Robert W. Kirkpatrick - Eugene Masonic Cemetery - Woodmen of the World Grave Markers/Monuments on Waymarking.com

Located in the Eugene Masonic Cemetery is this WoW monument and among at least ten others here. This particular monument has been spotlighted by volunteers of the cemetery and has had a placard placed nearby to note the history of Woodmen of the World in America.

Headstone text:

DUM TACET CLAMAT

ROBERT W.
KIRKPATRICK
BORN
OCT. 17, 1854
DIED
MAY 30, 1909

HERE RESTS A
WOODMEN
OF THE WORLD

The nearby placard reads:

Tree Stump Monument
Woodmen of the World

This very unusual monument was erected for a member of the Woodmen of the World, a fraternal benefit society organized in 1883. The tree stump shape represents a life cut short. Other symbols on the headstone are the dove and the olive branch, signifying the peace of Heaven, and the crossed axe and hammer, indicating workmanship and progress of culture. Dum Tacet Clamet means "though silent, he speaks."

These symbols are found on almost all Woodmen monuments. However, the tree stump shape was phased out because of its expense, and most monuments are in the conventional styles. They all bear the inscription "Here Rest a Woodmen of the World." There are at least ten other Woodmen monuments in the cemetery, including two for women who belonged to Women of Woodcraft, the women's auxiliary which had its own life insurance society.

In 1932, the Eugene chapter of Woodmen of the World built the present WOW Hall. It was designed by John Hunzicker, a Woodmen and prominent Eugene architect, and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

---

I believe this is the only WoW monument in the shape of a tree stump in this cemetery because I walked through the whole cemetery without seeing another one of this type. I will return another time to waymark the remaining WoW monuments as well as the WoW building in downtown Eugene. I was also impressed to visit a cemetery that took the time to spotlight a WoW monument in addition to spotlighting Zing Monuments which exist here and are also uncommon, like WoW monuments, on the West Coast.

Was the inscription legible?: Yes Location of Marker/Monument: Cemetery

Visit Instructions:
One photo is fine.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.