Gravestones that look like wood

Ever notice that some grave stones are cut to look like wood? Headstones shaped like tree trumps were very popular from the 1880s to the 1920s, and all thanks to one man, Joseph Cullen Root. He believed that the cemetery should be a place of beauty and solace, and he wanted to create a special memorial for those buried there. Root's design featured headstones shaped like trees, with each one representing a person in the congregation. This idea was inspired by a minister who had described his congregation as “trees in God’s forest”. Root's design has been used in many cemeteries around the world, providing an elegant and meaningful way to remember loved ones who have passed away. Root established a fraternity called "Woodmen of the World", a financial services and insurance company that provided assistance for burial services, which included headstones. Adults were typically given a single, vertical tree stump, while children were often given three stacked, horizontal stumps. The WOW organization continued to provide these tree stump gravestones to its members up to the 1970s.