Overland Trail Chapter, NSDAR Laporte, Colorado

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

Overland Trail enjoyed local Ft. Collins Historian Meg Dunn's presentation on a Ft. Collins historic building now in the process of restoration, the Malaby Grocery. Following the meeting, members met at a local pizzeria for another book club discussion: The Girl from Greenwich Street, by Lauren Willig, a fictional retelling of a trial for the murder of a young woman murdered in 1799 with Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton defending the accuses. Well written and meticulously researched, the book gives insight in the America's early legal system. Members also signed 40 Valentine cards that will sent this week to our veterans at the Cheyenne VA and those in Montrose.

01/23/2026

If I do say so myself, what a nice collection of Valentines for Veterans that will be sent to Cheyenne and Montrose veterans. Thanks to Honorary Regent Karen Hall and Treasurer Amy Tamlin for helping to create these lovely cards. They will available at the Feb 7th meeting for members to sign. Work in the card studio continues as we make valentines to share with Cards for Soldiers. And here is a bit on the organization: Carly reports on the website that she shipped 300,000 thousand cards over seas last year. I am so proud that Overland Trail participates in her project. Check out her page, join her page and consider sending her more cards. She does have certain requirements for shipping and preparing cards, so check it out. This project is a great way not only to send some love to military serving abroad, but also to earn Service for America DAR hours.

01/11/2026

Instead of its regular January business meeting, Overland Trail held its traditional December holiday fund raising luncheon yesterday, Saturday, Jan 10. Overland trail members are so generous supporting three projects: Project Patriot care packages to military serving overseas; the American Indian Scholarship Fund, located in Denver, and our annual food drive for the Larimer County Food Bank. Treasurer Amy Tamlin will have the results for the February meeting. We also had a special guest, Honorary Regent Karen Hall's 13 year old Granddaughter (and my great niece), Bobbi. photo by Rae Todd, Vice Regent.

12/14/2025

It was our pleasure and honor to participate in Wreaths Across America placement at the Grandview Cemetery in Ft. Collins this morning--Overland Trail's last official event of 2025. Without a program or script in hand, I don't have the names of the honored veteran guests, but I was certainly impressed that three were women who served in various branches of the military. Also impressive was the number of young people who had key roles in the ceremony: Boys Scouts presented the colors; American Girls Heritage, a Christ centered organization for girls, escorted the honored Veterans who placed the wreath representing their branch of service, while another youth organization, Young Men's Service League, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Overland Trail proudly sponsored 358 wreaths this year.

12/09/2025

Overland ends the year with a flourish of activities and with Vice Regent Rae Todd traveling to events representing the chapter.The photos tell the story. Most exciting was our joint meeting with Cache la Poudre hosting State Regent Carrie Klein. A special thanks to Overland Trail Regent Janice Inman Leflet and her husband Lloyd for inviting us to hold the special meeting in their event center, The Covey. We will meet again in January for our annual holiday luncheon and fund raising for the American Indian Scholarship fund and food drive. Look for details in the newsletters and emails. Wishing you all Merry Christmas and blessed holiday season.

10/23/2025

The Card Studio has finished its holiday card making until it's time for Valentines. We made a few cards! Today I packed up 285 cards that will be shipped to Michigan Cards for Soldiers. The flat rate box is packed full! There are about 200 holiday and Christmas cards and few all occasion cards that I made this summer. The card project will generate important Service to America points for the year end report. Join me for the Valentine's Day workshops after the first of the year. Here is a sample of this year's cards, all one of kind, even though I repeated the embellishments. These are all blank cards that senders can write their own messages in. Thank you to my friend Sherry who sent cards for me to use.

10/20/2025

Saturday, October 18th, 3 Northern Colorado joined Cache la Poudre Chapter, NSDAR to place a DAR America 250 bronze plague at the Ft. Collins Veterans Plaza honoring American Veterans and patriots who sacrificed so much for Ameria's freedoms and to remind Americans of the courage and sacrifice the Revolutionary patriots made to win America’ independence. When the project was announced at the 129th Continental Congress, the hope was "that we will create a coast-to-coast network of markers, not unlike the National Society’s Madonna of the Trail statues." (DAR)

09/23/2025

Karen and I cranked out 22 Veterans Day cards and I finished the batch for a total of 36 cards. I’ll bring them to the October meeting for members to sign. Join me next week to begin our Christmas and holiday collection.

09/23/2025

Every now and then much appreciated gratitude comes our way. Yesterday I received this email from an organization in Michigan, Desert Angles, Inc. thanking us for our cards that they received. Read the note, and you will see why Overland Trail makes cards. Speaking of cards, the Card Studio will open for 10-2 today. If you are free, drop by to make a couple of cards. We will repeat next Tuesday. BLTs for lunch--home grown tomatoes. Learn more about Desert Angels here. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Desert+Angels%2C+INC+in+MI&t=osx&ia=web

09/21/2025

Constitution week: September 17-13: Vice Regent Regent Rae Todd Receives the Proclamation of the Constitution from Larimar County officials. In the photo: Sheriff John Feyen, Assistant Count Manager Laurie Kadrich, County Commissioner John Kefalas, Commissioner Kristin Stephens, Vice Regent Rae Todd, and Commissioner Jody Shadduck McNally.

09/09/2025

OverLand Fall activities are in full swing. I thought I posted photos of the chapter's summer picnic, but I guessI didn't. The new chapter board met at the Covey in August to plan the year, we held our first meeting Sept. 6. Yesterday Karen and I going three other chapters to view the new DAR marker at the Veterans Plaza. So gorgeous! Four local DAR chapters went together to place an America 250 Daughters the American Revolution bronze marker at the Veterans Plaza in Ft. Collins. Yesterday sister-in-law Karen and I joined members of 3 other DAR chapters, Greeley Centennial, Windsor Friday Counsel Tree, and Ft. Collins Cache La Poudre, to view the newly installed marker commemorating America’s 250 anniversary. We took a short tour of the plaza with the gentleman who designs and promotes the plaza that, as he explained, honors American veterans who have fought for America since the very beginning. Most impressive is the big screen computer, The Veterans Digital Wall of Honor where visitors can nominate their veteran relatives who served. (see link on website). He further explained that plaza is not a memorial for fallen veterans, but a place to honor all American veterans. He also shared plans for his next honorary stature that will represent the women who have served in the American military. Each Memorial Day during the Memorial Day ceremony, members of the community, including Overland Trail and Cache la Poudre read the names of veterans. The park where the Plaza is beautiful and the Veterans Plaza is impressive. For more information, check out the website. https://veteransplazanoco.org.