Woodmen of the world headstone
Woodmen of the World (WOW) is a fraternal organization founded by Joseph Cullen Root in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska. Root had earlier founded another fraternal group known as Modern Woodmen of America (MWA). The organization bids insurance to its members and helps those in need.
In cemeteries you will sometimes see gravestones with “Here Lies a Woodman of the World” engraved on them. Usually these will be accompanied by a symbol love the example below. Logs, along with axes and other woodworking tools, are common motifs. Sometimes the grave markers themselves will be in the shape of logs or tree stumps. These are called “treestones.” The symbol below includes the Latin Woodmen phrase “Dum Tacet Clamat,” which means “Though Silent He Speaks.”
Photo: from the headstone of James Stewart (1856-1908), Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado
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Washington Cemetery, Woodmen of the World
If you have spent any time in older cemeteries you probably saw a number of gravestones in the shape of a tree stump. If you wondered where they came from, here is the story. In 1890 Joseph Cullen Root founded Woodmen of the World, a fraternal benefit organization, the purpose of which was to make life insurance affordable to everyone. From 1890 until 1900 the policy included a tombstone. For adults the stones were made to look like tree stumps and came in a variety of styles and heights. For children a stack of three logs was typical. Members could select from a variety of headstones offered by the Organization. Plans would be sent to a stonemason near the cemetery where the Woodman was to be buried.
Washington Cemetery, Woodmen of World symbols
The stump was decorated with a variety of symbols of WOW including axes,mauls (a heavy wooden headed hammer used to drive wedges when splitting wood) and other woodworking instruments. Often you may see a dove of peace with an olive branch. The WOW motto, Dum Tacet Clamet (“Though silent he speaks”), on a round medallion is used quite often. Sometimes the phrase “Here Res
Exploring the Legacy of Woodmen of the World and its Unique Headstones
Charles H. Huggins was born March 15, 1863 in Illinois to William and Martha Huggins. He spent his entire boyhood in Illinois. In 1885 he married Addie Ray in Marion, Illinois. By 1900 the couple had moved to Cripple Creek, Colorado where Charles was working as a carpenter. He died August 13, 1906 and was buried in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Cripple Creek. He was a member of Woodmen of the World and his grave is marked by a distinctive Woodmen of the World tombstone which is surrounded by a small grove of Aspen trees.
The Woodmen of the World is a fraternal organization that was founded in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska by Joseph Cullen Root, who was a clerk for the district court.
After hearing a sermon about "pioneer woodsmen clearing away the forest to provide for their families", Root wanted to start a society that "would clear away problems of financial security for its members". The first type of benefit the organization provided was a death benefit to help cover burial costs. The first death claim was paid to the mother of a 19-year-old drowning victim in Niles, Michigan.
One of the distinctive feature
Woodmen of the World Memorial marker - Brotze, Felix – October 3, 1879 – April 9, 1916
Bracht-Stapper-Rhodius Cemetery, Schertz, Bexar County, Texas
Felix Brotze was the son of Otto Brotze and Josephine Pfeil. He married Laura Stapper [1882-1967] who was the daughter of Julian Stapper and Emma Meurin Stapper and the granddaughter of Eduard Stapper and Felicitas Bracht Stapper)
Woodmen of the World Memorial markers signify that the deceased individual was a member of the Woodmen of the World organization. Originally markers were provided at no charge to the members but as prices for materials increased a charge of $100 was added to the member’s Woodmen of the World certificate. In the 1920’s the organization discontinued the practice of providing markers and added the $100 as a benefit to the insurance policy. However, for many years, members and lodges continued providing the marker.
When Joseph Cullen Root founded Woodmen in the late 1800s, he envisioned an organization dedicated to helping its fellow man. Its purpose was "to minister to the afflicted to relieve distress; to cast a sheltering arm about the defenseless living; ... to encourage broad charitable views...
What is a Woodman of the World Headstone?
Almost every cemetery in the U.S. will have at least one Woodman headstone. The Woodmen of the World was founded as a fraternal organization that provided financial security to its members in times of need. The organization sold insurance, especially for people in high-risk occupations, and many of the policies included riders for a tombstone. In Colorado, the very common high-risk occupation was mining. The organization was committed to the motto "no Woodmen shall rest in an unmarked grave."
From about 1890 until the 1920s, the insurance organization commissioned markers for its members. These markers were provided free of charge, and varied greatly in size and shape. Most commonly, they resembled a tree stump or a stack of cut wood. Some are elaborate hand-carved trees, with fine detailing. Others were simple stone markers, with the Woodman emblem.
The craftsmen received the standardized designs from the organization, but, often modified the designs. The result was a a treasury of beautifully carved tombstones.
Not all the markers carved as trees are Woodman of the World headstones. Woodmen of the World markers have the society's