All posts by utahvis

Gold Star Mothers Remembered

Hello Friends,
As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, I would like to call attention to Honorary State Regent Susan Holt and her State Regent’s Project. Her project began in July 2018 to restore the Gold Star Mothers’ Memorial on Gold Star Hill at Memory Grove Park in Salt Lake City.
After months of research, Mrs. Holt was finally able to ascertain the names of the plaques that were missing from the Memorial.  Five plaques had been lost or destroyed. The rest of the Memorial had been damaged by flooding, neglect, and time.
New replacement plaques were fashioned.  The women whose plaques were restored were  Lucy R. Donnelly Garvin, Mary Gertrude Thomas, Martha Alice Davies, Isabella Woodward Knight Halton, and Antoinette Elizabeth Brown Kinney. These women were founding Memory Park Committee members; members of War Mothers, the Service Star Legion, and the Gold Star Mothers Association; and there was even a DAR member amongst these new plaques.
In addition, the large star was added in the center of the amphitheater with brilliant colors of gold and yellow. The wall was also repaired with additional landscaping to deter walkers and joggers from cutting through the memorial.
On June 5th, 2020, the unveiling ceremony took place. Mrs. Holt presided over the presentation and was accompanied by several Utah State DAR Executive Board Members and other Chapter Officers.
Mrs. Holt laid a bouquet of yellow roses, on behalf of the Utah State Society DAR, in remembrance of the sacrifice of these Gold Star Mothers and those mothers whose sacrifice had never been honored.
The video that was live streamed due to the COVID-19 pandemic can be viewed, with this link, on our public Facebook page.
In reverence and gratitude for the Gold Star Mothers’ sacrifice,
Kathryn Asay,
Utah State Regent

Utah’s Real Daughter

Hello Friends,

The month of March has been designated as Women’s History Month. This Regent would like to discuss one of our State Society’s founding members.

Harriet Jacques Wetmore Sells was a Real Daughter. A Real Daughter is a daughter of a Patriot who fought or assisted the American Revolution. She suggested the name “Spirit of Liberty” for the original Chapter in Utah. Mrs. Sells was also the Organizing Regent for the Spirit of Liberty Chapter; however, the Chapter was disbanded in 1976.

This photograph is Harriet as a young woman.

This photograph is Harriet in 1909, a mere seven years before her death.

Her father was Bela Wetmore, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, that served as a sixteen-year-old volunteer. He was a Private in the Third Massachusetts Regiment. He served until the end of the war in 1783.

Mrs. Sells died in 1916 and was laid to rest in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City. She was age 79 at the time of her death. Her original monument, shared with her husband, Elijah B. Sells, has a bronze Real Daughter plaque that was affixed to the side near the time she was buried.

Our Honorary State Regent Brenda Reeder restored Harriet’s headstone as one of her State Regent’s Projects.  The new marker sits at the base of the monument and was dedicated in 2018.

Remembering the “Legacy of Love” that Mrs. Sells left for our Society today,

Kathryn Asay,

Utah State Regent

Celebrating George Washington

Hello Friends,

Our National Society is the lead sponsor for George Washington’s 289th virtual birthday celebration this year. Mark your calendars to celebrate! The worldwide celebration will take place on Monday, February 22nd at 7 PM EST/5 PM MST.

Here is the webpage: https://www.dar.org/members/dars-partnership-mount-vernon

I hope many of you will join in celebrating the life of our First President.

With patriotic service,

Kathryn Asay,

Utah State Regent

A Piano for Valor House

Hello Friends,

My eyes are filled with tears as I am so happy and very proud of The Utah State Society Daughters of the American Revolution
for their creative piano pin fundraiser organized by the Uintah Chapter to purchase a Traditional/Digitized Piano for our once homeless Veterans who now reside at the Valor House in Salt Lake City. We were delighted to be joined by a couple of our Children of the American Revolution girls. Thank you Utah Daughters for supporting the State Regent’s Piano Project!

Sharing ‘Our Legacy of Love,’ with our community,

Kathryn Asay,

Utah State Regent

DAR’s Inauguration Contribution

Hello Friends,

This lovely bronze DAR Eagle Lectern has been used in the four previous Presidential Inauguration luncheons.

