It’s been 85 years since the Winema Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution held its first meeting in the Corvallis living room of founding member A.B. Cordley. At that meeting, 14 women with proven ancestry to Revolutionary War soldiers gathered to celebrate their love of history, genealogy and philanthropy.

Today, there are 35 Oregon chapters with a total of 1,600 members, and Winema, named after a Modoc woman whose name means “brave heart,” is still thriving.

One of the oldest members, Maryanne Nardello, has been with the chapter for 30 years, and is about to turn 90 years old. A number of other members have been with DAR for around three decades.

New members are welcome and are arriving, including Pat Jackson, who was accepted into DAR this month.

The qualifications are simple: a woman must simply prove that she is descended from someone who fought in the Revolutionary War (on the American side).

However, it only sounds simple. Applicants must be able to provide documented proof of each birth, marriage and death from the soldier on down to their own birth.

“Anyone who is interested should start with yourself and work backwards,” said member Anne Griffis, regent of the Winema Chapter. The Internet, which wasn’t around when many of the older members applied, is both a boon to genealogical research and a burden.

“It can also be a source of misleading information,” Griffis said. “It can help but it can also hurt. You really need to visit a library,” such as the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Tracing family history has been an important part of the life of all DAR members, sometimes encompassing years of work and stacks of papers.

And the facts they uncover can be surprising. Jackson, the newest Winema member, discovered she’s related to Daniel Boone. Nardello found out she has “a distant relationship to ‘old John Brown, who lies a-mouldering in his grave.’”

Some of the members can even prove they are descended from Mayflower passengers.

“That’s what’s fascinating,” said member Jane Buck.

DAR is about family in other ways as well. Almost all the members got involved in DAR because their mothers and aunts were involved in the organization.

“It’s so easy to go in if you have an ancestor,” who has already been accepted, Buck explained, because all the research is already done for you, although members say they continue to research their family history and make new discoveries.

For Buck, DAR was an important part of her mother’s life, and at one time she was a state chairman for the organization.

Joan McDougald said her mother spent countless hours gathering family information in the 1910s and 1920s, attempting to trace the family history.

“I better keep it going,” she said. Her daughter is picking up the reins from her as well.

DAR is known for its support of educational organizations, patriotism and historic preservation. Members raise money for scholarships and schools, they volunteer time with veterans’ organizations, and work to preserve historic buildings and materials.

The local chapter meets once a month and features a speaker who focuses on educational and historical endeavors. There are three state meetings a year, and one annual national convention, held at the DAR national headquarters in the heart of Washington, D.C., in a huge neo-classic building near the White House.

Although membership is strong, what the group lacks are younger members.

“Younger members have energy,” Buck explained, to take on tasks older members are unable to perform.

More women today are juggling jobs and family, and don’t have time to invest in organizations such as DAR, Nardello said.

However, many daughters follow in their mothers’ footsteps, and there’s hope that new generations of DAR will rise to take their places someday.

ON THE NET:

For more information on the Winema Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, see www.geocities.com/winema54.