Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge Past Masters 2005 - Present

(numbers refer to findagrave.com memorial links)

2005  Sean W. Ford  Brother Ford was born in San Francisco and raised in Stockton.  He moved to Fresno in 1973 for better employment opportunities.  He has been a commercial diver an scuba instructor in Los Angeles.  For 10 years he was in a floor covering business and then became as Snap-on Tool dealer.  After serious injury he went back to school and obtained a BA in Anthropology at Fresno State College.  He then obtained advanced graduate degrees at Arizona State University.  He taught Anthropology at several colleges and is semi-retired from his forensic consulting business.  On the side he writes grants for magnet schools.

It was through Tip Banks that he first became aware of Masonry and asked "the question."  As the Master of Las Palmas-Ponderosa in 2005 he was proud to serve during the Lodge's Centennial year anniversary where Grand Master David Dean and other Grand Lodge officers re-dedicated Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge No. 366.

His one regret is "not becoming a Mason sooner.  Masonry is the best organizations I ever belonged to."  

 2006  Brian Keith Rowland  Brother Rowland was born in San Diego, California.  He served in the U.S. Navy from 1990 to 1994.  At the time of his application for Degrees to Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge in 1999, he listed his employment as "full time student and truck driver."

Brother Rowland usually rode his motorcycle to Lodge.

Research is being conducted on the history of this Past Master.  If you have information, or a picture, please contact the Lodge Secretary.

2007  Marvin Edell Wallace  (1937 - 2021)  221631069  Brother Wallace was born in Wagner, Oklahoma.  After his family lost all of their belongings due to the Dust Bowl, they moved to the Fresno area in 1937.  While serving in the US Army Airborne, he had a friend who joined a Masonic Lodge and he was impressed with the changes that Masonry made on this friend.  In 1964, he received the degrees of Masonry in Spessart Lodge No. 875, a Military Lodge in Asachaffen, Germany with a charter from New York.  Upon his return to the United States, he became a member of Lawton Lodge No. 183 in Lawton, Oklahoma.  In 1991 he petitioned Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge to affiliate.

After retiring from the US Army, he worked as a truck driver, and then a tax examiner for the IRS in Fresno.  He served as our Lodge Secretary for several years before being appointed to the officers line.

Brother Wallace received the Hiram Award in 1999.  On December 18, 2014 he received his Golden Veterans Award at Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge.

2008  Gordon Dee Keeton  Brother Keeton was born and raised in Fresno.  He is a four year US Navy veteran and a HVAC engineer for Fresno State University.  He is a cousin to Brother James M. Keeton, our Master in 2003.

He was Raised in Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge on June 6, 2002.  Besides being our Master in 2008, he was also Master of Sanger Lodge No. 316 in 2011 & 2013.  Brother Keeton received the Hiram Award in 2010.  For the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Masonic year, he served as our Senior Deacon.

2009   John Walter Herring  Brother Herring was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised and education in Reedley.  He attended Fresno City College and later received a teaching credential from Fresno State College.  In addition to being a police officer (retired) with the Fresno Police Department, he teaches police science for the State Center Community College District

Brother Herring petitioned Las Palmas Lodge in 1973 for the degrees of Masonry and was raised on October 4, 1973.  In 1976 he was appointed to the officer's line, but due to pressing business dropped out a year later while he was Junior Steward.  It took over thirty years before he returned to the officer's line.

For the 2009 - 2010 Masonic year, he was the California Grand Orator.  He has also served on the California Masonic Homes Board.  He is the last Master of our Lodge to have been raised in Las Palmas Lodge before Ponderosa Lodge merged with Las Palmas.  After serving as our Master, he has also served for several years as our Chaplain.

2010  Robert L. Davis  Brother Davis was born in Fresno and raised in the Fresno/Clovis area.  He worked for the Fresno Police Department for 36 years, 6 months and 2 days.

He received the degrees of Masonry in Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge in 2001.

Research is being conducted on the history of this Past Master.  If you have additional information please contact the Lodge Secretary.

2011  Joseph Edward Perry, Jr.  Brother Joe was born in Fresno and lives in Kerman.  He is an Electrical Technician for PG & E.

He petitioned Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge in 2006 where he received all of his degrees.

Research is being conducted on the history of this Past Master.  If you have additional information please contact the Lodge Secretary.

2012  Steven R. High

Research is being conducted on the history of this Past Master.  If you have additional information please contact the Lodge Secretary.

In 2020, Brother High requested a demit due to religious reasons.

2013, 2014 & 2015  Richard Allen Sherrod  Brother Sherrod received the degrees of Masonry in Clovis Lodge No. 417 in 2007.  He affiliated with Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge in 2009.  Brother Sherrod was called upon to serve his second term as Master when the Senior Warden's job required him to live part time out of state.  He was needed to served his third term as Master so that he could facilitate the consolidation of Clovis Lodge No. 417 with Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge which took place on January 9, 2015.

By trade, he is a computer repair technician.

2016 & 2017  Andrew Allen Miller  Brother Miller received the degrees of Masonry in Visalia-Mineral King Lodge No. 128 in 2006 and began his Masonic journey serving as an officer there until relocating to Fresno and then transferring his membership to Las Palmas-Ponderosa in 2014. He was then elected to serve as Worshipful Master for the 2016 Masonic year, and continued to serve as Master through 2017 due to the unfortunate death of his Senior Warden in 2016.

A trained chef, Brother Miller has continued to serve our lodge as a member of the banquet committee as well as a candidates coach.  In addition Brother Miller has served as presiding officer for multiple appendant and concordant bodies throughout the central valley including both Scottish Rite and York Rite Bodies.  In 2019 he served as our Senior Warden and in 2020 he is serving as our Junior Warden.

Brother Miller has coached many candidates through their degrees.

2018  Scott Michael Fichtner    Brother Fichtner received all of his degrees in Clovis Lodge having been raised in 2013.  He was Junior Deacon in Clovis Lodge when consolidation started and when the consolidation was completed in January of 2015 he became the Senior Deacon of Las Palmas-Pondeosa Lodge. 

Brother Fichtner has a PhD and works in the agricultural chemical business.

In 2020, Brother Scott rejoined the Officer's Line in Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge as our Senior Deacon.

2019 & 2020 Joshua Harmon  In the fall of 2014, Brother Harmon petitioned Clovis Lodge No. 247 to receive the degrees of Masonry.  Because Clovis Lodge was consolidated with Las Palmas-Ponderosa on January of 2015, it turned out that he was the first candidate to be initiated in Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge after the consolidation.  He was raised in Las Palmas-Ponerosa Lodge in July of 2015.  In 2016 he started in our Officer Line as Senior Steward and worked himself up to Senior Warden in 2019.  Due to the resignation of our Master in early 2019, he was elected Worshipful Master for the remainder of 2019.  He was also elected to serve as Worshipful Master for all of 2020.

Brother Josh is an airplane mechanic for Sky West Airlines and works all over the western United States.

2021  Mark Stroup  Brother Mark petitioned Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge for the degrees of Masonry and was initiated in 2015.  He started in the officer's line in January of 2017 as Jr. Steward.  Mark learned ritual well and gave the long form 1st degree lecture along with the slide show.  Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, he was installed as Master via a virtual installation and Lodge was not able to confer degrees until mid-way during his year as Master.  He was also active in the York Rite Bodies. 

Professionally, he is a youth counselor.

  Last updated January 16, 2023

Click HERE to return to the Past Masters Index page.