USA > Indiana > Memorial and genealogical record of Representative Citizens of Indiana > Part 27
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During the years that he was in the insurance and real estate business Mr. Gerard worked hard, accomplished large results and at the same time did some serious thinking. He joined several in- surance orders and became a firm believer in fraternal insurance. Early in the nineties he conceived the idea of organizing a frater- nal insurance society in his own city of Crawfordsville. He prof- ited by his experience in selling insurance, his experience gained from membership in other fraternal societies and his wide ex- perience as a business man. He was engaged for many weeks and perhaps months in thinking over the details of the organization and in perfecting the plans which have their fruition today in the wonderful Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur, one of the largest, most flourishing and greatest fraternal insurance organizations in the world.
Mr. Gerard was the moving spirit behind this organization. Associated with him were Frank L. Snyder, who died six years ago; ex-Mayor S. E. Voris, now supreme keeper of tribute of the order, and Dr. J. F. Davidson, supreme medical examiner. Mr. Gerard was of that class of men who stood for progressive move- ments and the uplift of humanity. He was a great admirer of the late Gen. Lew Wallace; in fact, was a close personal friend of the author of "Ben-Hur," and had read and pondered on the book until he caught the uplift of the spirit of the Lowly Nazarene,
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"who went about doing good." He lived and moved among men, stirring them to enthusiastic effort, and the broad principles of brotherhood and benevolence were so deeply incarnated in him that they contributed greatly in achieving the success attained by the society from its organization, and which now is, and ever will remain, a living testimonial of his service in the cause of the fraternities, ever exemplifying their highest principles and pre- cepts. While thinking about the organization of a fraternal in- surance society, it occurred to Mr. Gerard that the story of Ben- Hur could be used as a foundation for the society. He secured the written permission of General Wallace to make such use of the story as he desired and to call his new society the Tribe of Ben- Hur. Indeed, it was Lew Wallace who suggested the name as it now is. It had been in Mr. Gerard's mind to call the order the "Knights of Ben-Hur." When the name was suggested to Gen- eral Wallace during a talk the two men had, the General placed his hand on Mr. Gerard's shoulder and said: "Well, my dear boy, there were no knights in those days. Tribes there were, however, so why wouldn't it be well to call it the 'Tribe of Ben-Hur.'" Mr. Gerard, of course, readily acquiesced, and thus the Tribe of Ben- Hur secured its name.
The supreme tribe of Ben-Hur was founded March 1, 1894, Simonides Court No. 1, of Crawfordsville, being the mother court. The society had a very meager beginning, although it was launched with flattering prospects, as Mr. Gerard had worked untiringly to secure a good list of charter members. Associated with him in the formation of the order were a number of prominent public, business and professional men of Indiana. The first supreme offi- cers elected were as follows: Supreme chief, ex-Governor Ira J. Chase; supreme scribe, F. L. Snyder; supreme medical examiner, J. F. Davidson, M. D .; supreme keeper of tribute, S. E. Voris, and an executive committee consisting of D. W. Gerard, F. L. Snyder and W. T. Royse. The election of ex-Governor Ira J. Chase as supreme chief was made at the request of Mr. Gerard, who de- sired to devote all his time to the organization work. Upon the death of Ira J. Chase, which occurred on May 11, 1895, Col. L. T. Dickason was chosen by the executive committee to fill out the unexpired term of Mr. Chase as supreme chief.
