History of Prince Hall Chapter No. 258

The growth of Prince Hall’s Eastern Star was so great that Brother Sol C. Johnson and Sister Mary L. Ayers and others felt that now was the time to organize another chapter. The group met August 16, 1916, and in this meeting they organized Prince Hall Chapter #258 with Brother Benjamin Jones as Worthy Patron and Sister Carrie Rivers as Worthy Matron. Prince Hall Chapter #258 has made tremendous strides under the leadership of dedicated women and men, who made great sacrifices to assure its growth and progress. In the early years, the officers and members kept the chapter in such condition that great progress was made  spiritually, numerically, and financially. As we cherish and appreciate our fraternal heritage and reflect upon the past, we regret that much of the history has been mislaid or unrecorded in print for future generations to cherish and recognize those who gave so much to make this day a reality.

We would like to call the names of some of the officers who through the years gave their best to promote stardom and serve Prince Hall Chapter #258. Serving as Worthy Matron were Sisters Carrie Rivers, Sarah Hatcher, Sarah Williams, Sally B. Cummings, Mary L. Ayers, Cecilia W. Nix, Donnie Hodges, Daisy Clemmons, E. J.  Williams, Matilda Washington, Lilla Shuler, Marie Woodruff, Viola Oliver, Henrietta Washington, Eleanor White, Beatrice Rivers, Lillie M. Polite, Clara Williams, Rosa Newton, Edith Scott, Florrie Williams, Evelyn Adams, Bessie Boles, Victoria B. Davis, Ada Mae Jones, Florence Patten, Lillian Cope, Henrietta Bailey, Lillian Cope, Lucille Tanksley, Annie M. Parton, Dottie J. Platts, Essie V. Jones, Flossie Williams, Bessie Jacobs, Deloris Fields, Hattie Mayes, Alma Vance, Rosa Pullin, Vergie Walker, Mary Ann McBride, Malenthia.Frazier, Karen Alston, Carol Magwood, Mary C. Mitchell, Cornelia Bryant, Ruby Wigfall, Evelynie Cook, Ceola Singleton, Carol Magwood, Sheliate Simmons, Jennifer Washington, LaMonica Graham, Rosetta Daniel, Fay Duley and presently serving as Worthy Matron is Erika Walden.

Serving as Worthy Patron were Brothers Benjamin F. Jones, George Smith, W. B. Burris, William J. Ayers, A. E. Peacock, George Washington, Enoch Mitchell, E. Reco Anderson, Leroy C. Frazier, James Bailey, James Singleton, Eric Prescott, Christopher Manor, Marius Davis and presently serving as Worthy Patron is Eric Prescott.

Prince Hall Chapter #258 was blessed to have members who have served as officers of the Grand Chapter: Past Grand Worthy Matron Mary L. Sellers-Ayers, and Past Grand Worthy Patron George W. Smith. Other Past Grand Officers were Grand Warder, Beatrice Rivers; Grand Ruth, Lillie M. Polite; Grand Real Estate, Past Patron George Washington, Past Patron Enoch Mitchell, and Past Matron Bessie Jacobs. Past Matron Lillian Cope and Past Matron Lucille Tanksley served on Grand Chapter committees. Past Matron Mary Ann McBride and Past Matron Malenthia Frazier both served as Grand Warder. Past Matron Karen Alston served as Assistant Grand Chaplin then later as Grand Chaplin. Past Matron Malenthia Frazier served as Grand Lecturer and Past Matron Evelynie Cook as Grand Adah. Past Matron Dottie Platts served as Grand Chaplain and she is a Grand Pearl. Past Matron Carol Magwood served as Grand U.S. Flag Bearer and on the Grievances Committee. Past Matron LaMonica Graham served as Grand Warder and Past Matron Rosetta Daniel served as Chairman of the Grand Technology Team.   

Past Matron Bessie Bolds served as State Queen in 1971. She won the crown with a total of $506.00. The grand total was $2,970.10. Past Matron Ada M. Jones was Worthy Matron, and George Washington was Worthy Patron. Evelena Adams was reporter. Prince Hall Chapter is pleased to add to our history that during the 1998 Grand Chapter our own Karen Alston won the Queen Contest and reigned as Grand Chapter Queen. In 2024, La Monica Graham represented us excitedly well as first runner-up to the Grand Chapter Queen.

District officers were Past District Matrons Bessie Bolds, Dottie Platts, Bessie Jacobs, and Carol Magwood. Past District Patrons were George Washington and Enoch Mitchell. Enoch Mitchell also served as District Deputy Grand Master. Jason Brown is presently serving as District Associate Patron. Past Matron Malenthia Frazier served as District Associate Conductress and District Electa. Past Matron Lucille Tanksley has served as District Conductress and District Associate Matron. Past Matron Evelynie Cook is serving as District Secretary, and Past Matron La Monica Graham is serving as District Treasurer and (2024) District Queen. Past Matron Rosetta Daniel has served as District Ruth and is serving as District Associate Conductress and as District Information / Media Publicity chairperson. Past Matron Fay Dudley is currently serving as District Ruth. There were and are other district officers serving in various capacities.

