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1940 – Dillon Crist

M. W. Brother Dillon Crist was born on March 17, 1898, on a farm near the village, of Moultrie, Columbiana County, Ohio. He attended the rural schools in that community. In 1915 his parents moved to Alliance, where he graduated from high school. He also attended Ohio Northern University and Spencerian College in Cleveland.

For some years he engaged in the marble and granite business and then in real estate and insurance. During more recent years he had been active in banking circles. At the time of his death he was president of the Alliance Federal Savings and Loan Association and a director and vice-president of the City Savings Bank and Trust Company.

M. W. Brother Crist was always keenly interested in the civic affairs of his home community. He had served as president of the Board of Education, a director of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the Y. M. C. A., director of the American Red Cross, district governor of Rotary International, and on the official board of the First Methodist Church. He was a veteran of the First World War. During the Second World War he served for nearly three years as assistant field director of the American Red Cross.

He was married to Gertrude Martin of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1919, to this marriage two sons were born.

M. W. Brother Dillon Crist’s Masonic record would be hard to match for service rendered. He was raised in Conrad Lodge No. 271 of Alliance on May 6, 1919, and served as its Worshipful Master in 1924. On October 22, 1926, he demitted to the newly created J. E. Mc Fadden Lodge No. 697 of Alliance and served as its first Master.

He was a member of Alliance Chapter, R. A. M., and No. 83. He was a member of Alliance Council No. 112, R. & S. M., and its Master in 1928 and 1929. He was a member of Alliance Commandery No. 87. He was a member of the Red Cross of Constantine.

He received the Degrees from the Fourth to Eighteenth, inclusive, in Canton in November 1922, and the Consistorial Degrees in Lake Erie Consistory, Cleveland, on November 10, 1922. He demitted to become a charter member of Stark Consistory in Canton in 1932.

He served as Most Wise Master of Brenton Chapter, Rose Croix, from May 1937, to May 1939. He was Commander in Chief of Stark Consistory in 1945-1947. In 1938 he was created a Sovereign Grand Inspector General, 33°, Honorary Member of the Supreme Council. He was elected an Active Member in 1947 and Deputy for the District of Ohio in 1950.

He was also a member of Alliance Chapter No. 296, O. E. S.; Nazir Grotto of Canton; Al Koran Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Cleveland; and a charter member of Tadmor Temple of Akron.

M. W. Brother Dillon Crist served as District Lecturer of the Grand Lodge in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930. He was appointed Grand Marshall in 1931, Junior Grand Deacon in 1933, Senior Grand Deacon in 1934, and Grand Orator in 1935. He was elected Junior Grand Warden in 1936 and was regularly advanced until he was elected Grand Master on October 19, 1939. He was appointed Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge to fill the unexpired term caused by the death of M. W. Brother Harry S. Kissell. He was elected to that office in October 1946, and regularly elected each succeeding year. He was serving in that office at the time of his death. He was also a trustee and the treasurer of the Ohio Masonic Home.

Dillon had served the Grand Lodge as chairman of the George Washington Memorial Association for Ohio; as chairman of the Grand Lodge Endowment Fund Committee; and as a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Dillon Crist was blessed with an outstanding genial personality. Physically he was a big man and intellectually he was a Masonic leader whose personality will be sorely missed.

Funeral services were held in Alliance on Wednesday, May 23, 1956. He was buried in the Moultrie Chapel Cemetery, Moultrie, Ohio, near the place where he was born.