Woodmen of the world gravestones

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


Allen County, Indiana Cemeteries

Woodmen of the World Tombstones


Copied from Tombstone Tuesday: Modern Woodmen of America by Amy Johnson Crow.

Story of the Tree Stump Tombstones at HistoricHouston.


Tree-Stump Tombstones: A Field Guide to Rustic Funerary Art in Indiana
(Kokomo, 1999) by Susanne S Ridlen, a folklorist at Indiana University Kokomo, identified over 2,400 of these headstones in Indiana.It is one of several interesting titles at Tombstones and Folklore Resources American Cemeteries and Tombstones: Books from the IU Folklore Collection that contains more than 850 books, audio recordings, web resources, and serials on the general subject of death and dying. in the Indiana University Archives Exhibit at Indiana University Bloomington. Tree-stump tombstones : a field guide to rustic funerary art in Indiana by Susanne S. Ridlen is available in The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.


Why Some Gravestones Are Shaped Like Tree Stumps
When nature and secret societies get together. By Sarah Laskow posted July 17, 2018 on Atlas Obscura.


Woodmen of the World and the Tree Stone Grave Markers
posted by Joy Neighbors June 21, 20


"Over the years, the once popular gravestones have become a rarity. Woodmen gravestones are still scattered in cemeteries throughout the United States. But in Laredo, Texas, there is a special section of the city cemetery reserved for Woodmen members that has been there for more than 40 years. Lodge members built an ornate concrete fence around the area and planted rose bushes for decoration. A committee from the lodge takes care of the upkeep.

"A cemetery for Woodmen members also exists near Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Located at Land Between the Lakes, a strip of Tennessee Valley Authority land between the Kentucky and Barkley Lakes is maintained by four area lodges. Many lodge members across the country take time to keep Woodmen gravestones in their area from decaying.

"Although the monument benefit is not longer included in Woodmen Life Insurance certificates, the Society does not let graves go unmarked. The same Woodmen emblem is still available, fitted with pegs, for attaching to an existing stone. Regardless of its shape or size, Woodmen gravestones serve as a lasting tribute to its members and the ideals of Woodcraft. They als