Daily AncestorAOUW
AOUW means Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal society founded in Pennsylvania in 1868 that paid insurance benefits to members.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen was formed at Meadville, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 1868. It was the first fraternal benefit society to offer insurance, along with sickness, accident and burial benefits, and it spread through the United States and Canada before it dissolved in 1952.
AOUW in an obituary or on a stone may mean the family received a death benefit, so lodge records are worth a search.
As seen in a recordNewspaper obituary
Held a policy in the A.O.U.W.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "AOUW." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/aouw. Last checked 2026-10-12.