Gravestone symbols · card M

Moon and seven stars (Rebekahs)

A moon and seven stars on a gravestone often mark a Rebekah, a member of the women's branch of the Odd Fellows.

The Rebekah degree was adopted by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1851 for the wives and daughters of members, and Rebekah lodges followed from 1868. The degree uses a moon with seven stars, a beehive, a dove and a lily as its emblems, and these sometimes appear on members' stones.

Each of these can appear on stones for other reasons, and the letters D.O.R. with stars can also mean the Daughters of the Revolution, so the reading is strongest when Odd Fellows signs such as three links appear on the same stone or a husband's. Rebekah lodge records may survive with the local Odd Fellows.

As seen in a recordTown or I.O.O.F. cemetery, 1870 to 1950
Crescent moon and seven stars beside three links: Sister Lavina Stoutenburg, Rebekah Lodge No. 42, 1852 to 1923
How to cite this page

Daily Ancestor. "Moon and seven stars (Rebekahs)." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/rebekah-moon-and-stars. Last checked 2026-10-15.

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