Have you taken steps to protect your family’s future through life insurance coverage?
Helping families after a breadwinner’s death was a key reason Joseph Cullen Root started Modern Woodmen back in the 1880s. But roots of the concept of life insurance go all the way back to 100 B.C.
Ancient Romans feared anyone who was buried improperly would become a spirit with an evil temper. (Definitely something to be avoided!) Funerals back then, like most today, were expensive. To address the problem, Roman military leader Caius Marius formed burial clubs. Club members would help cover funeral expenses when another member died. They provided what’s considered one of the earliest forms of life insurance in human history.
Fast forward to the early 1800s and we find various groups, guilds and friendly societies forming. Members of these clubs were working-class people who organized around common interests and backgrounds. They gathered primarily to meet members’ social needs. But they also offered support to lighten financial burdens when a wage-earner died.
In 1868, a master railroad mechanic named Jordan Upchurch organized the first fraternal benefit society in the U.S. – the Ancient Order of United Workmen. This “fraternity” provided members with life insurance protection for their dependents.
A mere 15 years later, Joseph Cullen Root founded his own fraternal benefit society: Modern Woodmen of America. And we continue to offer vital financial products, like life insurance, along with social and volunteer opportunities for today’s families.
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Permanent life insurance
Permanent life insurance provides protection for your entire life and can build cash value over time. Premiums remain level throughout your lifetime and can even be paid up within a specific time period. You can enjoy permanent protection for life without a permanent payment.
Learn moreBirthday Book Club
This benefit provides free books for children when all of the members in their household are also Modern Woodmen members. During their birthday month each year, qualifying children ages 1 to 16 will receive a free, age-appropriate book.