Atkinson Family, A Family of Masons

In May of 1968, William Arthur Atkinson was initiated into Thistle Lodge No. 34, Amherstburg. Family members present at his installation were: Ralph Atkinson, father, initiated March 21, 1950 Henry Thrasher, uncle,initiated January 18, 1949 Cameron Thrasher, uncle, Royal Oak Lodge, MI Oliver E. Thrasher, uncle, initiated October 4, 1958 Master: 1958 Grand Steward 1963
	Front L- R: Frye, Sean Frye, Stephen Atkinson, William A. Atkinson Back: Oliver Thrasher, Ralph Atkinson, Wm. M. Atkinson, Henry Thrasher

THRASHER,Oliver Edwin Passed away peacefully with family by his side at Windsor Regional Hospital Met Campus on August 3, 2006 at the age of 79 years. Late of Amherstburg (Anderdon Township). Beloved husband and biggest supporter of Lucille (nee Skilton). Dearest father of Richard Thrasher and wife Sandra (Windsor); Debbie Sullivan and husband Des (Chatham); Christine Grace and husband Ted (Amherstburg). Dearest stepfather of Ron Skilton and wife Denise (Windsor); Vicki Sinclair (Essex); Cheryl Lebrun (McGregor); Dan Skilton and wife Cheryl (Essex); Lori Robinson and husband Bruce (Maidstone). Dear grandfather of 25, Jeffrey, Brandon, Matthew, Ryan, Alyssa Thrasher; Derek, Julie, Adam and Laura Steininger; Dennis Bondy; Colleen and Carolyn Grace; Nicole and Courtney Skilton; David Wright; Tammy O'Neil; Renee and Keith Lebrun; Jennifer Heath, Jackie Lariviere; Devon Sokolasky; Tori, Jesica, Eric and Melissa Robinson; and also 8 great grandchildren. Dear brother of Ivan Thrasher and wife Orpha, brother-in-law of Dorothy Thrasher, Mary Lou Thrasher, Jean Thrasher. Predeceased by brothers Howard, Chester, Cameron and Henry, and sisters Dona May Atkinson, Claribel Thrasher. Oliver was an active member of Wesley United Church. An active 50 year plus member of the Masonic Lodge holding membership in Thistle #34 Amherstburg and King Edward #488 Harrow, Lodge of Perfection, Rose Croix 32nd degree, Mocca Temple Shriners, Sun Parlour Shrine Club, Royal Order of Jesters. He will be sadly missed as the Shriners' favorite bar tender and #1 salesperson of Shriners' Valdalia onions and jams. 50 year plus member of Fort Malden Chapter #268 O.E.S. Donations may be made to the Sun Parlour Shrine Club, Thistle Lodge #34, Wesley United Church or the charity of your choice. Eastern Star service by Fort Malden Chapter at 7:15pm on Monday August7, 2006 followed by Masonic service by Thistle Lodge and Harrow Lodge at 7:30pm. Visiting at the JAMES H. SUTTON FUNERAL HOME, 401 Sandwich St. S., Amherstburg (519) 736-2134 on Sunday 7-9pm, Monday 2-5 and 7-9pm. Visitation will continue on Tuesday August 8, 2006 at Wesley United Church, 365 Sandwich St. S., Amherstburg from 10:00am until time of Funeral Service at 11am. Rev. Kirby Breithaupt officiating. Interment Rose Hill Cemetery. A tree will be planted in memory of Oliver in the Sutton Heritage Forest. A dedication service will be held Sunday September 24, 2006. All are welcome. You may leave your online condolences at: www.jhsutton-funeral.ca
Published in the Windsor Star on 8/5/2006.

Stephen's Story

I am writing this story to hopefully inspire my fellow masons to write their Masonic story.

My father, grandfather, his father�s brother, my brother, my brother-in-law, my mother's grandfather, 3 great uncles on my father's side: all of these men are Masons; all but one are members of Thistle Lodge #34 in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada.  Needless to say, Masonry is in my blood.  This story is how I came to realize Masonry is in my blood.

I�m starting to get the watery eye.

In 1988 the lodge decided to get a student to help in cleaning and maintaining the lodge hall and lodge room throughout the summer months.  My father suggested it to me and I decided it would be ok.  During that summer I would vacuum and mop the floors, clean the kitchen area, straighten the storage rooms, as well as Murphy oil soaping about 80 wood theatre chairs in the lodge room.

For those of you who have not been to Thistle, I would strongly suggest you visit.  It is a unique place, especially when you're there alone (goose bumps).  When entering the room it is pitch black and you have to reach over approx. 5 feet to get to the light switch.  In that brief moment of reaching for the switches you�d swear the room was full of people.  Even when I was working on cleaning and polishing the chairs with all the lights on I felt like I was disturbing something.  Almost like someone had to vacate their chair in order for me to clean it.

Anyway, on with my story.

During that summer the lodge had asked for someone to check in on me to see that everything was going well. That Mason was Reg Cozens.  During the summer, Reg and I did some interesting work, from drywall repairs to building a new food bank.  I remember removing sub floor adhesive from the back of about 100 sheets of plywood that had come off of the basement ceiling and was going to be reused.

