angel wreath n Ozarks
= crown n.
1933 Missouri Dec 11 Ozarks, And there was the “angel wreath” found in the goose-feather pillow of an old saint that had passed on. . . The “angel wreath” was not made by human hands but was formed in some mysterious way . . , and to the simple, godly folk . . the symbol was a positive proof that the sainted old man had gone straight to Heaven. 1942 St. Louis Post–Dispatch (MO) 2 Apr sec C 3/6, Two curious formations of pillow feathers of a type which provides one of the most fascinating traditions in the folklore of the Ozark country, where they are known as “angel wreaths,” were placed on exhibition today at the Jefferson Memorial in Forest Park by the Missouri Historical Society. 1946 Chicago Tribune (IL) 20 Oct sec 7 1/8 Ozarks, The hill superstition that is always mentioned with awestruck voices is the finding of angel wreaths or feather crowns. Some of my hill friends say they are an evil sign, perhaps a “death sign,” and should be destroyed immediately; others say they are a sign of a blameless life and a heavenly crown.