After Simonides Court had been organized and the actual start made toward securing members and writing insurance, Mr. Gerard industriously began the work of establishing other courts
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in nearby Indiana towns. That year a number of courts were or- ganized with good prospects. With beautiful ritualistic work, with emphasis placed upon sociability and good fellowship among the members and with good insurance written in attractive form and at reasonable rates, there was much in the principles of the Tribe of Ben-Hur that appealed to the people. Hard work, earn- ost offerts and many difficulties confronted the founders of the tribe the first year, but at its close the order had 759 members and there was a surplus of $2,653 in the treasury. The year of 1905 witnessed wonderful strides in the order, which pushed out and entered other states. Its membership was increased to 3,551 and its surplus to $13,945. Since then the order has flourished in a most remarkable manner. At the end of the year 1908 there were 104,250 members, while the surplus amounted to $1,174,545. The surplus was $1,403,493.40 at the close of 1909. In 1910 the society had 1,400 courts and was doing business in no less than twenty- nine states in the Union. Up to that year the total sum that had been paid to the families of deceased members was $7,013,859.38. Indeed, the growth of the society during the eighteen years of its existence has been a splendid one, having enrolled in that time considerably over a quarter of a million men and women from the thirty-odd states in which the order is now represented. The re- ports of its supreme scribe and supreme keeper of tribute under date of December 31, 1911, gave the following figures: Number of members, 119,953, in thirty-two states of the Union; insurance in force, $139,825,900; death benefits paid in 1911, 1,022, amount- ing to $1,146,124; balances, all funds, $1,651,410.71; net assets, $1,525,218. It has never shown a loss of membership or funds in any year of its existence, but on the contrary has made a steady and conservative growth, sacrificing quantity often to quality, and it stands today in the fraternal world an order famous for the personnel of its large and loyal membership.
The plan and name of the order were popular from the be- ginning. The beneficial feature was entirely new and novel; the amount of protection granted each member depended upon the age at admission, but a uniform amount of contribution was charged each member. This plan was simple, equitable and easily understood. No assessments were levied on the death of a mem- ber, but a regular stipulated sum was collected each month. An emergency fund was created from the beginning, and women were admitted on an absolutely equal basis with men.
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In 1896 Mr. Gerard was elected supreme chief of the order, and he held that important and responsible position until his death, in a manner that reflected much credit upon his ability and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned. He had endeared himself to the thousands of Ben-llur members throughout the country and one has but to attend even for a few minutes a su- preme meeting of the order to lon in what great estcom and respeet he is held.
Mr. Gerard showed his unlimited faith in fraternal insurance by carrying practically all of his fifteen thousand dollars of life insurance in fraternal orders. In founding the Tribe of Ben-Hur one of his ideas was to give insurance at more reasonable rates than is charged by old-line insurance companies. Ile studied rate table after rate table and every plan imaginable was tried out in his mind. The plans and tables of all the fraternal orders in ex- istence were studied by him, and by taking the best that was in all . of them he molded together the plans that were to be followed by the Tribe of Ben-Hur. There were many months of anxious watch- ing and sleepless nights, but they have all been rewarded.
Besides being a shrewd and capable business man and or- ganizer, Mr. Gerard was a convincing and forceful speaker and a clear and logical writer. In the eighties, while engaged in the real estate and insurance business, he became interested in "The In- diana Farmer," of Indianapolis, a publication still in existence which circulates among the farmers in Indiana and other states. He was editor of the magazine for a while and helped to make it a better, bigger and more popular paper. As soon as the supreme tribe of Ben-Hur was organized, Mr. Gerard decided to publish a monthly paper, telling the members what was being done in the society and keeping them informed with regard to matters of in- terest. Many of the best articles that have appeared in "The Chariot" have been from his able pen.
In addition to his connection with the Supreme Tribe of Ben- Hur, Mr. Gerard was also associated with a number of other busi- ness enterprises of Crawfordsville. He was a stockholder and director of the Elston National Bank, and he was one of the orig- inal stockholders of the Crawfordsville State Bank. He was one of the men most interested in the establishment of the Crawfords- ville Wire Bound Box Company.
During all these years Mr. Gerard was a very public-spirited citizen. He was interested-and deeply interested, too-in every-
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thing that has been for the welfare and best interests of the city of Crawfordsville. Ile was proud of his city, proud of her citi- zens, proud of her position as one of the best little cities of In- diana.
For years Mr. Gerard was a devout member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Crawfordsville. He held member- ship in a number of fraternal orders besides Ben-Hur, including the Foresters, Protected Home Circle, Knights and Ladies of Security, Woodmen of the World and Ancient Order of United Workmen. He also belonged to the Knights of Pythias, the Im- proved Order of Red Men and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He was a charter member of the Crawfordsville lodge of Elks.
