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Edwin Fredlund, Grand Master 1939-1940
Edwin Fredlund was born May 26, 1876, in
Bergen, Norway. His family emigrated to the
U. S. in May 1882, settling at Chamberlain,
South Dakota; at the age of nine, he went to
work helping herd cattle. At age 14, in 1890,
–Š‡ ˆƒ‹Ž› ‘˜‡† –‘ –Ǥ ‡”‘ǡ ƒ•Š‹‰–‘Ǥ
He received most of his education through
‘—– ‡”‘ ‹‰Š Š‘‘ŽǤ †™‹ ƒ––‡†‡†
Washington University his studies were
interrupted due to the Spanish-American
War.
He enlisted as a private in the First
ƒ•Š‹‰–‘ ‘Ž—–‡‡” ˆƒ–”›Ǣ ‘ ’”‹Ž ͛͘ǡ
1898, he served for twelve months in the
Philippines. Corporal Fredlund had charge of
the regiment signal service at Pasig, during
the battle of Tay-Tay, and at the advance
on Morong, the only time the Washington
‘Ž—–‡‡”• ™‡”‡ ‡˜‡” —•‡† ‹ –Š‡ •’‡ ‹ƒŽ
Service. He mustered out of the Army as a Corporal on
November 1, 1899. He and others of the First Washington
‘Ž—–‡‡”• ”‡ ‡‹˜‡† –Š‡ Š‹Ž‹’’‹‡ ‘‰”‡••‹‘ƒŽ ‡†ƒŽ
ˆ‘” „”ƒ˜‡”› ƒ† †‹•–‹‰—‹•Š‡† •‡”˜‹ ‡Ǥ ‘Ž—–‡‡” ƒ” ‹
‡ƒ––Ž‡ ‹• ƒ‡† ˆ‘” –Š‡ ‹”•– ƒ•Š‹‰–‘ ‘Ž—–‡‡”•Ǥ
From 1900 to 1901, he worked in the Klondike District of
the Yukon Territory to seek his fortune in the Alaskan gold
Ƥ ‡Ž†•Ǥ
He returned to Washington, and in 1902, he was appointed
Deputy Auditor for Skagit County, Washington; four years
later, he was elected County Auditor serving one year.
He then moved to Montana in September of 1909
ƒ† Ƥ Ž‡† ‘ ƒ Š‘‡•–‡ƒ† ‡ƒ•– ‘ˆ ‘”ƒ† —–‹Ž ͙͙͛͡Ǥ ‡
next moved to Fort Benton, where he served as Deputy
••‡••‘” ‘ˆ Š‘–‡ƒ— ‘—–› —–‹Ž —‰—•– ͙͙͛͡ǡ ™Š‡ Š‡
moved to Chinook. In Chinook, he became the Secretary
ƒ† ‡‡”ƒŽ ƒƒ‰‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡ Žƒ‹‡ ‘—–› „•–”ƒ –
‘’ƒ› —–‹Ž —Ž› ͙͛ǡ ͙͙͛͡Ǥ
He served as a school trustee and as a member and
trustee of the Presbyterian Church. He was active with
„‘–Š ‘‡” ‹ƒŽ ƒ† ‹‘• Ž—„•Ǥ ‡ ™ƒ• ƒ Ž†‡”ƒǡ
City Council President, and Mayor of Chinook, holding
each post for two years.
Blaine County honored him as Chairman of the Red Cross
and Deputy Assessor and an eight-year term as Clerk of
the Court.
Brother Fredlund received his degrees in Chinook
‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͘͝Ǣ Š‡ ™ƒ• ‹–‹ƒ–‡† ‘ —Ž› ͙͟ǡ ͙͙͜͡ǡ ƒ••‡†
‘ –‘„‡” ͛ǡ ͙͙͜͡ǡ ƒ† ƒ‹•‡† –‘ –Š‡ —„Ž‹‡ ‡‰”‡‡
‘ˆ ƒ ƒ•–‡” ƒ•‘ ‘ ‘˜‡„‡” ͙͛ǡ ͙͙͜͡Ǥ ‡ •‡”˜‡† ƒ•
0RQWDQD )UHHPDVRQ
‘”•Š‹’ˆ—Ž ƒ•–‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘†‰‡ ‹ ͙͚͘͡ǡ ƒ•
‘†‰‡ ‡ ”‡–ƒ”› ˆ”‘ ͙͙͡͞ǡ ƒ† ƒ‰ƒ‹ ‹
͙͛͡͞ ƒ† ͙͙͜͡Ǥ
In August 1925, he was appointed to the
”ƒ† ‘†‰‡ Ž‹‡ ƒ† •‡”˜‡† •‹š ›‡ƒ”• ƒ•
”ƒ† ›Ž‡”Ǥ  ͙͚͛͡ Š‡ ™ƒ• ƒ’’‘‹–‡† ”ƒ†
™‘”† ‡ƒ”‡”ǡ ”ƒ† –ƒ†ƒ”† ‡ƒ”‡” ‹
͙͛͛͡ǡ —‹‘” ”ƒ† –‡™ƒ”† ‹ ͙͛͜͡ǡ —‹‘”
”ƒ† ‡ƒ ‘ ‹ ͙͛͡͞ǡ ‡‹‘” ”ƒ† ‡ƒ ‘
‹ ͙͛͟͡ǡ ƒ† ‹ ͙͛͡͠ Š‡ ™ƒ• ‡Ž‡ –‡† ‡’—–›
”ƒ† ƒ•–‡”Ǥ  ͙͛͡͡ Š‡ ™ƒ• ‡Ž‡ –‡† ƒ• –Š‡
‘•– ‘”•Š‹’ˆ—Ž ”ƒ† ƒ•–‡” ‘ˆ ƒ•‘• ‹
Montana.
