History of Sethos Court No. 105
On Wednesday evening, April 30, 1947, wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of Nobles
of Sethos Temple #170 met at Brown’s Funeral Home, on 7th Street, to organize Sethos
Club and receive information on procedures for setting up a Court. Noble Clark S. Brown,
the appointed Advisor who later became our first Illustrious Advisor, was designated to
preside and hold election of temporary officers as follows: President-Mrs. Thelma Critten
Cobb, Vice President-Mrs. Dorothy Mitchell, Secretary-Mrs. Cornetta Hawkins, Treasurer-
Mrs. Mollie Poag. Meetings continued at Brown’s Funeral Home and later at Pythian Hall,
at 7th and Chestnut Streets.
Charter Members
Thelma Critten Cobb - Illustrious Commandress (President)
Dorothy Mitchell - Vice President – 1st Lt. Commandress
Cornetha Hawkins - Secretary
Mollie Poag - Treasurer
Mable Allen
Pauline Benbow
Marie Brown
Sarah Johnson
Sarah Grace Johnson
Petronell Jones
Bernice Murrell
Julia F. Quick
On July 30, 1947, members of Sethos Club were initiated by Khalif Court, No. 90 and
thereafter known as Sethos Court No. 105. Sethos Temple gave an elaborate banquet at
the Flamingo in honor of the new Daughters of the Order. The Charter was issued on
August 16, 1947 with 13 Charter members. The black camel of Death has removed all
Charter members.
In 1953 Sethos Court and Temple were recognized for having more Imperial Officers than
any other Court and Temple in the Desert of North Carolina. Sethos Court has had 42 Past
Commandresses of which 16 are active, three are inactive and 23 are deceased.
Since 1961, the major fund raising project has been the Annual Queens’ Contest. We have
had 42 Queens of Sethos Court. Our First Queen was Dt. Sarah Grace Johnson. Dt.
Vivian Kelly-Surratt represented the Court in the Centennial Queen Contest. Our reigning
Queen is Dt. Monica Funderburk.
Sethos Court and Sethos Temple have hosted 10 North Carolina Gala Days (excluding the
Regional and Mid-Atlantic). The last two Gala Days in our Oasis were in 2000 and 2004.
On June 28, 1997 the Court held a 50th Anniversary Celebration Banquet. June 7-8, 2002,
Sethos Court held a 55th Anniversary Celebration honoring Daughters with 30 plus years
of Service. In 2008 and 2009, Sethos Court was awarded Desert Court of the Year. Dt.
Marie Matthews was the first Directress of the Isiserettes Club chartered on March 27,
1999, and in 2001 under the leadership of Dt. Audrey Jones held their first Harvest Ball.
Past Imperial Deputy for the Oasis
Bernice Murrell - 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Doris Robinson - 1978 - 1988
Ruby Rogers - 1989
Josephine Jones - 1991-1993
Juanita Archie - 1994, 1995, 1996-1997
Thelma Cooper - 1998
Queen Cooper - 1999, 2002, 2003
Larn Dillard - 2000, 2001
Yvette Tolliver - 2004 – 2010
Ruby Charles - 2011-
Past Imperial Deputy for the Desert
Mollie Poag* - 1949 - 1966
Bernice Murrell* - 1966-1972
Doris Robinson - 1997
Past Elected Imperial Officers
Ruby L. Rogers, Imperial Recordress - 2004-2011
Past Appointed Imperial Officers
Bernice D. Murrell* - Imperial Regional Directress 1973
Wyvonia Attucks - Imperial Marshal 1997 – current
Carol Henry - Imperial Nurse