Miriam Benedict Chapter, NSDAR

06/06/2026

How are you preparing to Celebrate America 250!?

06/05/2026

At our June 4th Chapter meeting the Miriam Benedict Chapter welcomed honored Indiana DAR Speakers Staff Chair and past administration State Historian, Cheryl Ball. Mrs. Ball gave a very informative program on Real Daughters and real Daughters or as I often put it, Real Daughters and Daughters. We learned so much from this program.

06/04/2026

Our Chapter held a fundraiser on June 3rd at Culver’s on Pine Lake Road in LaPorte. Chapter members delivered orders to customers inside and out. We will receive 10% back from all receipts donated. We enjoy this annual opportunity because we get to mix and mingle with the public and spread the word about DAR!

06/03/2026

Today, June 3rd, Chapter Registrar and DAR Good Citizens Chair Teri Showalter had the honor of presenting our DAR Good Citizens 1st place scholarship winner to Marquette Catholic High School senior Madeleine McCarther. Madeleine is the perfect example of a DAR Good Citizen. She will soon be joining our Chapter as a junior member and we can’t wait to see how she will lead and grow our Chapter in the future. Congratulations Maddie!

Photo credits and permission to post go to Denise McCarther.

05/23/2026

This morning, the New York State Museum will participate in the dignified transfer of the remains of Revolutionary War soldiers recovered from the Courtland Street Burying Ground in Lake George, as they begin their final journey home escorted by vintage military vehicles and a motorcycle procession. On Friday, May 22, the soldiers will be laid to rest with full honors during a public reinterment ceremony at Lake George Battlefield Park.

The burial ground was discovered in 2019 during construction work, and evidence recovered from the site linked the cemetery to the 1775–1776 Quebec Campaign of the American Revolution. Since then, Museum researchers, partners, and volunteers have worked carefully to recover and study the fragmented remains of more than 40 individuals, helping restore the stories of those who served and sacrificed during the fight for independence.

Using the DNA analysis techniques available at the time of excavation, our team was able to determine broad European ancestry. We also know that all but one of the individuals were male, with many of the remains belonging to soldiers in their teens and early 20s. Additionally, historical accounts — along with the discovery of military buttons from the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion, established in 1775 — strongly indicate the remains date to the Revolutionary War.

As advances in DNA technology continue to expand what researchers may be able to learn from historic remains, samples and documentation from the excavation have been carefully preserved for future study. While additional analysis is an ongoing area of interest, any future work would be approached thoughtfully, respectfully, and in collaboration with appropriate scientific and cultural partners.

(1) Facial reconstruction created by forensic artist Jenny Kenyon
(2) Archaeologists with the New York State Museum, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation conduct salvage excavations of partially intact graves from 2019-2020.
(3) Regimental button from the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion.
(4) Filling buckets to be sifted in August 2019. The Revolutionary War Grand Union flag is flying above.


NYS Department of Environmental Conservation NY State Parks & Historic Sites

05/20/2026

Today, May 20th, Chapter Parliamentarian Janine Peo, Recording Secretary Barb Lochmondy and Registrar Teri Showalter met at the Miriam Benedict Cemetery to begin marking and mapping out our upcoming America 250! celebration. On July 3rd we will be celebrating the birthday of America AND our Chapter namesake, Miriam Benedict by hosting a birthday party and cemetery tour. On this tour you will meet several Daughters of Revolutionary War Ancestors, War of 1812, Civil War, and Spanish American War Veterans, and many early settlers to the Westville area. Please watch for our flyer with date, time and location soon. Oh and the best part…..sweet treats. There will be cupcakes and goodies baked by our members from recipe’s that date back to the arrival of these pioneers. We hope to see everyone there!

05/14/2026

On May 13th Chapter Regent Luanne Long presented the JROTC award to Cadet Corporal Sophia Sanchez at Michigan City High School. Regent Long was accompanied by Recording Secretary Barb Lochmondy, Parliamentarian Janine Peo and Chapter member Jane Quint. Picture credits to Barb and Janine.

05/10/2026

https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/history-mothers-day-global-peace-greeting-cards

Mother’s Day in the United States has a history all its own—and it’s more complicated than greeting cards might lead you to believe. There were repeated efforts to establish a Mother’s Day holiday and conflicting ideas about what it should stand for and how it should be observed. From a call...

05/08/2026

Today, May 7, 2026, the Miriam Benedict Chapter was honored to have our Indiana State Regent, Mrs. Sholty, attend our Chapter meeting. We were also blessed with guests from the Rebecca Dewey Chapter in Three Oaks, Michigan and the Captain Samuel Felt Chapter in Dowagiac, Michigan. It is always so uplifting to be found in a room so full of so much positive energy. We are stronger together. Thank you to all who attended.

05/05/2026

On May 4th, Regent Luanne Long attended an awards ceremony at Westville High School and presented a scholarship, pin and certificate to one of our Chapters DAR Good Citizens essay contest winners. Congratulations Myleigh!