Mr. Gerard was a man with a kind heart and a broad sym- pathy and charity. For years after his marriage his widowed mother made her home with him and he was always strongly de- voted to her. Her every wish and desire was gratified and his love for his mother was unbounded. He was also a kind and lov- ing father, strongly attached to his family and devoted to them much more than is the average father. His family consists of two daughters and one son, all of whom are married and living in Crawfordsville: Mrs. Dr. J. F. Davidson, Mrs. Charles W. Iliff and Dr. Royal H. Gerard. Mr. Gerard also leaves two brothers, Charles, of Crawfordsville, and Abner, of Long Beach, California. Wesley Gerard, of Wisconsin, is a half-brother.
Mr. Gerard was generons to a fault. He regarded truth and honor above all else. Charity and benevolence formed one of the ruling motives of his life. He was a sincere friend, a kind neigli- bor and an admirable citizen. The influences of his life will live in Crawfordsville and, in fact, in Indiana and the world through suc- ceeding generations, and the Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur will for- ever remain a lasting monument. In thinking of Mr. Gerard's life, one recalls the language the immortal Shakespeare spoke through his character Antonius:
"His life is gentle and the elements So mixed in him, that nature can stand up And say to all the world, This is a man."
At his late beautiful residence on East Main street, Craw- fordsville, Indiana, on Monday, January 3, 1910, David W. Gerard
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passed to his eternal rest, after a brief illness, his sudden taking away coming as a profound shock to thousands of friends and ad- mirers. He was sixty-six years old.
In view of the universal prominence of David W. Gerard and in order to show the widespread esteem in which he was held, we quote at some length from the eulogies pronounced upon him, re- printing briefly from a few of the many thonconds. John C. Sny- der, supreme scribe of the Tribe of Ben-Hur, said: "For fifteen years I have been connected in business with Mr. Gerard, and dur- ing that time have had occasion to know him very well indeed. Those who were closest to him can best testify to his great and generous impulses and his broad principles. I think one of his greatest virtues was his keen sympathy for his fellow men. Were they prosperous, he rejoiced with them; if unfortunate, he was al- ways ready to offer substantial aid. No movement for good was ever too great to challenge his admiration and approval; none ever too small to escape his notice. He had had a wide experience in business affairs, and I regarded him as a man of most extraordi- nary attainments. Aside from his immediate family and close relatives, to whom he was always a bulwark of safety, he will be greatly missed by his neighbors, his friends and his business asso- ciates. It is a pleasure to testify to the virtues of one so generally admired."
S. E. Voris, mentioned in preceding paragraphs, said: "I have been associated closely with Mr. Gerard in business for the past sixteen years, and I have always found him to be a man of advanced ideas. He was full of good suggestions and upon every occasion had just the right thing to suggest. He possessed won- derful energy and industry. He was a natural fraternalist and was a great believer in the brotherhood of man. He gave the closing years of his life for this great cause and he succeeded in his purpose. He was the most kind-hearted man I ever knew, and I never knew a more companionable man. It was a delight to be in his company. He was liberal and charitable and the deeds of charity which he did are many, very many. He thought ill of no one. In his death Crawfordsville loses one of her very best citi- zens."
Gilbert Howell said: "Not only his family, the Tribe of Ben- ITur, his fellow officers and his home community sustained a loss when Mr. Gerard passed over the great divide, but the fraternal world has been robbed of one of its most shining lights, brightest
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and most brilliant exponents. He was honored and loved as has been the lot of but few men, and his genial and kindly person- ality, his undaunted faithful friendship, his zealous exposition of fraternal brotherhood, have wrought mightily for good in the world, and we can truthfully say, 'He has been a friend to man." As one of the founders of the Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur he has builded a living moment in the hearts of grateful widows and orphans which will endure for ages, and by his broad vision and grasp of financial affairs, his leadership of men, the fraternal world will continue to pay him grateful homage. He was one of the pioneers whose labors have made it possible for the great fraternal army to bring sunshine and cheer into the homes dark- ened by the Grim Reaper, and although he has passed away, the work he has inaugurated, and the movement for the betterment of mankind will continue to bless and help humanity. I cannot pay a higher tribute than to say, 'He loved all men, and was by all men beloved.' "
John R. Bonnell, a member of the executive committee of the Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur, said: "Mr. Gerard was to me a man in whom I felt that 'I could pin my faith.' I regarded him in many respects as superior to all in the fraternal world. He, in my humble judgment, did more to make famous our beloved city than all others, save General Wallace."
