Ferdinand F. Stollsteimer - Greenmount Cemetery - Durango, CO, USA
N 37° 16.564 W 107° 53.418
13S E 243735 N 4129415
A Dove of Peace with an olive branch can be seen in the Woodmen of the World emblem on the monument that marks the final resting place of Ferdinand Francis Stollsteimer, in Greenmount Cemetery, Durango, CO.
Waymark Code: WMZ5AF
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 09/11/2018
Views: 6
The Woodmen of the World are known today as WoodmenLife, a fraternal society that provides insurance to its members. Visitors to older cemeteries can frequently spot the tree trunk monuments that they placed at the graves of their members, although not every tree trunk monument out there was placed by the Woodmen of the World: It was common in the late 19th century to use a log to note that a person had died young, and many infants have such grave markers. Eventually, those tree trunk monuments became too expensive to produce, and headstones would be marked with a Woodmen of the World emblem of some kind. Earlier ones, like this one, featured a dove of peace with an olive branch in its beak, flying over a fallen log where the tools of the woodmen's trade -- hatchet, mallet, and wedge -- can be seen. Later ones would show a simple tree stump instead.
This type of Woodmen monument is fairly common, with branches around the front and back and a log at the top. The Woodmen of the World emblem is superimposed upon the Gates of Heaven, and the family name, "Stollsteimer" is on the plinth. Unfortunately, Mr. Stollsteimer's young son, Tommie, followed him just two years later, and they were able to squeeze in his name and personal information on the bottom of the headstone and on the plinth. The inscription is:
Ferdinand F.
Stollsteimer
1870-1905
Tommie
1902-1907
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Note "Here rests a Woodman of the World" around the emblem: Many of these monuments were done by third parties who were not privy to the organization's thought process, and "Here lies a Woodmen of the World" would be seen on the monument. This time, they got it right, because Woodmen of the World do not lie.
Kind of dove: Dove with olive branch
Used material for the dove: Other (explanation in the long description)
Address:
900 Cemetery Rd
Durango, CO USA
81301
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Visit Instructions:
- The Waymarks coordinates must have been visited personally.
- A self-made picture of the Peace Dove has to be added to your log.
- Tell us something about your visit to the Peace Dove.