The rusted metal marker in the Woodland Cemetery in Jackson, Michigan, seen next to a gravestone denotes that the deceased was a member of the fraternal organization of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge 29. 

Many fraternal organizations and membership societies were founded in the mid and later part of the 19th Century. Some of the organizations, such as, the Sons of the American Revolution (1889), The Daughters of the American Revolution (1890), The Daughters of the War of 1812 (1892), The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America (1896), The National Society, Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century (1896), The Mayflower Society (1897), and The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America XVII (1915) required the prospective members to demonstrate their ancestors had been in the United States before a certain date or that their ancestors had served in an American war.  Other fraternal organizations arose as well, such as the Knights of Pythias (1864), the Patrons of Husbandry (the Grange, 1867), The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (1868), The Knights of Columbus (1882), The Loyal Order of the Moose (1888), and the Woodmen of the World (1890). The time between about 1860 and 1915 is often referred to as The Golden Age of Fraternalism.

Two organizations pre-date that time in origin—The Freemasons and the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows. Both saw surges of membership during that period. The Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization that formed in England in the 1700s as a service organization.  The American association was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819.  According to the I.O.O.F. Website, “Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1.  This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England.” The Odd Fellows membership rose to its peak in 1915 at about 3.5 million members.

This marker has four different symbols contained on it.  The main symbol of the Odd Fellows is the three links of chain. Within the three links are three letters,  F  L  T, which signify the organization’s motto: Friendship, Love, and Truth. 

This marker also features a shepherd’s crook and battle axe crossed atop a heart.  In 2016, the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, exhibited a number of artifacts related to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows titled, Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection. The exhibit was curated by Stacy C. Hollander and displayed two golden shepherd’s crooks.  According to the exhibition label, “The crook, as the “staff of the shepherd,” is associated with the Odd Fellows Encampment Degrees. These degrees have rituals that tell stories of a shepherd’s life. The curved head is used to reach after and draw a member back to safety as part of the ritual. The members recognize the crook as a symbol of watchful care, which they are expected to exhibit toward other members, family, friends, and their community.”

The battle axe is about the struggle within and is a call to the members to cut away selfish desires and shun negative influences so they can focus on helping others.

The heart symbol is often depicted inside a hand—here, however, it is shown alone as the main part of the metal marker with the other symbols laced through.  The heart represents the values of candor and sincerity and is a call for charity given with an open heart.