Col. Isaac C. Elston said: "Mr. Gerard was a most kind neighbor and affectionate father, devoted to his family, with a cheerful, cordial greeting for all his friends, and was ever ready to give credit for good deeds and excuse mistakes in others. Dur- ing the past five years I have constantly met him in directors' meetings of the bank with which we have been identified, and learned to admire his business ability and respect his sound judg- ment in finance; but it was as a builder that his talents were most conspicuous, as the phenomenal growth and success of the Su- preme Tribe of Ben-Hur, promoted, organized and guided by him to its present enviable position in the insurance world, bears tes- fimony."
G. II. D. Sutherland, publisher of the "Crawfordsville Re- view, " had the following to say, editorially, in his paper on Janu- ary 4, 1910: "David W. Gerard is dead. This was the message quickly spread about the city Monday night, when the angel of the Almighty came with a message and summoned him home. With patience and fortitude he had endured the agonies that were
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his portion ere the spirit was loosed from his mortal body and dissolution was at hand. His last recognition of human counten- ance was a smile for his son.
"When the end comes for a man like 'Dave' Gerard it isn't hard, for friends at least, to say: 'Oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, grave, where is thy victory?' He is not dead. He lives on and will continue to live in the lives of succeeding generations as long as there shall be a Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur. He leaves a monument, noble and ever-increasing, which promises to flourish as long as 'the milk of human kindness' flows from human breast. He was a kindly soul. In it was a prodigal wealth of charity that knew no bounds. He lived to spread the gospel of brotherly love. He believed the highest good can be accomplished by benefiting his brother man.
"In his early business days he dealt in various kinds of in- surance and he long cherished a dream of establishing a fraternal insurance society. He studied Gen. Lew Wallace's book, 'Ben- Hur,' and pictured a beautiful ritual taken from its pages. His sympathies extended to men and women and so the organization which he founded was unrestricted as to sex. Men and women alike are taught the beautiful lesson from Ben-Hur. Launched in a year of panic, with moderate financial backing, the Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur had many an obstacle to overcome and little to encourage its founder and those intimately associated with him. But optimism is a splendid asset and Mr. Gerard had large de- posits in that bank. He surrounded himself with shrewd business men and worked indefatigably himself to get the order started. It is necessary here to refer to statistics to establish his ultimate success. He lived long enough to 'see his dreams come true.'
"Great as is the blow which the Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur has sustained in Mr. Gerard's death, the order will survive it and go majestically forward in its mission of relieving humanity of some of its ills. This is one of the best testimonials to his great- ness. The society is so thoroughly organized, so surely estab- lished, so well directed by the executive board, that its future will see nothing but development and growth.
"Mr. Gerard was an uncommon man. He started life with handicaps that have kept many men down to the level of the commonplace, but his ambition enabled him to surmount every obstacle, and first attain an education, hard enough at the best half a century ago. That prepared him for advancement later
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on. No one loved Crawfordsville more than David W. Gerard. Hle invested his means here and he predicted growth, development and prosperity as her portion in the years to come. lle was ever ready with a word of encouragement for any young man who would make his home here and attempt to assist in building up the city. Mr. Gerard was thoroughly honest. The Supreme Tribe of ben-ifur has a ciean record, free from any suspicion of grant, during its entire life of sixteen years. He did not attempt to take advantage of his position and influence to advance his own in- terests. Ile stood ever for the good of the order, desiring that every member should share in its prosperity and growth.
"Crawfordsville will miss this kindly man. He was sociable and none was so humble but shared in his pleasant greeting. His smile and his handshake carried with them sincerity and warmth of hearty good feeling. His family and his relatives are assured that they have the sympathy of the citizens of Crawfordsville in this, the hour of their affliction."
