Southern Graves

The treestone in place for Camilla Nunnery (1875-1926) at Evergreen Cemetery in Fitzgerald, Georgia shows she was a member of the Supreme Forest of the Woodmen Circle . This was a women's auxiliary to the Woodmen of the World fraternal organization and insurance benefit society. The emblem for the SFWC is a shield with stars and stripes and crossed axes. According to a 1913 publication of The Fraternal Monitor (Volume 23, Issue 8) - "...The emblem used is the Shield. The colors adopted are lavender and green, instead of the National colors in the Shield. The emblem signifies that which protects or defends, and, therefore, symbolizes the grand and noble principles embodied in fraternalism -- Love and Protection." From Woodmen.org : "The Supreme Forest Woodmen Circle occupied an important place in Woodmen of the World history from the time of its incorporation in 1895 until it merged with the organization on January 1, 1965. For 70 years, the Circle and Woo...

I've photographed many Woodmen of the World memorials, and I think this is the best image I've captured of their slogan, Dum Tacet Clamat . It translates to "though silent, he speaks." Woodmen of the World is the largest fraternal benefit society with open membership in the United States. It is an insurance organization founded by Joseph Cullen Root in Omaha, Nebraska on the 6th of June, 1890. The first certificate of membership was issued to William A. McCully of Independence, Kansas on the 29th of December, 1890. Six months later, Woodmen paid its first death claim on the life of teenager Willie O. Warner who drowned on the 14th of June, 1891, in Niles, Michigan. Early Woodmen of the World policies provided for a death and a monument benefit. Gravestones were originally furnished to members for free and later were offered to those who purchased a $100 rider. To learn more, visit " Woodmen of the World Memorials " on the Southern Graves website. ...

This Woodmen of the World memorial is for Fred McDaniel. He was born 9 April 1883 to Paul and Minnie McDaniel, died 23 February 1919, and was laid to rest in Hillcrest Cemetery (aka Reynolds City Cemetery); Taylor County, Georgia. A devastating family tragedy befell Mr. McDaniel at the age of 35. 24 February 1919 Macon Weekly Telegraph , Georgia Trigger Pulled By Baby, Father Shot Fred McDaniel, Who Lives Near Reynolds, Seriously Wounded in Unusual Manner. REYNOLDS, Feb 23 -- A very unusual sort of accident occurred this morning, when Fred McDaniel was accidentally shot at his home one mile west of Reynolds. McDaniel had just returned from the field where he had gone to shoot birds, when his wife drove in from town in their automobile, and they had paused in the yard, talking. While thus engaged McDaniel allowed the shot-gun to lean against his person, and their three-year-old child, who was playing about them, got a hand on the trigger, causing the gun to fire. The load en...

Magnolia Park Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Warner Robins (formerly Wellston), Georgia. The land for it was donated by Mr. Thomas Watson. It was originally used for his family burying ground, known as Watson Cemetery. Mr. Thomas Watson lived across the street from the cemetery. Magnolia Park as it is known today was not officially established until 1949. Crawford V. Watson, grandson of Thomas Watson, was laid to rest in Watson Cemetery in 1914. He was born 20 November 1885, the son of Richmond Hezekiah Watson. I found a blurb in the 27 August 1911 edition of the Macon Weekly Telegraph stating C. V. Watson was sworn in as deputy sheriff of Houston county and moved to Perry to "assume the duties of the office." By the time of his death, his residence was back in Wellston. In an obituary for Crawford V. Watson from the 11 January 1914 edition of the Macon Weekly Telegraph , the Watson family is mentioned as being one of the best known in Houston county. There...