1928, he was elected to the highest office and given the highest rank
attainable in Freemasonry, that of Most Worshipful Grand Master of a
sovereign Masonic Grand Jurisdiction.
Mr. Sexson
was initiated in South McAlester Chapter No. 149, Order of the Eastern
Star, September 13, 1921; installed Worthy Patron, January 9, 1923;
made a life member of South McAlester Chapter No. 149, in 1931; was
elected Worthy Grand Patron of the O.E.S. Grand Chapter of Oklahoma in
1925-1926; served on the Ritual Committee of the General Grand Chapter,
O.E.S., 1928 to 1931. In April, 1937, he was initiated in the White
Shrine of Jerusalem at Muskogee, Oklahoma.
In 1909, he went abroad
spending some time in the near European Countries and then journeying
to Assyria, Palestine,
and Egypt
in search of Masonic information and further preparation for his work
as a contributor to Masonic literature.
His greatest work was the
organization of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls This is a junior organization
for girls of the teen age years from Masonic, Eastern Star, Amaranth
and White Shrine of Jerusalem homes, and the friends of members of
Rainbow. This was the Emblem displayed at the 75th Anniversary of
the founding of the Order Of Rainbow For Girls.
On December 20, 1953, Mr. Sexson died in a McAlester
hospital, following a short illness. The funeral service was held at
the First Christian Church where he served as minister for many years
and where the Ritual of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls was written.
Burial was in the Masonic Section of Oak Hill Cemetery in McAlester, Oklahoma.
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