Page 205 - Cornelius Hedges Story

For This And Succeeding Generations Gardiner 192

The last communication of the Grand Lodge of Montana which
Hedges attended was the special communication held to lay the
cornerstone for the Masonic Home near Helena on December 27,
1906.

He described the sleigh ride of about eight miles out into the
valley to the Masonic Home site:

“The sleigh ride was greatly enjoyed, though the snow was
light and thin. The sun shone out occasionally, and the fog
lifted, showing the trees covered with a glistening array of
hoar frost, and the circling mountains in white winter apparel.
There was no wind, and the sun shining through fleecy clouds
seemed to be smiling a benediction.”549

The establishment of the Masonic Home for Montana was very
dear to Hedges’ heart. The Grand Lodge Memorial written at his
death tells of his contribution in this field:

The efforts of his later years have been devoted to furthering
the cause of Masonic charity, and especially the work of building
a Masonic Home in Montana. By his writings and conversation, he
inspired a brother of this jurisdiction to devise a large estate, the
income of which is to be used for the support of a home forced and
in­firm Masons and Masonic widows and orphans.550

Judge Cornelius Hedges’ final illness began in August of 1906.551
Hedges kept a journal until approximately two weeks before his death,
but the last two weeks of entries are extremely difficult to read and
the final entry is all but impossible to decipher. He suffered a heart
attack during the first week of April, 1907, and lived approximately
three more weeks.

As proof of the high respect held of him by the citizenry of
Helena, The Helena Independent recorded that “since his last illness
scores of people have inquired daily about his condition.”552

Death came to this grand old Montana pioneer at 12:30 a.m.,
April 29, “worn out after a struggle of almost three weeks with
disease which ravaged the once strong constitution, unconsciousness
came as a relief to the patient.” At his bedside at death at the family
home were his wife Edna, his son Toby, and his daughter Edna.553