My grandfather Clarence W. Bertolet was from Royersford Mont. CO. Pa. I have a pin from an organization that he belonged to. There is a bar at the top with a red back ground that has Imp.O.R.M. on it. Attached by two chains is a metal Indian, and on his chest is a porcelain disk that has Imp'd O. R. M. around the top rim, Pennsylvania on the bottom rim, and in the center is a beaver chewing on a stick. My father said he remembers as a child that this organization would march in parades with full Indian head dress. He "thinks" that the organization was called the Imperial Order of the Red Man. Does anyone know about this organization, what it was called, or what it's function was? Thank You. Yvonne
Yvonne, The initials stand for "Improved Order of Red Men", a fraternal organization. For a time in the late 1800's it was the largest fraternal organization in the US. My grandfather, who was from Philadelphia, was also a member. He lived in the Red Men's home in Cheltenham, PA prior to his death in 1934. The following website has some more information about the Red Men: www.redmenbingo.com. Jim Schoedler MarkleVon@aol.com wrote: > > My grandfather Clarence W. Bertolet was from Royersford Mont. CO. Pa. I > have a pin from an organization that he belonged to. There is a bar at the > top with a red back ground that has Imp.O.R.M. on it. Attached by two chains > is a metal Indian, and on his chest is a porcelain disk that has Imp'd O. R. > M. around the top rim, Pennsylvania on the bottom rim, and in the center is > a beaver chewing on a stick. > My father said he remembers as a child that this organization would march > in parades with full Indian head dress. He "thinks" that the organization was > called the Imperial Order of the Red Man. Does anyone know about this > organization, what it was called, or what it's function was? Thank You. > Yvonne > > ==== PAMONTGO Mailing List ==== > List owner ndwilson@swbell.net > > ============================== > The RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Tens of millions of individuals... and counting. > http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/