In 1940 there were 17,808 members and
͙͛͝ ‘†‰‡• ȋƒ† –Š‡ ‡™Ž› ‹•–‹–—–‡† Žƒ ‹‡”
‘†‰‡ Ǥ Ȍ
 ͚͚͚͘ –Š‡”‡ ƒ”‡ ͛ǡ͚͘͝ ‡„‡”•ǡ ƒ† ͟͠
‘†‰‡•Ǥ
On September 20, 1916, he became a member of Havre
Chapter R.A.M. No. 19, later transferring his membership
to Blaine Chapter R.A.M No. 26; he served as High Priest of
the Chinook Chapter. On April 6, 1917, he became a member
of DeMolay Commandery No. 15, Knights Templar, and
•‡”˜‡† ƒ• ”ƒ† ‘ƒ†‡”Ǥ  ƒ—ƒ”› ͙͞ǡ ͙͙͡͠ǡ Š‡
„‡ ƒ‡ ƒ ‡„‡” ‘ˆ ”‡ƒ– ƒŽŽ• ‘— ‹Ž ‘Ǥ ͜ ‘ˆ ‘›ƒŽ
and Select Masters, later transferring his membership to
Š‹‘‘ ‘— ‹Ž ‘Ǥ ͟Ǥ ‡ ™ƒ• ‡Ž‡ –‡† ”ƒ† ƒ•–‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡
”ƒ† ‘— ‹Ž ˆ‘” ͙͚͡͠ ƒ† ͙͚͡͡Ǥ ‡ •‡”˜‡† ƒ• ”ƒ† ‹‰Š
”‹‡•– ‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ† Šƒ’–‡” ‘›ƒŽ ” Š ƒ•‘• ‹ ͙͛͟͡ ƒ†
͙͛͡͠Ǥ ”‘–Š‡” ”‡†Ž—† ™ƒ• ƒŽ•‘ ƒ ͛͛Ǧ†‡‰”‡‡ ‡„‡” ‘ˆ
–Š‡ ‘––‹•Š ‹–‡ǡ ƒ ‡„‡” ‘ˆ ‡Ž‡ƒ ‘•‹•–‘”› ‘Ǥ ͛Ǥ
He was also a member of Algeria Shrine. On February 10,
͙͙͡͝ǡ Š‡ „‡ ƒ‡ ƒ ‡„‡” ‘ˆ ‘”–Š –ƒ” Šƒ’–‡” ‘Ǥ ͚͛ ‹
Chinook of the Order of Eastern Star; he served as Worthy
ƒ–”‘ ƒ† Žƒ–‡” ƒ• ƒ ‘ƥ ‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ† Šƒ’–‡”Ǥ
‘•– ‘”•Š‹’ˆ—Ž ƒ•– ”ƒ† ƒ•–‡” ”‡†Ž—† ”‡•‹†‡†
in Chinook until a few days before his death at the Fort
ƒ””‹•‘ ‡–‡”ƒ• ‘•’‹–ƒŽ ‹ ‡Ž‡ƒ ‘ –‘„‡” ͙͜ǡ
͙͛͡͞Ǥ ‡ ™ƒ• ‹–‡””‡† ™‹–Š ƒ•‘‹ „—”‹ƒŽ ”‹–‡• ƒ– —’‡”
‡‘”‹ƒŽ ‡‡–‡”›ǡ ’Ž‘– •‡ –‹‘ ͜ǡ ‘– ͚ǡ Š‹‘‘ǡ Žƒ‹‡
County, Montana.
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