Daily AncestorG.A.R.
G.A.R. stands for Grand Army of the Republic, the society of Union Civil War veterans; a G.A.R. star on a grave marks a member.
G.A.R. is the Grand Army of the Republic, the fraternal society of men who had served in the Union Army, Navy or Marines during the Civil War. It was founded in 1866 and grew to thousands of local posts.
A G.A.R. marker or a post number in an obituary is a strong clue to Union service. Post records, where they survive, may hold membership details and the man's unit.
As seen in a recordLine in an 1890s obituary
Comrade of Post No. 12, G.A.R.
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Daily Ancestor. "G.A.R.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/gar. Last checked 2026-10-01.