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JOHN HENRY FOASBERG 1874-1961
Grand Master of South Dakota, 1934-1935
BIOGRAPHY
From "The First 100 Years of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota, 1875-1975", Page 138:
John Henry Foasberg was born Malmo, Sckona, Sweden, May 27, 1874. He came with his parents to this country and they settled in Huron, Dakota Territory, on June 21, 1881.
His education was obtained in the public schools of Huron. He operated the Model Steam Laundry in Huron.
Brother Foasberg was united in marriage to Miss Julia Lundeen of Lake Preston. They had two children, Irene and John. He was a member of the Baptist Church.
He became a Mason May 25, 1910, in Huron Lodge No. 26. His Capitular and Cryptic Degrees were conferred in Huron were he was also created a Knight Templar. He was an active member of Oriental Consistory No. 1, Yankton. He belonged to El Riad Shrine Temple in Sioux Falls and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
1935
Grand Master Foasberg, as he opened the sixty-first Annual Communication at Sioux Falls in 1935, spoke as follows: "You are the representatives of the various lodges of the state. Over seventeen thousand Masons in this Jurisdiction are looking to you for guidance and counsel. Your responsibilities are indeed great. May your unselfish and untiring efforts be rewarded with the full consciousness of having faithfully performed your duties to God, your Brethren, and your community."
He complimented the General Activities Committee on their efforts to present an interesting and constructive program to the Craft. The "Traveling Bible" had completed its journey of 8,260 miles to the constituent lodges under the direction of Brother Del Manbeck of St. John's Lodge No. 1, Yankton. All lodges in the state had participated in the program, which took two years to complete, with the exception of Ionic Lodge No. 83 at Gettysburg. It had been impossible to arrange a date with this lodge. Approximately 5,800 brethren had knelt in the presence of this Holy Book and reconsecrated themselves to the tenets of Masonry. Voluntary offerings to the Grand Charity Fund had been added in the amount of $1,572.42.
During the year a cornerstone had been laid for a new Court House at Pierre. Cottonwood Lodge No. 178 had surrendered its charter on March 20, 1935.
The Board of Trustees made a complete report of the Grand Charity Fund since its beginning. They pointed out that it had been forty-five years smce Past Grand Master George Ayres had started the fund with a gift of $50.00. Since at time the fund had grown to $213,924.58. The highest point for Masonic relief was in 1929 when $10,528.38 was paid to needy brethren and their families. Since the inception of the fund, $94,462.74 had been paid to the needy.
The Board of Custodians reported on the question of pre-education of candidates. It was their belief that the program would be costly, too cumbersome and elaborate for practical application. They recommended that the Grand Lodge purchase copies of Carl H. Claudy's Preparation to be used by the lodges. They also asked that they be authorized to prepare for the text for the next Monitor.
The Grand Secretary, Brother George A. Pettigrew, in his fortieth annual report, set forth the continuing problems of the Grand Lodge when he reported that, "Nine of the reports received were without remittance and twenty-seven with partial payment" and "the net loss in membership is not as high as in 1934."·
