April Scavenger Hunt: Find a Masonic Symbol (well, it's a symbol...)

 

*Credit to Find-a-Grave user PLWilson for this photograph. I unfortunately can't find the photo I took of John's grave when I photographed this cemetery in April of 2017*

This is for the scavenger hunt prompt: "Find a masonic symbol," however... this is NOT a masonic symbol. I had no idea what this symbol meant until tonight so I thought I would post this and shed light on it!

This is actually a symbol for the A O U W or the "Ancient Order of United Workmen," a fraternal organization sort of like the W O T W (Woodsmen of the World).

For more information about the A O U W

A O U W Wikipedia

I was confused by the symbol because of it being an anchor - I kept thinking it must have nautical meaning, like John having been in the Navy... but I could find no evidence of that. From what I could tell, he was just a simple farmer from Henderson County. Then I thought, "well, maybe the symbol honored one of his sons or something." Nope, that didn't pan out as well.

By 1885, the A O U W was the largest fraternal benefit group in the US. So it's no surprise in 1901 - they would help provide John's family with money to bury him. He died at just 36 years young and had at least seven children ranging from 17 years old to a year and a half old. (1884-1900 birth years)

John M. Watson was the son of John Watson & Clementina Winnefred Sutton. He married Polley Emma Crook on August 6th, 1883, in Posey County, Indiana.

Their children include:

1) Maude Watson, 12-11-1884 / 12-22-1965, who married James Ora Gibson.

2) Claude Watson, 9-12-1886 / 4-10-1964, who married Henrietta Hancock

3) Aubrey William Watson, 8-31-1888 / 1-15-1951, who married Harriet Fowler.

4) Kathryn Mary "Mittie" Watson, 3-5-1892 / 3-11-1952, who married (?) Bale

5) Sudie Mae Watson, 11-2-1895 / 11-2-1981, who married Thomas Jefferson O'Nan.

6) Lillian Watson, 2-2-1898 / 5-23-1972, who married Henry Harrison O'Nan.

7) Dean Watson, 7-5-1900 / 5-9-1975, who married Howard Duett. (I believe Dean went by the name Inez in the 1910 and 1920 censuses).

According to the 1910 census, Polley had 8 children born to her, and only 7 living. These are the 7 I can accurately find.

John is buried in United Hill Cemetery in Little Dixie, Henderson County, Kentucky.

Have y'all ever come across any A O U W graves? I'd love to see more pictures of these headstones! Please share your masonic symbols on headstones, too, as that's what this prompt was meant to be -- but I thought this was too interesting of a symbol not to share with the group!