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Commemorative Plaques & Flagholders
Woodmen of the World W.O.T.W.
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| http://www.interment.net/column/feature/jimd/
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Subj: Burial Customs-Woodmen of the World
Date: 11/11/2001 6:31:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: raulgarzasr78363@hotmail.com (Raul Garza)
To: JoyceTice@aol.com
LENEROS (WOODMEN) BURIAL CUSTOMS
Hispanic
Customs in Kingville, Kleberg County, Texas
By: Raul G. Garza
Woodmen since Aug. 1941
NOTE: I did not know until I was a mature Adult that in this area of the United States the Woodmen Fraternity was divided into two sections: The White and the Mexican. I should have expected this since my town was segregated into the White, Mexican and Black Communities.
A great Majority of the Hispanics were insured in the WOW early in life. You will find many men and women in their 70"s and 80"s who are still Woodmen; and have been Woodmen for 50-60-70 years. Origninally the majority of the people in this area were Catholic so burial rituals were closely connected to the church. This is what i remember from my early childhood experience because my mother passed away when i was about 5 or 6 years old.
Hispanics did not take their deceased ones to a funeral home. The wake
or evening service was held at the deceased's home. The biggest room,
usually a cominbation living room anbd bedroom was used. The Funeral Home
provided the old type wooden folding chairs. If the deceased was a
female Woodman Lady, the Woodmen women would take over all necessary things;
i.e.preparation of the body after it was brought in from the funeral home;
preparation of the food, conducting the Rosary, helping the priest at the
services at home. The Male Woodmen would be in a khaki type uniform. with
a web belt and their Wooden Axes. The men would stand guard by the coffin on an
hourly shift. The following day they would accompany the coffin to
the church and the cemetery the following day. They would form in pairs
and the coffin would pass by them to the final burial place. As soon as
the coffin passed the first pair they would all raise their axes in unison.
When the coffin was placed on the burial pedestal, the men would place their
axes in front of them like an honor guard does today. They would keep this
position until the rituals were completed. The last ritual was by
the Field Representative which we called "The Secretary." The arch was
formed again while he passed by to say the rituals from the WOW Manual.
The last people to pass under the arch was the family as they left for home.
In many cases if the home was close to the church and the cemetery,
the Male Woodmen would form the procession and walk to the church and the
cemetery. If these two places were far, someone would have a stake truck
and load all the men there. Then only the honor guard type rituals were
conducted.
The only difference between a female Woodman's and a male Woodman's funeral
rituals were that the men would also post two honor guards at the entrance
to the house and march back and forth; they also acted as greeters into the
room where the body lay in state.
This was a very impressive ceremony; the men were somber faced, in respectful behavior, and took their break only when relieved. For men the guard ritual lased all night until the end of the funeral the next day. For women, the ritual of the honor guard usually ended at midnight. You must remember that the wake service at the homes was a customary practice before Hispanics were able to have services at the Funeral Homes.
Subj: W.O.W. Monuments
Date: 8/5/2001 5:55:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: bill_foster_2000@yahoo.com (Billy J.Foster)
To: JoyceTice@aol.com
Read with interest about this monument. There is at least one of this
type located in the Old Simpson Hill Cemetery located near Glass, Obion Co., Tn.
another of a different type also a Woodman marker in the same cemetery.
The one is of a Richard Wright and I have a picture of about 100+ people
gathered for it's unveiling cir.1913. There are men in uniform and others
holding what appear to be wooden axes.
I have been attempting to contact the local Woodman rep to possibly learn
more about this event.
For more information about this cemetery, look under Simpson Hill Cemetery
at the Obion Co. cemetery website.
Regards
Billy J. Foster
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