Page 12 - cemetery_tour_curriculum guide

• Seashell—resurrection; life everlasting
• Snake (Tail in Mouth)—everlasting life in heaven
• Thistle—Scottish descent
• Tree—life
• Severed branch—mortality
• Tree stump—life interrupted by early death
• Urn—Immortality (ancient Egyptians belief that life would be restored in

the future through the vital organs placed in the urn.)
• Weeping Willow Tree—mourning; grief
• Winged Face—effigy of the deceased soul; the soul in flight
• Winged Skull—flight of the soul from mortal man
• Wreath—victory
• Wheat Strands or Sheaves—the divine harvest; the return of Christ to

earth.

Grave Symbols

These are abbreviations that you will commonly see on gravestones. Most of
these organizations are charitable in their focus.

• AOF Ancient Order of Foresters
• FOE Fraternal Order of Eagles
• GAR Grand Army of the Republic
• IOOF Independent Order of Odd Fellows
• K of CKnights of Columbus
• SAR Sons of the American Revolution
• VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars

Activity-Can you find 10 of these symbols on our tour? Use this sheet to list your finds!