BY PAULA STUART WARREN, CG
D G ’ have strange symbols on it? Does an old pin or medal of his boast odd initials? ese may signify he was a member of a fraternal organization. Follow the ve following steps to learn more:
Newspapers carried meeting notices, o c er elections, and related stories. Fraternal organizations o en published newsletters or magazines. Check historical societies for the whereabouts of each.
Acronyms on a tombstone, in an obituary, or on a certi cate may represent the title of the organization. Learn their meanings with a Web search or in Kip Sperry’s Abbreviations and Acronyms: A Guide for Family Historians (Ancestry, 2003).
Directories of organizations, guides about symbols, and histories of groups can be found online, in libraries, and in city directories. Check a library for the Encyclopedia of Organizations ( omson Gale, 2007); websites for pictures of ribbons, pins, and insignias; and old city directories for lists of organizations in your ancestor’s town and day.
Once you’ve identi ed the organization, see if it still exists. Check with today’s local lodges and clubs as well as state and national o ces to see if they have records.
Publications that include histories of fraternal organizations may be found at Google Books < http://books.google.com>. Also, check “Societies - Fraternal Organizations” at Cyndi’s List < www.cyndislist. com> for additional information. Try a search for the organization title in the card catalog at Ancestry.com (accessed via the Search tab), where you’ll nd gems such as e Worldwide Masonic Directory of 1860.
Local histories o en have sections about a town’s organizations.
is a regular contributor to Ancestry Magazine. She can be reached at PaulaStuart Warren@gmail. com.
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