The second day of the seventh regular meeting of the Su- preme Tribe of Ben-Hur, Wednesday, May 22, 1910, a report was made by the memorial committee, which was unanimously adopt- ed, and five thousand copies of a "Memorial Volume" were or- dered printed, containing report of said committee, and inchuid- ing the remarks offered by some of the members present upon that occasion. We reprint the closing lines of the committee's report: "This great society of the Sons and Daughters of Hur will forever be a living monument to his matchless genius and wisdom. IIe builded wiser than he knew or even dreamed, be- cause he builded upon the eternal principles of truth, benevolence and honor. He discovered the gate to the paradise of God open wide, and the words 'whosoever will, let him enter, and partake of the fruit of the life-giving tree in the midst thereof;' he seized opportunity, sat beneath that tree and plucked therefrom the fruit that inspired him to see visions and dream dreams. For he was a man of visions and prophecy, an optimist of the highest type and character. In his visions he saw and prophesied the coming of the great and glorious Tribe of Ben-Hur, and lived to see his visions and prophecies realized and fulfilled. In the ad- vaneing ages the glory of his achievement and worth will come to be more and more realized and appreciated by the coming gen- erations. So long as civilization shall endure, so long as men and women continue to band themselves together to provide protec-
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tion for their loved ones against the evil day; so long as the his- torian faithfully records the origin and work of great movements, having for their objeet the betterment of mankind, morally and mentally, so long will his name and fame remain.
"This is his own monument, builded by himself out of the thoughts of his great soul, and the principles he advocated and the works he wrought; a memorial muse worthy and of more en- during substance than that of marble or of metal.
"And while he needs no other, it appears to the committee that this great tribe of the Sons and Daughters of Ilu, who were contemporary with him, and who knew him best and are enjoying the fruits of his services and sacrifices; that it would be eminently fitting and proper that we should leave to future gen- erations some kind of token, memento or memorial, expressive of the appreciation, high regard and esteem in which he was held by us; a monument worthy of him, worthy of our great order and its matchless principles. Whatever we may think, say or do in this regard, in the death of Brother Gerard it can be truly said, in the language of one of old, 'A prince and a great man has fallen in Israel.' "
At the memorial meeting above referred to many were the appropriate eulogies pronounced on Mr. Gerard, but space for- bids more than a cursory glance at them in the following para- graphs:
G. I. Kisner, of Terre Haute, Indiana: "We offer up our prayers and our tears for those who have preceded us in their de- parture from this world. Their accomplishments and their valor is given unto us upon monuments of marble, or granite, or per- chance, cast in bronze, but the achievements of those to whom we have been united are handed down to us in our hearts which shall be enduring as long as time shall last and they shall weather all the storms of life. Their achievements will inspire us on to higher realms in this old world. Those of us who are particularly united by the ties of fraternity feel deeply this loss. To alleviate suffering and want, to bring cheer, and joy and sunshine into the hearts and the homes of the people of this world, have they not thus builded well? Otherwise we would not have the Tribe of Ben-Hur and these other fraternal organizations thriving throughout our land. So let us cherish their memory, imitate their virtues and endeavor to profit by the afflicting dispensation of Jehovah."
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Hon. Charles L. Wedding, Evansville, Indiana: "The fra- ternal world may well stand with uncovered head about the new- ly-made grave of our great leader, David W. Gerard. And now that this great spirit, our great leader, has gone from among us let us highly resolve that the great work he has done shall live after him, for indeed his labor, his achievements and his life of toil for brotherly love, for fraternity and for our Immanity, should be and are a more enduring monument to his memory than sculp- tured marble or the eternal granite. And let us pray that this great order, founded by our great leader, and for which he did such herculean work, shall, like the orbs that constitute the Milky Way, grow brighter and brighter, as the ages pass away; that it shall become a vast and splendid monument of 'peace on earth and good will to men,' of fraternity, of brotherly love, upon which the men and women of all after-times may gaze with admiration forever."
Hon. Michael P. Kehoe, Baltimore, Maryland: "Our de- parted chief, at first, although he saw nothing but opposition con- front him, never for a moment faltered in what he considered to be his duty, but pushed onward this magnificent order, which was indeed his life work. We can only hope and accept the great truths that have been sent to us by the Master, looking for life beyond, and I am sure, in the light of the work and character of our late departed chief, living as he did and considering the work he performed, if there is such a thing as the glorious life beyond, there must be an everlasting place prepared for him who is gone."
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