Serving as Treasurer of Prince Hall Chapter #258 were Sisters Daisy Clemmons, Sallie Cummings, Matilda Washington, Beatrice Rivers, Albertha Gray, Lillie M. Polite, Lucille Tanksley, Mary Ann McBride, and presently serving is Malenthia Frazier.

The following Sisters served as Secretary of Prince Hall Chapter #258: Roxie Melvin, Ethel Mack, Beatrice Rivers, Rosa Newton, Lillian Cope, Lucille Tanksley and presently serving is Carol Magwood.

On October 6, 1998, Prince Hall Youth Chapter #346 was reorganized with seven enthusiastic youth being initiated with Mary C. Mitchell as the director. Past Matron Lucille Tanksley served as a youth director. The youth chapter currently have three youth directors, Past Matron Malenthia Frazier, Past Matron Evelynie Cook and Felicia Prescott.

As we celebrate our history’, let us paraphrase the words of an old familiar hymn, “To serve the present age, our calling to fulfill, and may we in all our power to do the Master’s Will”, and one day those who will be called upon to lead the Chapter will rise up and call us blessed!

Past and present members are: Freda Davis, Madge Coleman, Lenora Brannen, Bessie Jacobs, Cheryl Kennedy, Carol Brown-Magwood, Carolyn Tanksley, Evelyn Gosha, Margaret Jackson, Rhonda Arnold, Enoch Mitchell, Jane Gibbs, Bobbie Lee Ellison, Lavonne Bryant, Kwanna Slaughter, Laticha Small, Johnnie Mae Patterson, Clara Howard, Betty Fripp, Janie Wright, Barbara Gore, Mary Ann McBride, Eddie McBride, Jr., Beatrice Brown, Mary Ann Wright, Barbara Renfroe, Annie Mae Conner, Elizabeth Parks, Corine Duncan, Margaret Allen, Annie Gordon, Vergie Mae Walker, Catherine Bonner, Alma Williams, Ellen Maner, Ada Mae Jones, Bessie Kelson, Mary Daniels, Dottie Jean Platts, Pansy Watkins, Lessie Anderson, Alice Smith, Alfreda Gooding, Margaret Wafford, Julie Bourne, Ruth Heyward, Minnie Williams, Ruth Mitchell, Dorothy Jones, Malenthia Frazier, Leroy Frazier, Gwendolyn Mouzon, Lawanda Ransom, Delores Fields, Evelynie Cook, Cornelia Bryant, Dwan Davis, Ann Morris, Salathia White, James Bailey, Sara Mosley, Karen Alston, Mary C. Mitchell, Lamonica Graham, Elizabeth McBride-Washington, Bernice Lexie, Melissa Walker, Charlene Kennedy, Edward Reco Anderson, Betty Dantes, Carzadean Baker, Frances Gresham, Loree Olds, Mattie Walden, Corine Bryan, Lillie Polite, Ozena Wilcox, Dorothy Brown, Rosa Pullin, Eloise Albright, Irene Hicks, Wilhelmina Jasper, Dorothy Simmons, Lillian Brown, Annie Parton, Lessie Watkins, Martha Mitchell, Sadie Moore, Tressie Renfroe, Lillian Cope, Lula Dorsey, Lucille Tanksley, Louvenia Jones, Gladys Flowers, Hattie Mayes, Alma Vance, Ceola Singleton, Roxie Melvin, Shirley Simmons, Rosa Arkwright, Ruby Wigfall, Larrietta Futch, Saundra Green, Shawanda Futch, Velma Page, Rosetta Stokes, JoAnn Williams, Deborah Allen, Antoinette Golden, Deborah Gibbs, T’Sheria Davis, Tonya Arnold, Sophia Davis, Joyce Jones, Traci Kicklighter, Irene Odom-Clay, Wendy Smoot-Lee, Josie Watson, Jennifer Washington, Allen Duncan, Kenneth Golden, Terrell Moultrie, Christopher Manor, James Singleton, Michelle Mott, LaNoral James, Telisa I. Clark, Courtney K. Mobley, Nakia J. Mobley, Ambria J. Rivers, Jason Brown, Ronald Pickard, Eric Prescott, Sara Daniels Greene, Marie Pickard, Brenda Spears, Sheliate Simmons, Rosetta Daniel, Felicia Prescott, Michelle Magwood, Demaris Manor, Kennette Cannon, Marius Davis, Brianna Mole, Janice Washington, Fay Dudley, Wanda Reese, Rosalyn Valcourt, Antionette Fields, Marcella Johnson, Leslie Banks, Renee D. Cannon, Japeria Hall, Tracy Letbetter, Shanice Polite, Chanique S. Scott, Cristal Steele, Tamera Brewer, Terry Brown, Vanessa Moore, Ericka Walden, Past Matron Jessica Johnson, Adrian Johnson, Ophelia Beasley, Nicole Dunham, Kiara Gardner, Sadé Kemp, Ashleigh Montford, Raven Pridgen-Williams, Coralyn Collins, Jeaniene Johnson, DaShawna Kea, Melanie Loesch, Michael Nix, LaQuilla R. McMiller, Jessica Hunter and Brittany Tanner.