Kathy - Just a real quick answer to your final line here (I am on my way to work). I doubt seriously that there could have been ANY connection to the Knights of Pythias. That is a Caltholic organization similar to the Masons (for the non-Catholics). Because so many organizations have at times been perverted, I will not deny it absolutely. As a past member of Job's Daughters (part of Masons) with my father, grandfathers, mother, grandmothers and many other relatives members of the Masons and their auxilaries, I do not know as much as I maybe could about the Knights. But they are (at least now) a service organization. And I beleive always were. As far as the KKK - wow. There is so much "history" being bruited about, who knows what is real and not. However, my aunt (born in 1929 has talked to me about "Uncle Buck" (Timothy Dougherty born Aug 1861 and son of James Dougherty and Elizabeth Enyart Mobley) who was a card carrying active KKK-er. She said that when she was a young gilr (say about 4 or 5 or maybe even a little older) she visited Howard County and he told her tales about what they had done which made her physically ill. And he laughed and enjoyed it. Talked about lynchings and beatings and so on that he participated in and maybe was a moving force for. I do know from the newspaper articles that he was the father of the girl who was raped by a black man when she was (taking from my memory) about 13. His brother Jefferson Miles Dougherty (my grandfather born 1864) was also a member. My father, when he was in the Army and was getting a top secret clearance, had to explain why his wife's graandfather had been a member. The story I got about that was that Jeff joined because the organization at that time was trying to keep the carpetbaggers out of Missouri and perserve the land and property. You understand this was fourth hand story. We have the KKK here in NC - some parts are more active than others, but there are a few places up the road where blacks do not go. And really expect to get killed or at the minimum beaten if they do. Carolyn c.n.gibbons@worldnet.att.net ----- Original Message ----- From: Mike & Kathy Bowlin <mkbowlin@iland.net> To: <MORANDOL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 9:26 PM Subject: [MORANDOL-L] Re: the "KKK" > Dear Alice and listers, > > Thank you for giving us that glimpse of your husband's grandmother. She > sounds like she was a wonderful woman. I was hoping, by posting this, some > of our venerated elders on the list might be able to give us some idea of > what the organization was. We may still have a few folks around who were > children in this time period, although they may not be on the web. If > possible, maybe those of you local to the area, might make some inquiries of > the senior citizens centers in the Higbee or Moberly area, and see if you > can find an answer for us? I'm wondering if it might be some kind of ladies > auxiliary for the Knights of Pythias? > > Kathy >