Answer to Masonic Conundrum #106
The Wayfaring Brother: Burl Ives, Freemason and Voice of the Season
(with assistance from ChatGPT)
I walked with a limp and a bag full of cheer, Narrated a snowman we still hold dear.
A folk singer, an actor, a voice you all know, Especially when winter begins with a glow.
The answer to the last Masonic conundrum is Brother Burl Ives—the beloved folk singer, actor, and narrator whose warm baritone voice has become inseparable from the holiday season. Brother Ives was also a dedicated Freemason who rose to the highest honors of the Scottish Rite.
Resonating with key ideas of our craft, his story is one of music, traveling, storytelling, and brotherhood.
Those who answered correctly include: WB Todd Mayer (Anoka Lodge No. 30), WB Scott Rich (Mizpah Lodge No. 191), WB David Larsen (Caledonia Lodge No. 20), Bro. Jim Johnson (Mystic Lodge No. 213), WB Jerry Johnson (Accacia Lodge No. 51),WB Mark Moriarty (Arcana Lodge No. 187), WB Joel Porter (Lebanon Lodge #346), Bro. John Clafton (Itasca lodge #208), WB Mark Campbell (Cataract Lodge No.2), WB Adam Martin (Accacia Lodge No. 51), WB Derek Berg (Mystic Star #69), WB Al Farmer (Ionic No. 186), Bro. Steve White (Meridian Lodge No. 25), WB Harlan Brand (Templar Lodge #176)
Life History
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was born on June 14, 1909, near Hunt City in Jasper County, Illinois. Raised in a farming family, he grew up in an environment rich with music and storytelling. His mother and grandmother knew many traditional folk songs of Irish, Scottish, and English origin, and young Burl absorbed them eagerly.
According to family stories, Ives’ first public performance happened almost by accident. While singing at a family gathering, a visiting uncle heard his powerful voice and encouraged him to perform before a larger audience. The crowd’s enthusiastic reaction convinced the young boy that music might someday become more than a hobby.
Ives briefly attended Eastern Illinois State Teachers College (today Eastern Illinois University), but academic life did not hold his interest for long. One famous account describes how he left school suddenly after a disagreement with a professor and set off across the country with his guitar and banjo.
For several years he wandered the United States, performing wherever he could and learning traditional songs from people he met along the way. This period shaped his musical identity. Ives collected hundreds of folk songs, preserving melodies and lyrics that might otherwise have faded into obscurity. His experiences inspired one of the titles that would become closely associated with him: “The Wayfaring Stranger.” The name perfectly captured the image of a wandering musician carrying stories and music across the American landscape.
By the late 1930s and early 1940s, Burl Ives’ voice was gaining national attention. Radio proved to be a perfect medium for his style of storytelling and music. His program The Wayfaring Stranger introduced audiences to traditional folk songs and ballads that had rarely been heard outside rural communities. Soon Broadway and Hollywood followed.
Ives appeared in stage productions such as The Boys from Syracuse and Irving Berlin’s wartime musical This Is the Army. His film career grew steadily, eventually leading to one of his most acclaimed performances in the 1958 Western The Big Country. For his role as Rufus Hannassey, Burl Ives received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, solidifying his reputation as both a singer and a serious actor. Despite these successes, he never abandoned his roots in folk music.
The Voice of Christmas
For millions of people, Burl Ives is forever connected with the holiday season. His recording of “A Holly Jolly Christmas” became one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time. Even decades later, it remains a staple of holiday radio.
Yet perhaps his most enduring role came in 1964 when he voiced Sam the Snowman in the stop-motion television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Serving as the narrator of the story, Ives guided viewers through the tale with warmth, humor, and music. The special has been broadcast annually for generations, ensuring that his voice returns every winter as families gather to watch.
Burl Ives the Freemason
His Masonic journey began early. In 1927 he joined the Order of DeMolay, a Masonic youth organization dedicated to teaching leadership, character, and service. Later he became a Mason himself and was raised in Magnolia Lodge No. 242 in Santa Barbara, California.
Brother Ives continued his Masonic journey by joining the Scottish Rite, York Rite, and the Shrine where his dedication to the fraternity earned him increasing recognition. In 1987 he received the 33° Inspector General Honorary. Even more notably, he was later awarded the Grand Cross of the Court of Honor for exceptional contributions to fraternity and to humanity.
It is Brother Burl Ives, the wayfaring singer whose voice helped shape American music and whose life serves as a reminder that the spirit of brotherhood can travel far beyond the lodge room. Every winter, when the familiar voice of Sam the Snowman begins a story once more, we hear not only a cherished entertainer—but also the voice of a Brother.
Sources
Burl Ives. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burl_Ives
Alan Lomax Archive – Burl Ives Biography. https://www.culturalequity.org/alan-lomax/friends/ives
“Burl Ives: An American Original.” Grace Dee May.
https://www.gracedeemay.org/post/burl-ives-an-american-original
Kids Encyclopedia – Burl Ives. https://kids.kiddle.co/Burl_Ives
Scottish Rite Journal Archives – The Masonic Progress of Burl Icle Ives
Masonry Today – Today in Masonic History: Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives https://www.masonrytoday.com
Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction Records https://scottishrite.org
DeMolay International Hall of Fame Records http://demolay.org
Midnight Freemasons : Bro. Burl Ives: A Visit to His Final Resting Place http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2012/05/bro-burl-ives-visit-to-his-final_20.html
Conundrum 107 – Please send your answers to MasonicConundrum@gmail.com. Remember to include your name, Masonic title, and your lodge name and number. Example: WB Brad Phelps (Rochester Lodge No. 21)
I am not famous for building or speech, But for disappearing just out of reach. My absence became a storm of fear,
And made an old fraternity suddenly dear—Or dangerous, depending on who drew near.
Find first the scandal, the outrage, the cry,
The movement that swelled and then reached too high.
Then name the man whose fate lit the spark,
Though his end itself still lives in the dark.