Welcome to the
Order of the Steel Magnolias
Website

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​​Somebody's darling, somebody's pride,
Who'll tell his mother where her boy died?

The days drifted into weeks, the weeks into months, the months into years. Yet, still, she watched and hoped. The sun would glisten off a shock of the dark hair of a man slowing making his way down the dusty road, and her heart would leap into her throat. Her handsome young husband in his gray uniform? Her precious oldest son, so gallant and eager to serve? Was it him? Had he found his way home to her at last? Then the crushing agony of loss pushed her to her knees, once more. She never stopped watching. She never gave up hope. Her darling and her pride. She prayed a gentle hand was there to comfort them. She prayed they did not suffer. She prayed they were given a Christian burial. She prayed…. she prayed…..she prayed….and she survived. She had no other choice. There was no time to grieve. There were hungry children to feed, there were crops to be planted, there was no one but left carry on, but her. And yet, she still watched and hoped until, as the light faded from her eyes, she saw them at last.

(Modified version: Originally a poem written by Marie Ravenel de LaCoste, a nurse and a poet, of Savannah.) 

About Us
Founded June 28, 2018

The Order of Steel Magnolias honors the forgotten casualties of the War Between the States, the women who survived this devastating tragedy.  These women were left behind to pick up the pieces of their lives in a world that was forever changed. Southern casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) during the Civil War ranged from 335,000 to 450,000 and were most likely even higher.   
For nearly half a century, during and after the War Between the States, it was the Southern mothers, wives, sweethearts, and sisters who, with steel in their spines, cared for broken husbands and sons, who were just a shell of the men who left.  They labored like men, planting and harvesting crops, tending livestock, clothing their children, and simply surviving.  
The Order of Steel Magnolias honors their grace, strength, and dignity. They are our grandmothers.  A part of what they survived, the women they became, these Steel Magnolias, live on our hearts and souls, even in the very marrow of our bones.  We will never forget them.  

Membership Eligibility

The Membership of the Order shall be limited to men and women who are 18 years of age or older, and are lineal or collateral descendants of those female family members who supported the Confederate Soldiers during the War Between the States. Limited to mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, aunts, sweethearts, and fiancés.

Objectives

The object of this Order shall be:
* To honor the women who supported Confederate Soldiers with courage, dignity, and honor.
* To promote genealogical, educational, and historical research.
* To encourage camaraderie among the members and those of like pursuit.

Motto

The motto of the Order is, “She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared
but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.”
                                                                                    ~ Atticus

                          Flower

       The flower of the Order is the magnolia               ​​   

Colors

​The colors of the Order are green and cream

Join Us

​​Membership inquiries are welcome.
Click Here to go to the Membership ​page
and download the application and instructions. 
​OSM is a lineage society that is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Proud Partner-Supporter of the
​Hereditary Society Community
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The Order of the Steel Magnolias is proud to support the Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America “HSC” as a PERPETUAL SPONSOR. HSC is a non-profit organization, founded in 2022, which reports the information and activities of over 300 lineage societies throughout the nation. The organization meets every April, in Washington, D.C., for an annual meeting and gala event. If lineage societies interest you, be sure to visit HSC’s website which provides a wealth of information and an extensive list of organizations and family associations.  
Link: https://www.hereditary.us/​

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www.facebook.com/orderofthesteelmagnolias

Contact Us
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Website Information:
Web hyperlinks to non-OSM sites are not the responsibility of the OSM
This website was approved for publication on 30 June 2018

For technical issues with this website, please contact the webmaster at: [email protected]
This site was last modified on 3 Sept 2024
Order of the Steel Magnolias