It was the official podium used in Memorial Continental Hall and was presented to the 14th DAR Continental Congress in 1905 by the now disbanded Flintlock and Powderhorn Chapter of Rhode Island as a pledge of “loyalty to the organization, and in the interest of purity, patriotism and peace.”

Once again, it was loaned to the Inaugural Committee. Today, we saw it during the presentation of gifts from Congress as COVID-19 precautions prevented the luncheon from occurring.

For more information about the lectern’s history, check out the DAR blog:

https://blog.dar.org/dar-eagle-lectern-loaned-inaugural-committee

With patriotism in our hearts as we “rise and shine for America,”

Kathryn Asay,

Utah State Regent

Wreaths Across America

 Hello Friends,
 
Each year, Utah DAR members are honored to show their gratitude and patriotism by laying thousands of wreaths at the graves of deceased veterans in cemeteries across the length of our state from Logan in the North to St. George in the South.  Outgoing Governor Gary Herbert declared December 19th as Wreaths Across America day in Utah. This regent is proud that our State Society had 100% Chapter Participation.
Sharing ‘Our Legacy of Love’ through patriotic service,
Kathryn Asay,
Utah State Regent

A Year of Serving

Hello Friends,

Throughout 2020, our eleven DAR Chapters have shared their talents and donations for Utah from St. George to Logan.  Here are several beautiful pictures of our DAR Service to America as we honor our communities, our veterans, and our Active Military personnel.  Utah DAR is delighted to share “Our Legacy of Love” in friendship and service 365 days a year.
In DAR service and friendship,
Kathryn Asay,
Utah State Regent

Christmas Greetings from the National Society

Hello Friends,

This is the holiday message from our President General Denise VanBuren. Please watch the video tour.

“Happy Holidays from DAR Headquarters! The pandemic may have kept us from hosting our traditional Open House this year, but it couldn’t stop us from decorating our House Beautiful! If you’re in the metro D.C. area, we invite you to come see our Holiday Illumination in person. Otherwise, check out the Today’s DAR Blog post from today for a peak at our decorations and other suggestions for ways you can celebrate the holidays virtually. We even have a surprise video message from Santa!”

Check it all out here: https://blog.dar.org/dar-headquarters-holiday-highlights

Sharing ‘Our Legacy of Love’ this Holiday season,

Kathryn Asay,

Utah State Regent

The Day that Lives in Infamy

Hello Friends,
As we pause to remember the the surprise attack which occurred at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii that ushered our nation into WWII, the Utah Daughters would like to specifically remember those serving on the USS Utah.
This is an interesting article published about the “forgotten battleship” of Pearl Harbor.
The Utah State Society Daughters of the American Revolution share their “Legacy of Love” in remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives on December 7th, 1941.
Respectfully,
Kathryn Asay,
Utah  State Regent

Utah Daughters participate in National DAR Day of Service

Hello Friends,

As we celebrated the 130th Anniversary of NSDAR in October, Utah Daughters were busy in a variety of ways serving their communities for the “National DAR Day of Service”. 

Bald Eagle Chapter collected trash along the highway.

Color Country Chapter volunteered at Switch Point Food Pantry stocking shelves and packing food boxes.

Golden Spike Chapter put together over 50 meals for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Roy, Utah.

Princess Timpanogos Chapter made educational games for children with learning disabilities in the Granite School District.

Pony Express Chapter collected food and clothing for a Women’s Shelter Refuge.

Sego Lily Chapter collected cleaning supplies for Safe Harbor Women’s Shelter and 96 pounds of food for the Bountiful Food Bank.

Salt Lake Valley Chapter,  as part of Service to Veterans, collected hygiene products for the homeless because many of them are veterans. Items collected were taken to a homeless shelter.

Uintah Chapter made and donated 50 sack lunches for the youth at Midvale Family Resources Center.

Spirit of America Chapter picked up trash along their very own stretch of an adopted highway.

Wasatch Range Chapter delivered pizzas and other foods to families in need.

We are so proud of the Utah Daughters serving in the community for the Day of Service.

Sharing “Our Legacy of Love” as we “Rise and Shine for America,”
Kathryn Asay
Utah State Regent