Hope this helps. It was an early, self-financed insurance group. Their "fund raising" activities were sometimes mentioned in the old Richmond Review newspapers which can be purchased on cd from the Richmond Historical Society (http://www.geocities.com/raghs48062/) Source: http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/associations/foresters.php What is The Independent Order Of Foresters? The Independent Order of Foresters is one of the worlds oldest and largest fraternal benefit societies with over one million members. The IOF Foresters is international in scope with the majority of its members located in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The IOF Foresters sells a wide range of life insurance, and annuity products. History The concept of Forestry originated hundreds of years ago when people voluntarily formed groups called Friendly Societies to provide help for one another in times of distress. Based on the spirit of brotherhood, each family contributed to a fund from which they could draw when an emergency arose. In 1874 at Newark, New Jersey, a group of people carrying on these traditions of mutual aid and fraternity started The Independent Order of Foresters. As membership grew, the scope of the IOF Foresters broadened into a family fraternity. Picnics, excursions, dances and Court meetings drew the members closer together and strengthened family ties. >From the beginning, Foresters have often come to the aid of members who are victims of catastrophic disasters. Whether it be earthquakes, floods, tornadoes or fires, the IOF Foresters has many a time extended a helping hand to its members in distress. ph From: CLFLOWERS3@aol.com Reply-To: mimacomb@rootsweb.com To: MIMACOMB-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [MIMACOMB] Order of Foresters, Macomb County, 1909 Date: 28 Oct 2006 10:02:23 -0600 This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/IGB.2ACI/626 Message Board Post: Does anyone know the origin of the Intl. Order of the Foresters that was active in Richmond, MI in 1909? Did it have any direct links to the men who settled Richmond and felled timbers? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIMACOMB-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message