I remember Reg wanted to move the stair case further back to create a larger floor space at the upper entrance so while he cut I held (a very heavy stair case). We rebuilt the area and then re-attached the stair case.  It has always been rewarding to me to have a part in building a food bank that helps people in need.

It means more now to me than I realized back then. Mostly because now I realize that I was a fifteen year old kid who was treated as an equal and even as a friend by a man who at the time was in his late seventies.  I know that there wasn�t one time that Reg and I didn�t enjoy working together that summer.  I remember one day we went back to his house to pick up a few materials, we had a light snack on the front porch, and Reg would tell his stories, as he would many times that summer.  This is when I learned that it is extremely important to listen to the stories that older people are telling you because usually they are not about themselves but about their friends and family, and they are sharing their life with you.

Today it is one week after the passing of Reg to the Grand Lodge Above.  The most important words ever spoken to me in my life came on the last day of summer employment at the lodge.  I was standing where the carpet meets the vinyl floor now.  Back then the carpeted floor was vinyl and the brightest color orange you could imagine.  I remember using the floor cleaner everyday on that floor trying to get it to look better.  I think it had more to do with the color than the wear and tear.  Sorry, I got to wandering a bit there ( must be the Mason in me).  So as I was saying, on my last day of work the most important words ever spoken to me came when Reg said to me �Come see us when you are twenty-one�.  I look back on those words often and reflect on not just the words but the manner in which they were communicated to me.  Reg had a way of really showing how he cared for people just with the tone of his voice.  This was essentially an invitation to become a Mason.  These words would prove to be something special.

As we all know teen life can be strange as all teens want to be older and treated as though they can handle the responsibilities of being an adult.  I was treated as such that summer.

Over the next 6 years of my life I struggled with realizing I couldn�t afford the costs associated with achieving my dreams as well as I was mislead or misinformed of the educational path I needed to take in order to go to university.  So I did as most post high school kids do � get a job and spend the money cruising the bars.  I never felt at home going out to the bars, drinking all night.  But it kind of curbed every thing else if only for a few hours.  I was coaching hockey and dating a girl I had chased for a while and really was starting to enjoy things when, of course, the roof fell in on the dating thing which lead me to thinking it was me, which lead to quitting coaching and not feeling too good about who I was or the way my life was going, which lead to thoughts of not fitting in or having a place on this earth all together.  I contemplated, as I am sure many of us do at least once in life, of controlling my exit from this earth.  But I was still holding onto that invitation that Reg had extended to me.  For some strange reason I think it was holding onto me more than I was holding onto it.  My 21st Birthday was only a few months away.  The curiosity alone was worth sticking around for a little longer.  Little did I know what I was getting into.

Upon my birthday my father asked me if I was interested in joining the lodge.  I said yes.

After joining I had the opportunity not only to sit in lodge with six other members of my family but also with Reg. It took me a little time to adjust to regular meetings, but it was through the lessons of Masonry that I was studying that I first started to realize that I was an ok person and that life is only hard on you if you make it hard on yourself, that no matter what life brings there is someone there to help and assist you if needed.  I think the one moment that truly opened my eyes to a new life is when I was raised to the degree of Master Mason.  That moment when my brothers raised me up in the third was when I knew this was the place for me.  This is who I am and who I have always been.

I have been a mason for just over 11 years now.  When I am feeling down I usually like to light a bonfire and have a cold beer and just let the day's worries go away.  When love or money have me frustrated I like to go for a car ride, until I realize its not that bad.  But when life has really got me down I go to the lodge hall and walk around the room, maybe just learning some degree work, usually I just like to think about masonry and the good things about the fraternity, reminisce about brethren who have passed, or think of those who came before me, and how we are connected through our Masonic teachings.

In my late twenties I would have the opportunity to feel one of life�s most difficult times.

Heartbreak, when my girlfriend and my best friend ... well you know.  I could feel no release from this pain, month after month, embarrassed from what happened.  It was not until I spoke to a mason about this that the pain started to go away.  I remember him saying �Hey, don�t worry, it happens to all of us�.  At first I thought it was just the same old line. then a couple other brothers said the same thing.  But what really released the cord that was holding in the pain was my father.  One day, I ran into him on the stairs at the back door, when he said to me that he understood and that he too has had this happen to him and that he was there if I needed him.  It was the first time I really saw something like that from him , and I knew it was for real.  Now I was processing pain into healing.  I knew that the other side was there and I had support with me to make it.  I also give a large amount of credit to my Mother as well for helping me get through all of my years.  You always seem to know how I am feeling.

Every ounce of pain that I have felt since I turned 21 has a Masonic band aid on it in some way, shape or form.

The things that we must go through are the lessons that teach us for tomorrow's experiences. Heartbreak teaches us more about love than it does about loss.

Masonry is a door that was opened for me, I hope to open it for someone else.

What do the words �Come see us when you�re twenty one.� mean to me.

The opportunity to understand how important it is to treat young and old as equal.

The opportunity to know my family better.

The opportunity to be part of the world's greatest fraternity.

The opportunity to learn about myself and understand who I am and who I need to be.

The opportunity to not be afraid of asking for help.

The opportunity to realize new goals in life.

The opportunity to meet great men.

The opportunity to touch a young life

The opportunity to live life.


We all have a story like this. Please share it.

This story is not over.

Thank you my brothers,
especially you Reg (R.I.P.)