Estate Jewelry Ruby Masonic Ring

Estate Jewelry

Ruby

Masonic

Ring

by Samuel E. Warren Jr.

The Ring

Samuel E. Warren — Mason– Reagan Lodge — Houston, Texas —

This is a front view of a ruby Masonic ring that was owned by Samuel E. Warren of the Reagan Lodge in Houston, Texas. It is an estate jewelry item offered on Jewelry by Christy on Etsy.

Photo by Christy Warren

The Masonic ring contains a ruby set in a ten karat yellow gold band. My father, Samuel E. Warren owned this Masonic ring. During a work related accident, his first Masonic ring got hung up in some equipment and had to be cut off his finger.

This is a profile view of a ruby Masonic ring that was owned by Samuel E. Warren of the Reagan Lodge in Houston, Texas. It is an estate jewelry item offered on Jewelry by Christy on Etsy. Photo by Christy Warren.

This ring is his second ring. The ring is circa 1945 to 1960.

The ring size is unknown – possibly a 10 – it is a big ring that looks as though it could be sized to fit.

Daddy was a member of the Reagan Lodge in Houston, Texas, so the ring may have been ordered through the lodge or purchased from a jeweler in Houston or Gilmer, Texas. 

According to family history, he joined the Masons after he returned to the United States from World War II.

He followed in the footsteps of his father, Joseph Samuel Warren, who was a Mason of the Bethesda Lodge of Gilmer, Texas.

This is a profile view of a ruby Masonic ring that was owned by Samuel E. Warren of the Reagan Lodge in Houston, Texas. In this photograph, Samuel E. Warren Jr., wears his father's ring to show this profile view. The size of the ring is obviously too large for the wearer's hand. It is an estate jewelry item offered on Jewelry by Christy on Etsy. Photo by Christy Warren.

The Man – Samuel E. Warren

Samuel E. Warren was born January 20, 1920 in Simpsonville, Texas. He grew up on a farm, the little brother of two sisters: Georgia and Agnes.

The son of Joseph Samuel and Elizabeth Warren, he worked as a short haul truck driver making cargo deliveries to Tyler, Kilgore, Gladewater, Mount Pleasant and Gilmer, Texas.

In 1945, Sam’s “Uncle Sam” called. He got “drafted.” After boot camp at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, he served in combat in the European Theater of Operations, which involved a tour of duty in Italy.

Once the war in Europe ended, Sam was sent into the Pacific Theater of Operations. As a noncommissioned officer in the United States Army Signal Corps, he served tours of duty in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. He is one of the Army linemen who strung telephone lines into the rural areas of the Philippines.

This Cameron Iron Works 20 Years Service pin was awarded to Samuel E. Warren, who worked as a "heat treater" at the company in Houston, Texas. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.

After the war, Sam got a job at Cameron Iron Works in Houston, Texas. He worked in the area where hot, molten metal was poured to create tools. He was a workaholic.

After work, he would come home and freshen up before going to his night job.

He was a bartender and part time bouncer at Cook’s Hoedown night club in Houston for years. When Cook’s finally closed their doors, he went to work at the Dome Shadow, near the famous Astrodome in Houston.

Sam, a Capricorn, was always a quite man, who spoke in an even tempered voice. He owned Chevrolet trucks, usually in a two tone color pattern of light blue and white.

On the job, he wore a starched and pressed light blue uniform with the white circular patch and the red embroidered name: Sam.

Away from the job, Sam’s blond crew cut found rest under his gray stockman’s Stetson. His view of casual, everyday attire was a western shirt, and black shined cowboy boots. 

Whether he wore khaki pants or denim jeans they had to be starched and have a crease ironed in – down the center of both legs. Uncle Sam and Samuel E. Warren  may not have always seen eye to eye – Daddy didn’t like President LBJ.  Nonetheless, Samuel E. Warren’s civilian clothes always had a military appearance. 

His Liberty Head Silver Dollar buckle created an unmistakeable military gig line.  He wore a traditional brown leather western belt — but, the name: WARREN — was stamped in the leather on the back of the belt.

Samuel E. Warren was a husband and a father, who worked hard all his life. He complained about politics and was always ready to help out a friend or a neighbor. He survived The Great Depression and the combat of World War II. He was kind to kids and liked animals. He was proud, when as a teenager, I joined the Ozarks Chapter of the Order of De Molay. He took pride in being a Mason.

The Legacy

The kind of man, Samuel E. Warren – Daddy – was, I believe, he would of wanted his ruby Masonic ring to be on the hand of a young Mason ready and willing to make a difference in his community and the world.

Thus, hopefully, whoever buys the ring will be a young Mason or a family member who will give it to a young Mason. If you are interested in the ring, you will find it and the price listed in my wife’s Etsy shop Jewelry by Christy http://www.etsy.com/listing/76511556/vintage-estate-jewelry-ruby-masonic-ring

This is a profile view of a ruby Masonic ring that was owned by Samuel E. Warren of the Reagan Lodge in Houston, Texas. In this photograph, the 10K designation is obvious on the inside of the yellow gold band. It is an estate jewelry item offered on Jewelry by Christy on Etsy. Photo by Christy Warren.

Sam