I am out of commission for a couple of weeks, due to hand surgery. Today's blog post, about Woodmen of the World, was originally published in 2011.
If you visit cemeteries often, you’ve probably noticed the tree stone monuments, especially in the West, Midwest and South. As mentioned last Friday, two organizations are given credit for their proliferation, Modern Woodmen of America and Woodmen of the World. Today we’ll explore the group that is responsible for the sheer number of them and why.
If you visit cemeteries often, you’ve probably noticed the tree stone monuments, especially in the West, Midwest and South. As mentioned last Friday, two organizations are given credit for their proliferation, Modern Woodmen of America and Woodmen of the World. Today we’ll explore the group that is responsible for the sheer number of them and why.
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| Joseph Cullen Root |
Joseph
Cullen Root originally founded the first group, Modern Woodmen of
America (MWA), because he wanted to create a fraternal benefit society
that would "bind in one association the Jew and the Gentile, the Catholic and the Protestant, the agnostic and the atheist." While
he succeeded with MWA being that type of organization, heated arguments
resulted in Root and another man being evicted from the society.
Joseph
Cullen Root originally founded the first group, Modern Woodmen of
America (MWA), because he wanted to create a fraternal benefit society
that would "bind in one association the Jew and the Gentile, the Catholic and the Protestant, the agnostic and the atheist." While
he succeeded with MWA being that type of organization, heated arguments
resulted in Root and another man being evicted from the society.
 |
| Woodmen |
Root
kept the name ‘woodmen’ because he was inspired by a sermon that talked
about “woodmen clearing the forest to provide for their
families.” Root saw Woodmen of the World as being an organization that
would “clear away problems of financial security for its members.”
 |
| Supreme Forest Woodmen Circle |
A
women’s auxiliary for WOW was known as the Supreme Forest Woodmen
Circle. It was founded in 1892. In 1895, Root and F.A. Falkenburg took
control of the Circle and reformed it into the Woodmen Circle, which
was incorporated into a separate fraternal benefit society. In 1965,
Woodmen of the World acquired it.
 |
| Neighbors of Woodcraft |
Another
women’s auxiliary was formed in 1897, known as the Women of
Woodcraft. This organization encompassed nine western states. In 1917
the Women of Woodcraft changed its name to the Neighbors of Woodcraft,
to reflect the fact that both men and women were accepted in the
group. Neighbors of Woodcraft merged with Woodmen of the World in 2001.
 |
| Woodmen of the World Building |
Woodmen
of the World occupied the tallest building in Omaha, and the tallest
building between Chicago and the West Coast, (19 stories) for many
years. In 1969 their current 30-story building was constructed. It
remained Omaha’s tallest structure until 2002.
 |
| Woodmen of the World Meeting |
Similar
to the Modern Woodmen of America, WOW became involved in the community
by routinely holding dinners, dances and society events. The
organization also provided college scholarships for high school students
and held summer camps for local youth. By the beginning of the
twentieth century, WOW had close to 1-million members and over 3,000
chapters or ‘lodges’ across the country. By the 1920’s over one-quarter
of American families belonged to some type of fraternal organization or
society.
 |
| WOW Radio |
In
1922, WOW began it’s own radio station, WOAW, as a way to reach out to
thousands of people at one time. At that time, WOAW’s 500-watt signal
reached ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In 1926 the call
letters were changed to WOW and the power was increased to 1,000
watts. In 1935 WOW was granted the right to operate at 5,000 watts,
making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the country.
 |
| Johnny Carson |
Then
in 1949, the broadcasting company decided to launch WOW-TV. One of the
first performers on the television station was local resident, Johnny
Carson, who had a daily show called The Squirrel’s Nest. Meredith
Corporation bought out the radio and TV station in 1958. In 1999, the
Journal Broadcast Group from Milwaukee purchased the stations and the
historic call letters were changed.
The
Woodmen of the World organization was probably best known for its
gravestones. From 1890 to 1900, WOW’s life insurance policies had a
proviso that provided for the grave markers, free of charge for
members. From 1900 to the mid- 1920’s, members purchased a $100 rider
to cover the cost of the monument. By the mid-20’s, the organization
had discontinued the grave marker benefit due to the increased cost of
the stones.
The
society designed a four to five foot high tree trunk monument pattern
for adults and three stacked logs for children. WOW would send a copy
of the pattern to the local stone carver in the deceased woodman’s
hometown, so that all of the tree stones would be similar in
appearance. 
But other decorations were added to the tree trunk, thereby making each marker more individualistic. Many
times, the tree stone pattern was altered; sized differently, cut in a
different manner, or branches were added or broken off each time a
family member was buried.
Symbols
found on the tree stones include axes, mauls, wedges, any type of tool
used in woodworking. (An occupation, hobby or interest in the wood
industry has never been required to be a member of Woodmen of the
World.) Doves became popular and are also found on many WOW tree
stones.
WOW
later created a simpler template of a log that would rest atop a
regular gravestone. The WOW motto “Dum Tacet Clamet,” meaning, “Though
silent, he speaks” was inscribed on the log. Members could order the
log to be placed on a deceased woodman’s regular grave marker. A woodman
emblem is now available and can be attached to a regular gravestone.
Root declared that June 6th of
each year to be ‘Woodmen Memorial Day” and woodmen who had died should
be remembered and honored. As with Modern Woodmen of America, Woodmen
of the World held ‘remembrance celebrations’ when a woodman died. A
parade of members would march to the cemetery where the tree stone
monument would be unveiled and dedicated in a moving ceremony held by
the local lodge.
Today,
Woodmen of the World is one of the largest fraternal benefit society
with open membership in the United States. The organization provides
not only insurance, but also investment, bonds, real estate and mortgage
loans to its members. Its 2010 financial performance included gross
revenue of $1.2 billion. WOW is active in local communities, providing
aid to senior citizens, the physically impaired and orphans. Woodmen of
the World has partnered with the American Red Cross to provide disaster
relief nationwide. 
WOW
celebrated its 120th Anniversary last year. Its motto has changed over
the years to "Woodmen of the World -With You Through Life." Although
Woodmen of the World made the tree stones popular, they were in use by
the Victorian Rustic Movement many years before WOW was formed. The
Sears and Roebuck catalogue and the Montgomery Ward catalogue also
offered variations of the tree stone to its customers at the turn of the
century.
Even though monument benefits have not been included in the WOW package for years, the society makes sure that "no Woodmen shall rest in an unmarked grave." A
fitting tribute to WOW members, and a brilliant way to augment those
striking and outstanding tree stone monuments into cemeteries
everywhere.
~ Joy
