Daily AncestorAOUW shield
An AOUW shield, lettered A.O.U.W., on a gravestone marks a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, an early fraternal insurance society.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen began in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1868 and was the first of the fraternal benefit societies, paying death benefits to members' families. It borrowed heavily from Freemasonry, and its emblems included an anchor, the all-seeing eye, the Bible and compasses. It dissolved in 1952.
On stones it often appears as a shield bearing the letters. The man held a benefit certificate, so look for the lodge's records and for the death claim his family filed.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "AOUW shield." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/aouw-shield. Last checked 2026-10-15.