MOOSEHEART MAGAZINE
16
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What Mooseheart Means
By LOUIS HARVISON, Mooseheart Student
Before going Brother Baldoek told his wife to take care of the children and should anything happen to him—there was Mooseheart.
The fire swept closer and closer to the Baldoek home. Before the children and mother could escape, the fire had surrounded them. Mrs. Bal-dock realizing the great danger, took her three children and placed them in a largo horse trough filled with water, and covered them with a wet horse blanket. This would ■ afford some protection against the flames and the terrific heat. The home of these unfortunates caught fire and was consumed in a short while. The flames came nearer and nearer to the trough. The brave mother, without fear of death, calmly waited and watched her children.
Late that evening the fire had been extinguished. Among the fire fighters to escape death was Brother Baldoek. He was anxious about his wife and children. He could not endure the thought of his loved ones being somewhere in that devastated timber region and so battled his way through (Continued on Page 26)
The following story is one of the saddest ever written about the circumstances of • children before coming to Mooseheart. It proves that Mooseheart does afford protection to the children of the deceased members of the Loyal Order of Moose. It shows the advantage of being a Moose.
Bro. W. E. Baldoek was a member in good standing of Baker, Oregon, Lodge No. 495. He was a married man and with his wife and three girls lived in California’s timbered land. Often fires would start in this timber and many times endangered the lives of the Baldoek family. Brother Bal-dock assured his wife that should anything happen to him that she and the children would find a place at Mooseheart, the wonderful home of the Loyal Order of Moose.
In the fall of 1917 there came one of the largest and most destructive forest fires in California. It burned for several days destroying everything that was in its path. As it was nearing the Baldoek property Brother Baldoek, with several other men left their homes to fight the fire.