Masonic Home and School- Ft. Worth
Resident Children
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Janet  (right) and her sister (left)  grew up as residents in the home. Below is a Christmas recollection. Janet has only the warmest of memories of the Home.

Masonic Home and School of Texas was maintained and operated by the Grand Lodge of Texas. Starting operations in 1899, the mission of Masonic Home and School of Texas was the education and care of "needy" children. During the war years, there were many "needy" children. Janet and her sister, May, spent their formative years at the Masonic Home and School in Ft. Worth, Texas, and are very grateful for the love, care, and education they received from the Masons.

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The picture above, on the left,  was a typical Christmas for my sister and I as we were growing up. The Ft. Worth Masonic Home and School would have an annual Christmas celebration where the Masons would give gifts to the children at the Home. All the children would gather in a big auditorium, sitting in chairs or in school desks, where the gifts would be under big decorated Christmas trees that were on the stage in the school's auditorium. Often the Masons would attend this celebration, where they could watch the eyes and the smiles of the children as they received the gifts. All the children at the Home, usually numbering around 200-300 children of all ages, would anxiously wait (see May biting her thumb nail) for the superintendent to read the names on the gifts. Usually each child received about multiple gifts (we always received a robe and a pair of pajamas from the Masons, sometimes we received a pair of slippers, sometimes there was a dress, and sometimes there was a doll). As you can imagine, it was very difficult for the children to wait for their names to be called, especially as they watched the gifts being distributed without hearing their name being called. But patience was learned, because thanks to the Masons, all the children had a very Merry Christmas. 

Piano recital:  The picture above on the right (circ 1953) was taken in front of the administration building at the Home. I am getting ready for my first piano recital.  Children at the Home were encouraged to explore their talents, which goes along with the mission of the Home,- putting children and their education first.

 
Memories of the Home:     The Masonic Home and School in Ft. Worth, Texas was a self-sufficient community, with its own artesian well, steam plant, electrical power, hospital, and print shop. I still remember the large water towers that held the water for the facility. In earlier years, it had its own farm and ranch. However, when my sister and I attended the Home, most of the animals were gone although much of the farm and ranch equipment still remained. I remember the chickens that were still there, and that were caught and killed for Sunday dinners. Later, the children at the Home learned more about animals and farming by joining 4H clubs and Future Farmers of America. 

Also I remember quite well one year, it must've been in the late 1940s, when Texas was suffering from a tremendous drought. Because the Home had its own water source, we did not suffer any effects of the draught. However, others were suffering, and community service was taught at the Home by  example. People in their cars would come for miles away, to get water from the artesian wells in the Home. The lines were long, similar to the gas lines that were formed at service stations during the gasoline crisis in the 1990s. The children in the home, including myself, would form a bucket brigade line to get the water from the wells and the towers to the people in their cars.  Then, of course, with the drought came the dust storms, and everyone suffered through those tremendous dust storms. Everyday we would have to sweep and dust everything, only to have to do it again the next day. The dusting was never ending, until the rains came.

Summertime at the Home was filled with swimming, archery, crafts, more swimming, sewing, reading, still more swimming, diving, putting together puzzles, playing card and board games, jacks, and jump-rope, and chasing after fire-flies at night. That was, of course, before TV. and computers  were in every house. Then we had vacation, when we could spend time with our relatives.