Daily AncestorElk's head (Elks)
An elk's head on a gravestone, often with B.P.O.E., marks a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
The elk is the emblem of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and an elk's head on a stone, usually with the letters B.P.O.E., shows membership.
Some Elks lodges buried members together in a lodge plot marked by a large elk statue, and some used metal grave markers. If an ancestor is in an Elks plot, the lodge or the cemetery office may hold burial records for it.
As seen in a recordTown cemetery or Elks lodge plot, 1880 to 1960
Elk's head with B.P.O.E. above the name: Frank J. Dorsheimer, 1867 to 1931, Lodge No. 274
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Elk's head (Elks)." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/elks-emblem. Last checked 2026-10-15.