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C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°
1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20009-3103
An unusual donation by an American Mason has
greatlybenefited the Scottish Rite and Freemasonryin the Republic
of Honduras,Central America.
 Photo:
Brother Gary E. Este, 32°, at his exotic flower plantation
in Honduras, C.A.
Bro. Gary Edmond Este, 32°, truly reflects the international
and philanthropic nature of Freemasonry. He is a longtime member
of Frankfurt on the Main Lodge No. 861, Frankfurt, Germany, and
the American Military Scottish Rite Bodies, Orient of NATO Bases.
In addition, he has lived in the Republic of Honduras, Central
America, for the last 23 years and only recently returned to the
United States, taking up residence where he was born, Grass Valley,
California. Early in his life, he joined the U.S. Military and
was decorated for meritorious service in the United States (Fort
Carson, Colorado) Vietnam, and Europe (Third Armored Division,
Frankfurt, Germany). After retirement from the military, he spent
six years in overseas employment in the South Seas, Africa, and
Saudi Arabia. In 1978, he moved to the Republic of Honduras, originally
planted cocoa and coffee, but then turned to the cultivation and
sale of exotic flowers.
Recently, upon leaving his ongoing business in Honduras, he donated
his fully furnished country home, the home of his farm foreman,
and three warehouses to the Supreme Council, 33°, for the
Republic of Honduras, C.A. Commenting on this unexpected act of
generosity, Ill. Peter W. Frohmader, 33°, Sovereign Grand
Commander, Supreme Council, 33°, for the Republic of Honduras,
recently wrote to me saying, in part: "Even in these times
of tribulation, we find examples of extraordinary selflessness
and immeasurable brotherly love. A simple and humble man, a man
of great character and indeclinable moral values, Bro. Este decided
to donate the result of 23 years of hard work, sweat, and tears
to our Supreme Council. I tried to dissuade him from making this
decision, but he had made up his mind. The flower farm he donated
to us is a beautiful piece of property, valued at over $200,000
U.S., of about 12 acres located 3,000 feet above sea level and
overlooking Yojoa Lake, about 50 miles south of San Pedro Sula,
the second largest city and main port of the Republic of Honduras.
"Bro. Gary is not a rich man, but he has given up this property
for the love of his fellowman, and we will try by all means to
conserve his beautiful plantation as the botanical garden he meant
it to be. We will not find another Bro. Gary to take care of the
estate, but we will hire an agricultural expert, who is also a
Mason, to continue achieving the property's self-sufficiency through
the production and sale of exotic flowers."
Bro. Gary says the main reason for his donation was to support
the Scottish Rite and encourage Masonic membership generally.
He hopes others will follow his example and come to the support
of the Craft, both personally and financially.
During his many years in Honduras, he was a welcome visitor to
the Scottish Rite Valley of San Pedro Sula and Miguel Paz Baraona
Lodge No. 2. He is also a member of Moslah Shrine Temple, Fort
Worth, Texas, and the Scottish Rite Research Society.
Congratulations, Brother Gary! Your service and dedication to
the Scottish Rite, Freemasonry, and America are deeply appreciated!
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