Do you have any Carter's from around Comanche Texas area if so let me know who, maybe we can help each other, Alice Caldwell Jennings afj@web-access.net ---------- > From: Nancy Carter <ncarter@vzinet.com> > To: CARTER-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [CARTER-L] WOODSMAN OF WORLD > Date: Monday, March 08, 1999 8:53 PM > > I am forwarding a response concerning Woodsman of World. The response > is from Margaret Waring, Director of Comanche Public Library, in > Comanche, Texas. They have an extensive genealogy collection. Her > message follows: > > Subject: > Re: WOODSMAN OF WORLD > Date: > Sun, 7 Mar 1999 19:59:21 -0600 > From: > mtwaring@itexas.net (Margaret T. Waring) > To: > "Nancy Carter" <ncarter@vzinet.com> > > The Woodmen of the World is a fraternal organization, a lodge group. > Comanche and many other small towns were once populated with such > groups. > Comanche had the Masons, the Woodmen, the Knights of Pythias, and the > Odd > Fellows. These were the gathering places of the village guy. Many men > > belonged to more than one bunch. > > The Woodmen was a lodge group but it was also a life insurance group. > Members got life insurance with the deal and this also included a grave > marker. Evidently there was some choice among these since I've seen > large > handsome markers, less impressive ones, etc. They are customarily > styled as > a tree stump with the limbs cut off. > > The Comanche lodge went away many years ago. Strictly aside, I recall > going > to their hall when I was an elementary school student to practice for a > program we expected to present. It was up stairs in a gloomy building. > They had a "prop room" where one could see all these robes, axes, other > edged ceremonial weapons. There was a skull among the props. It was > plain > scary. At least this little kid thought it was. > > I have no idea what become of their local records. Their local building > was > extensively damaged by fire in the late 1940s and the 2nd story was > removed. > > The group has a national headquarters which I recall is at Omaha, Neb. > They > have a modern web site at www.woodman.com. There, that is probably > more > than you wanted to know but anyway . . . > > Come visiting again. You will be more than welcome. > Margaret > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >