09/06/2025
Our monument recognition for the month of September, 2025 is one of the most unique monuments at Mitchell Cemetery belonging to Benjamin H. Follmer. His parents, Severine and Sarah Follmer are also buried at Mitchell Cemetery. His brother Oscar is buried locally at Paradise Cemetery and sister Geniza is buried in Hackney Cemetery. Benjamin passed away at the age of 36. He has an urn, a symbol of mourning, the body as a vessel of the soul, originating as repository for the ashes of the dead in ancient times. He belonged to a fraternity of the Freemasonry as his stone has a square and compass with the letter G at the center. The letter G stands for both God and geometry. A belief in God is the main requirement for Freemasonry membership. Many of the beliefs and symbols of the Freemason fraternity are said to have been preserved from ancient times by the masons who worked on Solomon’s temple. The square is a reminder to keep actions square and true with God and all mankind. It represents fairness, stability, balance, and having a solid foundation. The compass then deals more with the spiritual realm and the square with the earthly realm. Together, they represent both earthly and spiritual responsibilities. Sticks at the base of some monuments are often part of a symbolic representation of unity and strength. Next month we'll look at the Woodmen of the World headstones that feature sticks and logs similar to the base of Benjamin's stone. Whoever carved his stone was familiar with the WOW design.