The 1900 U.S. Census tells us that Howard Grant Riggs was born in Ohio in February, 1864. He was residing on Washington Street in Sandusky in 1900 with his parents, Thomas and Emma Riggs, along with two of his brothers. His occupation was listed as machinist. After a brief illness, Thomas Grant Riggs died at his home on January 12, 1905. Mr. Riggs had been a member of the mechanics' union, the Knights of Pythias, and the Woodmen of the World. An article in the January 14, 1905 issue of the Sandusky Register asked the local members of the Woodmen of the World to attend the funeral of Thomas G. Riggs as a group.
An early benefit of membership in the Woodmen of the World was a tombstone in the shape of a tree stump. This program ended in the 1920's, but the life of Thomas Grant Riggs was honored with a distinctive tombstone in the shape of a tree stump from the Woodmen of the World. Thomas Grant Riggs was buried in Oakland Cemetery. He was survived by his parents, two sisters, and four brothers. The tree stump shaped tombstone reminds us that the life of Thomas Grant Riggs was cut short.
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