Justus H. Rathbone
1839–1889 (age 50)
Fraternal Organization Founder
Biography
Justus H. Rathbone drew on his experiences as a teacher and government clerk to found the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order dedicated to loyalty, friendship, and benevolence during a turbulent decade.
He believed that ordinary citizens could lift one another through shared ritual and care, a vision that comforted members long after his resting place at New Forest Cemetery was prepared.