Cozad Lodge No. 2250 History...
The Cozad Lodge No. 2250 of the B.P.O.E. was chartered March 15, 1962, with an original initiation class of 513 brothers. The Cozad Lodge came about by the hard work of several good men of the area. This district deputy Grand Exalted Ruler was Brother Don Bond of the Kearney Lodge, who along with Merral Herring of Kearney, who was on the state new lodge committee, were responsible in helping the local men get an Elk's lodge located in Cozad. They held meetings in the Cozad City Hall and in Bill Trusdale's office along with meetings in coffee shops and in their own homes.
The first set of selected officers were Ken Muirhead, Exalted Ruler; LaVerne Fisk, Leading Knight; Herman Hart, Loyal Knight; Hugo Winter, Lecturing Knight; Fred Myer, Esquire; Willard Crandell, Chaplain; Wilbur Kloepping, Inner Guard; Jack Mundell, Tiler; R. A. Kyle, Secretary; Richard Hansen, Treasurer; Doug Gruber, Organist; Miles Hart, Glen Rose, Bill Sloan, Trustees and Bill Trusdale, Lodge Attorney.
On September 11, 1963, the lodge dedicated their present lodge and club home, with the Grand Exalted Ruler Johnny Walker of Roanoke, Virginia, and Past Grand Exalted Ruler Hope Blackledge of Kearney, in attendance, along with many other state officials. The dream of this fine Elks' Lodge came after many hours of hard work of the lodge officers and other brothers of the Cozad Lodge. The brothers, themselves, bought bonds amounting to excess of $43,000 and borrowed $100,000. Many felt it it couldn't be done but the hard work and the spirit of those who had faith in the good people of the community made it come true and those who follow, owe these fine brothers a big thank you.
Information from Tri-City Tribune (Centennial Edition) September, 1973.