Daily AncestorWoodmen of the World tree stump
A tree stump with an axe and the motto Dum Tacet Clamat (though silent, he speaks) marks a member of the Woodmen of the World.
Woodmen of the World was a fraternal society, and many members' graves carry its emblem: a sawed-off stump, often with an axe, and the Latin motto Dum Tacet Clamat, though silent, he speaks. Some markers are whole stones carved as tree trunks.
Not every stump-shaped stone is a Woodmen stone, so look for the emblem or the letters W.O.W. When it is there, it shows membership, and the local camp may have kept records.
As seen in a recordSouthern or Midwest town cemetery, 1895 to 1930
Stump-shaped limestone with axe and wedge: Here rests a Woodman of the World, Dum Tacet Clamat, J. T. Satterfield, 1868 to 1911
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Woodmen of the World tree stump." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/woodmen-tree-stump. Last checked 2026-10-15.