Supporting a Masonic Widow In Need

This article was originally published in the Winter 2025 Edition of The Northern Light.

Gary and Pat Kettelle’s Masonic journey began through their church community when Gary was first introduced to the Fraternity. His dedication grew over the years of service as lodge secretary and volunteering with the Shriners, forging deep friendships among his fellow Brothers.

Before joining the Masons, Gary had served in the Vietnam War in Da Nang, where several bombings took place. The couple believed that the effects of Agent Orange, a plant-killing chemical used during the war, led to their son being born with birth defects. After the war, he worked as a jet engine mechanic, and the Kettelles lived in their own log cabin they had built in the woods. “Once it was done, we decided that we just wanted to go all the way and just heat the home with wood, and that’s what we did for 35 years. We have 5 acres, so we had enough dead trees yearly to cut and use for firewood,” remembers Pat. 

Just a month after celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary, Gary passed away unexpectedly. The loss meant Gary’s VA benefits stopped, and Mrs. Kettelle was now the sole guardian of their intellectually disabled son. 

As winter began to set in, she faced another challenge. “Before he passed away, we had purchased a new wood stove, never really trying it out to see how it would heat the house. But the wood stove wouldn’t heat the whole house. It was too small,” she said. “That first year was just terrible. It was cold, and I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. It was hell the first year.”

Pat knew she couldn’t go through another winter that way, so she set out to get a heating system installed in the home. The unexpected cost brought with it a huge financial stress. On top of this, her car needed some repairs: another major burden.

“My car is my lifeline. We live out in the boondocks, and my son doesn’t drive. I have to drive him wherever he has to go, and I needed a reliable car,” she said.

Mrs. Kettelle was having a conversation at church with her pastor, Mark Isaacs, a Scottish Rite Mason, and his wife, Linda, about some of the challenges she was facing. The Isaacs reached out to Ill. Brother Bob Hogan who was able to secure a check from the Grand Almoner’s Fund to more than cover the cost of the heating system. Bob also knew a Brother who owned a service station nearby, so he had Pat take the car there and took care of the repairs himself. 

Bob said that Pat couldn’t hold back her emotions when she received the check. “When the envelope was handed to her, she started crying. This helped quite a bit,” he recalled. “It absolutely knocked her socks off. It was completely unexpected.”

Pat agreed that she had never imagined she would get this kind of relief. “We have seen and known, through the Masons, many people who have received help. But you never expect it to be yourself,” she said.

Bob shared that being a part of helping this widow in need, through the Grand Almoner’s Fund, was an unforgettable experience. “The support from the Scottish Rite Grand Almoner’s Fund is absolutely amazing. It makes me proud to be involved in this organization,” he said. “Masonry and Scottish Rite have helped me out. Surrounding myself with Brothers was always good medicine. I try to do good, and this is an absolutely wonderful opportunity to do it,” he said.

“I just don’t know how to thank you. They have been a lifeline to me,” Pat said of the Masons. “I’m so appreciative for the help I’ve gotten. It came at a time where everything happened at once, and I just didn’t know what to do or where to turn. It’s a lot of relief of a lot of pressure.”