Lallah Mae Vollus 1909 – 2014
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Lallah Mae Vollus was the wife of Gray Lodge’s Master 1925-26, William Vollus. (She calls him “Bill” in the video.)
Lallah Mae was Eastern Star Grand Matron of Texas in 1945-1945. This video was taken on April 6, 2005 on the last stated meeting of Gray Lodge on Hillcroft. Lallah Mae Vollus, lived to the grand age of 105. She served as Worthy Matron of Ransford Chapter No. 135 in 1937-1938 and again in 1989-1990.
Lallah Mae married William Gustav Vollus in 1935. He was born in Houston on October 23, 1892, the son of William and Emilie Vollus. He attended the public schools through the 6th grade and then made his way by the road of hard knocks. He enlisted in the U. S. Army on May 28, 1918, and served as Sergeant of the 30th Company, 8th Battalion, 165 Depot Brigade. According to Lallah Mae, a poisonous gas attack in the closing months of the war resulted in his losing most of his hair.
WILLIAM GUSTAV VOLLUS
Fifty-fourth Master, 1925-1926
From 1926 to 1947 he was a funeral director. He was president of the Texas Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association in 1933-1934 and broke a precedent by being elected to .serve a second year. In 1934 he was elected a member of the Funeral Service Industry Code Authority representing Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
He and his wife, Lallah Mae, were married in 1935 and are members of the Methodist Church.
He received his Craft Degrees in Gray Lodge in 1920: 10 February 10, 20 March 9 and 30 April 10. After serving as Junior and Senior Deacon, he was elected junior Warden for 1923-1924 and after serving as Senior Warden was Master in 1925-1926.
The new Master came to his office with a well-developed and organized plan to enlist the entire membership in some phase of the Gray Lodge activities. The membership was divided into twelve sections according to the month of their birthdays. Brethren with birthdays in a particular month were obliged to attend all meetings, perform the committee work and such other matters as were needed. Special emphasis was placed upon funeral ‘attendance that had reached a low ebb with a result that Gray was soon averaging around 35 at funerals. The emphasis of enlistment of all members with interesting meetings resulted in the largest average attendance in the history of Gray Lodge. William G. Vollus later served as District Deputy Grand Master of the 30th District under Grand Master John Temple Rice in 1938.
He was exa1ted as a Royal Arch Mason on June 12, 1920, in Washington Chapter No.2, received the Council Degrees -on June 28, 1920, in Houston Council No.2, and the Orders ,of Knighthood in Ruthven Commandery No.2 on October 1, 1920. On October 9, 1920, he became .a Shriner of Arabia ‘Temple.
He was Worthy Patron of Ransford Chapter No. 135, Order ,of the Eastern Star, in 1926-1927 and was elected Associate Grand Patron of the Grand Chapter of Texas, Order of the Eastern Star. The Worthy Grand Patron leaving the state, the duties of Acting Wol1thy Grand Patron fell upon him. He then served in 1930-1931 as Worthy Grand Patron.
He was Potentate of Arabia Temple in 1935. In 1938 he became chairman of the Board of Trustees of Arabia Temple Crippled Children’s Clinic and on July 1, 1947, assumed full time management of the Clinic with the title of Executive Secretary. As Vice-Chairman of the Building Committee he supervised the details of that Committee in the opening of the Shriner’s Hospital in 1952. On September 10, 1966, he retired to a well-earned rest but still with the position of Consultant of Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children of Texas.
