Woodmen of the World

(you know, those big cement trees in the cemetery)

These hand hewed marble stones were part of the deal when you had an insurance policy with Woodmen of the World insurance company. 

    The Pile of Logs Style, circa 1917, in Greenhill Cemetery in Davis, OK.  

The traditional W.O.W. monument had 4 objects on it.  They were the Maul, Axe, Wedge and the Dove.  The stone below is typical of what you would see on a WOW stone.  The motto Dum Tacet Clamat is Latin meaning "though silent, he speaks".  This insurance company, started in the 1880's, would pay the widow $100 and a free stone if the logo of the insurance company could be put on the stone.  Styles were very elaborate to very simple.  As time passed, the stones got to be smaller and smaller until they were similar to the conventional style to the right.  The cost of the hand made marble stones became prohibitive and they were finally phased out about 1920.  These stones are a real eye catcher to the cemetery visitor or one who registers graves.

Tall Oblique

These two tall monuments are the Paul brothers buried in Green Hill Cemetery in Davis.  These stones are about 15' tall. Circa 1905.

This tall fork is found in the Hickory cemetery.  It stands about 7' tall.

Sometime around 1910-1920 the style of the W.O.W. stones changed to the more conventional style of the period made of granite.

The Short fork shows a reduction in size of the stones.  This one in Hickory was about 5' tall. There is a much larger WOW logo on the face of the stone. Circa 1906.

This tall stump is a change with a scroll for the name and dates and the Surname if carved at the top.  The stone is about 6' tall. Circa 1918.

The Tall Fork

Conventional Style Monument