I
recently read a post by Valerie Craft entitled Why You Read the Back of a Tombstone with a photo of the carved headstone. Six lines of unidentifiable acronyms on
the back of a tombstone were just waiting to be discovered. Although my signature line is “for every
answer you find, you will probably uncover
3 new questions,” in Valerie’s case she found her ancestor’s tombstone
and uncovered six new unanswered questions:
S.
L. E. No 34
L.
O. O. F.
A.
L. No. 14
I.
O. O. F.
G.
T. No. G
I.
O. OF R. M.
A
novice might ask “why are acronyms and abbreivations on a tombstone important? Valerie
answered: “I’d be very interested in researching any organization that this man
belonged to. It would tell me a lot about his religious and political beliefs
and point me in the direction of further genealogical sources.”
A
Leap of Faith
If
this just looks like Greek to you, well don’t rule out Greek fraternities. Or,
it could be a list of societies that your ancestor belonged to. It might be
that your ancestor was indigent and charitable groups assisted in paying burial
fees.
At
First Glance
Of
course the key to your positive identification of tombstone (or document)
acronyms and abbreviations must include local research. You will need to verify
the existence and involvement of any organization in your area.
Of
course the key to your positive identification of tombstone (or document)
acronyms and abbreviations must include local research. You will need to verify
the existence and involvement of any organization in your area. At
first glance here are some possibilities but verification is needed:
- SLE#34 may be a local chapter of the Sons of Liberty. Could it stand for Sons of Liberty - East? Was there a Sons of Liberty #34 chapter?
- LOOF- Local chapters of national organizations often included indicators of their chapter since they usually had their own budget set aside for community assistance. It is possible that LOOF references a Local(Lodge) Order of Odd Fellows.
- I. O. O. F – Independent Order of Odd Fellows most often used this acronym. (Also identified by Craft).
- AL: American Legion of Honor was started in 1874. Was there an AL #14 in this area?
- GT No G: Good Templar organizations were popular. Was there a GT of Georgia (or Gwinnett)?
- I. O. OF R. M. – The Improved Order of Red Men. (Also identified by Craft). There website boasts “America’s oldest fraternal organization.”
As
I mentioned earlier, before beginning your search, gathering information on the
events of the local area for your timeframe is imperative. Historical events of
an area often increased the need of societal and charitable organizations. Political
events and community divisiveness often birthed secret organizations.
Recessions, national and world financial depressions, plagues and epidemics all
had a direct impact on the increase (or decline) of the need of charitable
organizations.
Here
are 5 places to learn of your ancestor’s involvement in a society, fraternity or
charitable organization.
1.
Obituary
- Often memberships to charitable and ethnic associations or fraternal
organizations (i.e. Masons or Greek) are listed. Final services may be held at
a temple or lodge. These hints should be researched.
2.
Funeral
Home Records - Funeral records often hold financial records indicating payment
of services, and correspondence with interest parties.
3.
Cemetery
Records – Like the Old Fellows Cemetery in Morton County North Dakota, many charitable
organizations had their own cemetery for burials of the indigent or members.
4.
Newspaper
- Many organizations solicited membership or announced meetings via the
newspapers. Immigrants were often sponsored or they supported ethnic societies.
Review Immigrant Society Records and Genealogy.
5.
City
Directories may list lodges – When deciphering acronyms or associations be sure
they are applicable to your area. City
directories usually include the local Lodges, Posts, or meeting places.
Further
Research
- For a List of Fraternity Organizations you may wish to visit A Complete List of Fraternal Organizations A-L; and Part 2 M-Z.
- Societies and Groups listed on Cyndi’s List
- A list on the Rootsweb organization Acronyms and Abbreviations
a3genealogy@gmail.com
Accurate, accessible answers
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