What Are Those Tree Stumps?!

Walk into just about any older cemetery around the US and you will likely stumble across a memorial that looks something like this.
                                                                                                                                                                               

 Monuments that appear as old tree stumps dot cemetery landscapes and often go unnoticed by many. And those who do happen to notice their unique shape and fraternal emblem do not always understand what they represent or why they are there. I, myself, was included in the group of folks who had a limited understanding of the stump-shaped memorials, and sought information on them that I would like to share.

As you can read on the emblem, these monuments are recognizing members of Woodmen of the World. It is a fraternal organization started in 1883, that offered life insurance benefits.
The Woodmen of the World (WOW) has maintained a system of lodges in which members meet and organize various activities.
Part of the membership creed supported the concept of a right to the dignity of a marked grave. Policy holders could elect to have a monument built with the Woodmen of the World incorporated on it and erected on his grave and have the cost covered by a rider from the insurance policy.

The memorials would typically be dedicated on or around Memorial Day in a formal ceremony arranged by the local chapter. My research shows that the ceremonies would be "moving", which means that the attendees would walk from one WOW member's grave to the next, dedicating each memorial by singing hymns and laying flowers at the grave site.

 As you look through the photos that I have posted, you will notice that the emblems, although they appear similar, are often not identical. The reason for this is unclear. Based on my research I am unable to determine if it is due to the fact that the monument builder of choice made the monument and thus interpreted the emblem differently, or if it is because various symbols contained within the emblem applied only to specific members. Whatever the case may be, the emblem does contain some very unique symbols. The symbols often include a sawed off tree stump with what appear to be crossed axes, ivy leaves of some sort and a dove. You may also notice the following words: "DUM TACET CLAMAT" , or "Though silent, he speaks".

It is difficult to find any information regarding the meaning of the symbols that are included in the emblem and I was unable to discover any information on them. What I was able to discover, however, is that the Modern Woodmen of America, a fraternal group that broke away from the Woodmen of the World around 1890, is that the founder, by the last name of Root, was intrigued when he learned of "pioneer woodsmen clearing away the forest to provide for their families". He developed his new group with the idea of "clearing away problems of financial security for its members". With that being said, one may assume the following symbolic meanings:

• The dove is an international symbol of peace.
• The roots on the tree might represent a strong family foundation.
• The tree is sawn off to represent leadership within the family to "clear the way"
• The axes represent strength

Of course the aforementioned is just my guess at the symbolic meaning and is not stated with certainty.

I hope this information was interesting to you and provided some insight about these unique tree stump memorials!  To get more information about creating a memorial for yourself or a loved one check out our website or drop by the store and visit with us. We have a whole library of emblems, symbols and designs to choose from and are also gifted at helping families create memorials that are interesting and unique.

Homemade Memorials

So this past weekend I made a trip to the Butler Creek Cemetery, nestled in the hills just North of the community of Sulpher Springs. I had never been up toward that direction and, WOW! was it beautiful!!
Trees and plants of all kinds dot the landscape, creating a beautiful setting for this quaint little cemetery.

Butler Creek Cemetery

Aside from the beauty surrounding the cemetery, I was in awe of the number of homemade memorials that had been placed throughout and will focus this post on those memorials.

You see, mankind has had an emotional and historical need to remember the loved ones it has lost and the history it has made since the beginning of time. Of course we have evidence of this today with ancient monuments such as the Great Pyramids and their hieroglyphics, Stonehenge, and many, many more.
This need is inherent and human nature is to ensure that the need to remember is met.

While there is no material (to our knowledge) that will stand the test of time in the cemetery as long as or as well as granite, some families choose to create homemade memorials from other materials for several different reasons. Perhaps the family has experienced financial hardships that keep them from purchasing a granite memorial for their loved one. Or, perhaps their loved one worked in a certain area of skilled trade and the family simply wanted to remember them with something they had made. Whatever the reason, the important thing is that their loved one, whether they were cremated or traditionally buried, has been remembered and memorialized. 





This memorial (to the right) appears to have been derived from a cross-shaped tree branch. It has been whittled smooth and features the gentleman's name "Jim" where the arms cross. It is set into the ground with some concrete.



You will notice the little vase to the side of the monument has become separated from its base. Over the years I have heard countless customers describe the lengths they have gone to to fix a broken vase and, unfortunately, most of those remedies do not work.

 
Folks have tried Gorilla Glue, shoe glue, some kind of adhesive caulk, hot glue, the list goes one. However, if you want to re-attach a vase to a base, the only solution that truly works and holds up over time, is to use what we call "vase tape". If you need some, drop by the store and I will give you some.
 
If your vase has cracked, busted or otherwise broken, there is, unfortunately, no way to fix it indefinitely. The best solution if that is the case is to completely replace it.
 

