Recently I was walking around in the Highland Lawn Cemetery at Terre Haute, Indiana, and came across this metal marker for the Modern American Fraternal Order. I had never seen this marker before nor had I had heard of this particular organization. I also can’t find anything about it, no matter what sources I check or who I ask. So, I am going to ask if anyone who reads this blog can share with the rest of us anything about the origins, the founder, or the mission of this fraternal organization.
Is that called crowdsourcing?
Gravely Speaking 
We were just in Highland Lawn cemetery last week. Here is something I found about about the Modern American Fraternal Order: http://picclick.ca/RARE-Antique-Modern-American-Fraternal-Order-MAFO-Liberty-222220515288.html
Hope that helps. — Liz Bell
On Thu, Oct 27, 2016 at 5:48 AM, Gravely Speaking wrote:
> gravelyspeaking posted: ” Recently I was walking around in the Highland > Lawn Cemetery at Terre Haute, Indiana, and came across this metal marker > for the Modern American Fraternal Order. I had never seen this marker > before nor had I had heard of this particular organization. ” >
I searched some of the digital newspaper archives and found quite a few articles on the Modern American Fraternal Order especially in the Midwest and less so in national newspapers. One from the Alton Evening Telegraph September 13, 1901 which stated “Effingham is the home of the Supreme office of the Modern American Fraternal Order…” It went on to say that “The Modern Americans are very strong in the Altons.” Most of the articles are simply announcements of meetings, elected officers, etc. They date specifically from the late 1890s but there was at least one as recent as 1950. The Fort Wayne Sentinel seems to have carried a number of articles. It seems to have been associated with insurance but I haven’t discovered how.
My guess is that, like many of the fraternal organizations formed at that time, the membership fee included an insurance policy.
I found a link to a pin on ebay which has a description of the society: http://www.ebay.com/itm/222220515288