Editorial: Moose Lodge will be missed as friend to our community

On May 5, the members of the Belleville Moose Lodge are expected to vote to dissolve their charter. This is a sad day in the community.
The Moose was organized in Belleville on Nov. 26, 1945 and would have celebrated its 75th anniversary last November. But, COVID-19 got in the way, shutting down the meeting place and ultimately the fraternal organization.
The Moose first built on the property at 460 E. Huron River Dr. in the city of Belleville, now the home of David C. Brown Funeral Home. David Brown said he bought the site from the Moose in 1981 and the Moose moved down the street to 831 E. Huron River Dr. on the lake.
That property was bought from the Moose by the BYC private men’s club in 2013, after the Moose had a loss in members due to the economy and also had some financial woes of its own. It took some time to find a place to settle and the reluctant Sumpter Township Board of Trustees finally agreed to sell the former PNA Hall to them on a land contract.
The Moose Lodge now is at the corner of Sumpter and Harris roads and that’s where members will meet to close the story on the group that has benefitted the community for years. We find stories in our files about the many, many benefits held by the Moose to help the VBT Dive Team, Boy Scout groups, soldiers in action, etc. We will miss the Moose.