Here’s something you don’t see every day. On a recent trip to a cemetery to photograph some tombstones for a client, I came across this one. Thank you to the neighbor who pointed it out to us. My first thought was that it was cast concrete, but it is actual stonework.Pretty cool!
"Tree Tombstone" for John Davies (1824-1895). North Cemetery, Paris Twp, Portage, OH.
Perhaps he was a member of Modern Woodmen or Woodmen of the World? They have some pretty remarkable tombstones (http://www.interment.net/column/feature/jimd/). Or maybe he just liked trees?
Hi Elizabeth – that certainly seems to be the answer! Someone pointed that out on my facebook page also. I had never heard of Woodsmen of the World. Learn something new every day…or at least some days.
I would agree that he was mostly likely a member of the Woodmen of the World. At one point in their early history, they provided a free gravestone to their members. As the cost of gravestones rose, the practice was phased out. Many of these markers resembled stumps or logs. Read the history at woodmen.org.