Charles Wesley Brashares Passes Away

Today in Masonic History Charles Wesley Brashares passes away in 1982.

Charles Wesley Brashares was an American clergyman.

Brashares was born on March 31st, 1891 in Williamsport, Ohio. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1914. After he went on to Bachelor Degree in Sacred Theology from Boston University School of Theology in 1917. He also did graduate work in 1917 and 1918 at Harvard University and Boston University.

Also in 1917 he was ordained an Elder, someone who in the Methodist Church has been ordained by a bishop to the ministry of Word, Sacrament, Order, and Service, and became a Member in Full Connection of the Maine Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He served in various appointments as a pastor throughout the northeast including in East Boston, 1916–18; Gorham, Maine, 1918–20; Newton, Massachusetts, 1920-22; Dayton, Ohio, 1922–34; and Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1934-44.

In 1944, Brashares was elected to the Episcopacy, the leadership of the church, as a bishop. He served first in the Des Moines (Iowa) Episcopal Area. In 1952 he became the Resident Bishop of the Chicago area.

During his life Brashares received various honorary degrees for his work including from Ohio Wesleyan University where he received a Doctor of Divinity in 1927, from Cornell College he received the an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (LL D.) the two double "L" refers to the Civil Law and Canon Law, from Boston University he was awarded the LL.D. in 1948, from Simpson College he received the Doctor of Humane Letters in 1950 and Iowa Wesleyan College conferred the Doctor of Litt. in 1951.

Brashares passed away on June 23rd, 1982.

Brashares was a member of Harmony Lodge No. 38 in Gorham, Maine. He was raised in the lodge in 1918, there are indications he demitted from the lodge at some point. It is unclear why he demitted or if he affiliated with another lodge elsewhere in the country.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.