ARKADELPHIA — The Arkadelphia Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated its 100th anniversary with a birthday party Tuesday in the Fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church. The event featured a variety of salads and sandwiches prepared by chapter members.
Charlotte Jeffers, chapter regent, welcomed the partygoers, which included State Regent Jerrie Townsend of Stuttgart, several past state regents and guests, and members of sister DAR chapters from around the state.
Townsend brought greetings from the state society and said the Arkadelphia chapter has a long history of service. She said four members have served as state regents during the chapter’s 100 years of existence — Mary Lampkin (Mrs. Harry C.), who was the chapter’s first regent in 1916, from 1924-26; Margaret Scott Gregg (Mrs. Fred A.) 1948-50; Robert Carpenter Carr (Mrs. John A.), 1962-64; and Carolyn Berry (Mrs. John Thomas), who went on to serve as a national vice president general in in 1988-91.
Chapter historian Lin Watson said the Arkadelphia Chapter was organized June 9, 1916, with 13 members, including Anne Askew McMillan as the organizing regent.
“Our chapter is lucky because we have a lot of our history preserved in the Riley-Hickingbotham
Library’s Archives and Special Collections Department at Ouachita Baptist University,” she said. “In preparing for this centennial anniversary, I did a lot of research there. That information is available to the public for viewing upon request.”
Watson said that in addition to McMillan, whose name is listed in the early records as “Mrs. Dougald McMillan,” other charter members are listed in an old newspaper clipping about that organizing meeting.
Readers should note that in the early days, women were identified by their husbands’ names, and the courtesy title of “Miss” was also used.
Other charter members and their offices, if applicable, include Mrs. Noel Adams; Mrs. Harry Anderson, first regent; Mrs. T.A. Sloan, historian; Mrs. Ed Thomas, vice regent; Mrs. John Stuart; Mrs. Duncan Flanagin, registrar; Mrs. J.J. Kress, chaplain; Mrs. Morley Jennings; Mrs. Farrar Newberry; Miss Mary Luce, secretary; Miss Fredonia Rowland, treasurer; and Miss Gladys West.
The newspaper account, which was written by Anna Lumpkin (Mrs. T.A.) Sloan, historian, also states the following “Mrs. McMillian had as additional guests several ladies who are prospective members, viz: Mesdames Walter Wilson, John McMillian, Ed Graves, (no first name given) Bowles, Neill Sloan, Jan Williams, T. Abraham and S.C. Harley and Misses Etta Thomas and Annie Stark Foster.”
Several present-day members of the local chapter who attended the birthday party have been members for more than 30 years. They include Barbara Mayo Rhodes, Theda Ross Aud, Margaret “Peg” Officer Duncan and Cynthia Still Keyton.
Rhodes, who moved to Arkadelphia from Wrightsville, Georgia, in 1985, traces her roots back to William Gainer (Ganer), who served as a private in Virginia during the American Revolution. Her mother, Evelyn Kennedy Mayo, and her aunt, Thelma Kennedy Tanner, were DAR members in Georgia.
“I’ve been the chapter regent twice and was state treasurer once,” she said. “I belong to other genealogical societies, too, but I don’t even have a computer now.
“I don’t want to fill out papers for anyone,” she said laughing, referring to admission papers, “although I do keep a box with my genealogy records in it behind my chair in the den and poke around in it every now and then.”
Aud traces her ancestry to David Ross, who was a private in Virginia. She was born and raised in Arkadelphia. She and her sister, the late Roena Ross Timmons of Gurdon, joined DAR in the same year.
Duncan grew up Iowa and moved to Arkadelphia about 40 years ago. Her mother, Ethelyn Dickens Officer, and grandmother Alta Girdner Dickens were members of DAR in Missouri. Duncan’s DAR patriot is Michael Gortner (Girdner), who was a private in Pennsylvania.
Keyton joined the DAR by tracing her ancestry back to Alexander Turrentine, who served as a private in North Carolina. Her mother, Ida Mae Still, joined DAR one year before she did.
Since proving her lineage to Turrentine, Keyton has also proved lineage to four other Revolutionary War patriots.
Keyton, who now lives in Salado, Texas, has three daughters who are members of the Arkadelphia DAR Chapter — Sally Dixon, who lives in Social Hill, and Robin Johnston and Nancy Reed, who both live in Texas.
“When we had our 90th anniversary, we had it at my house here in Arkadelphia, and all three of my daughters were there with their grandmother,” she said. “That was a special day.”
Making a special appearance at the birthday celebration was Charles McLemore, president of the DeSoto Trace Chapter, Arkansas Society Sons of the American Revolution, who was dressed in period costume. He led the group in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States. McLemore said the local SAR chapter had its first meeting in the 1970s in Arkadelphia.
“We would like to get more men from the Arkadelphia and Malvern areas involved in our organization,” he said. “Just like members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, to join SAR, you must prove your lineage back to a patriot of the American Revolution. If anyone has questions or wants more information, they can call me at (501) 209-9513, or just show up at one of our meetings. We meet at 11:30 a.m. the second Saturday of the month at the Home Plate at Hot Springs Village.”
To close the birthday party, Jeffers presented a $100 check on behalf of the chapter to Townsend for her State Regent’s Project, the continued upkeep of the DAR Room at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. Jeffers also presented gifts to Mary Ann
Riehart of the John Percifull Chapter in Hot Springs for being the “longest serving DAR member” in attendance — 56 years; Margaret McGrew, also of the John Percifull Chapter, for being the “oldest DAR member” in attendance — 92; and Amy Jackson of the Arkadelphia Chapter, for being the “youngest DAR member” in attendance — 43.
Jeffers said membership in DAR is open to any woman 18 or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. The Arkadelphia DAR chapter normally meets at 2 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month, September through May, at either the Clark County Library or the Clark County Museum. For more information, contact Jeffers by phone at (870) 246-8909 or by email at crwjeffers@hotmail.com.