 
 
 
 
This cross memorial (to the left) is actually one of my favorite homemade memorials in BCC and appears to have been chiseled from native stone.
The metal butterfly in the middle is actually wired to the memorial and looks like it is in pretty good shape.
The "sunburst" design back behind the cross has been beautifully done as well.
Although beautiful, I was unable to locate the name of the deceased on either the front or the back; Perhaps the inscription has weathered away.

This double marker (to the right) features a VA marker (free-issued by the US Government for Veteran's who had honorable discharges from any branch of the military) that has been inlaid into a concrete border that doubles as a memorial for his wife. The neat thing about this monument is 1) they used a colored concrete, which helps it become more visible from the ground and 2) they were really ingenious in their use of resources.

It isn't uncommon to have a family come in who has noticed that a homemade headstone has become difficult to read. In these cases the family will typically choose to leave the homemade memorial in the cemetery, undisturbed, and place a flat granite marker in front of it that lists the individual's name, dates and any other important information.

We hope you have found this post both informative and interesting. Please contact Emerson Monument Company if you have any questions or a need that we can assist you with.

A Trip to Mount Holly Cem.

This past week I had the honor of visiting the Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, AR and wanted to share my experience with you.

The Mount Holly Cemetery is on the National Historic Register of Cemeteries and is home to some of the most beautiful old memorials!

This beautiful cross is inscribed with "INRI" in the middle.  Now...I have seen this before and always wondered what it meant.  So, I looked it up and learned that the acronym represents the Latin inscription which translates into English meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews".  I found this information on wikipedia and you can click here to read the entire article.

Another popular inscription on memorial crosses is "IHS".  Many customers have asked what the monogram means and it is actually the monogram of the name of Jesus as it is derived from the first three letters of the Greek version of this name.  Those letters are" Iota, Eta and Sigma.

This monument for the Keene family caught my eye for several reasons.  While it is not as old as some of the surrounding stones in the cemetery, it boasts a great deal of intricate hand-carvings at the top.  I don't know about you, but I would love to have watched the monument builder carve all of that detail!

The Oliver monument caught my eye because of the beautiful raised letters for the last name.  You will notice the letters "stand out" against the panel on which they sit, thus the term "raised letters".  Raised letters were very popular (you will notice them on many of the stones) and are actually making a modern day come-back!  Raised letters are one of the few lettering styles that truly look nice on just about any color of granite.

A beautiful old memorial

A hand-carved marble memorial. 

This mausoleum door is absolutely stunning.  It appears to be made of iron and has beautiful iron work on the front of the windows. 



A close-up of the iron work on the mausoleum doors



This beautiful pink monument boasts beautiful raised letters!  The other thing I noticed is a signature from the monument company that created the stone (see photo below).  Decades ago it was customary for the monument builder to sign his or her work just as an artist signs a canvas.  In more recent years the practice is considered tasteless as many people associate it with advertising in the cemetery - and we do not take part in such practices.  However, I thought the practice was definately worth noting for history's sake!

 

This gentleman's bust is hand carved from marble and was then added to this beautiful Barre granite memorial.  Notice the raised letters and the handcarving around the top of the stone.  The craftsmanship of this stone is absolutely amazing!

More mausoleum doors.



I hope you have enjoyed this post; I know I certainly enjoyed my visit to this historic cemetery.  You know, if you are currently looking for a memorial, you might consider taking a stroll through a local cemetery to help you gain an idea of the styles and artistry that you like and dislike.  Northwest Arkansas is blessed with numerous cemeteries that boast countless monument ideas.  Or...if you are simply not a cemetery person, just come on in Emerson Monument Company and I will be glad to listen to you ideas, show you some pictures, and help you create something that is perfectly stunning for your loved one.

Preserving a Slice of History

This past weekend my husband and father-in-law took me to a remote civil war memorial near New Edinburgh, AR. Now, I will admit, I am not as educated in the Civil War as those who grew up in the Deep South or near a battle field. However, after visiting the Marks Mill State Park, I am very interested in learning more and returning to the site when we have more time to really study the memorials.

The Marks Mill State Park features numerous memorials (most of which are engraved into granite) to commemorate the battle that took place and preserve history for generations to come. It is truly a neat little place to visit and I wanted to share what they have done. It is worth noting that Emerson Monument Company did not make or erect any of the memorials at the Marks Mill State Park. However, we are certainly capable of creating monuments such as these to memorialize any family or historical site.

Marble upright Veteran's memorials. These may have been issued by the Veteran's Administration or made to duplicate those that are typically issued by the VA.

Georgia Gray polished 2 (meaning only the front and the back are polished and the top and sides are rough) oval top monument with Vermarco lettering. A red lithichrome paid was also used on the text "The battle had begun!" This memorial was placed upon a tall brick base.

This exhibit boasts several engraved memorials. While some of the memorials are Georgia Gray slants, others are engraved Georgia Gray tiles that have been layed into a rock or brick structure.
This appears to be a Dakota Mahogony oval top stone with vermarco lettering.

This memorial appears to be Academy Black with vermarco lettering and other decorative engravings. It stands on top of a white brick base.