Famous Women Who Are Members of DAR - Part 5

Stars of DAR - Part 5

GRANDMA MOSES
Anna Mary Robertson Moses
Hoosac-Walloomsac Chapter, New York

She was a renowned American folk artist. A self-taught artist, she didn't begin painting until she was 78 years old.  At first, she charged $3 to $5 for a painting, depending upon its size, and as her fame increased her works were sold for $8,000 to $10,000.  In November 2006, her 1943 work "Sugaring Off" became her highest-selling work at $1.2 million.

ELIZABETH DOLE  
Washington, D.C. Member at Large

Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School. She served as Secretary of Transportation under Ronald Reagan and Secretary of Labor under George H.W. Bush before becoming head of the American Red Cross. She then became North Carolina's first female Senator from 2003 to 2009.

JULIA DENT GRANT  
Washington, D.C. Chapter

The wife of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and was First Lady of the United States from 1869 to 1877.

GRACE BREWSTER MURRAY HOPPER
Mary Murray Chapter, New York

Grace was a computer pioneer and naval officer. She earned a master’s degree (1930) and a Ph.D. (1934) in mathematics from Yale.  Nicknamed “Amazing Grace” by her subordinates, she retired from the Navy as a rear admiral at the age of 79—the oldest serving officer in the U.S. armed forces.  

CAROLINE SCOTT HARRISON
Mary Washington Chapter, Washington, D.C.

Caroline Scott Harrison, was a teacher of music, the wife of Benjamin Harrison and mother of two surviving children; after his election as President of the United States, she was First Lady of the United States from 1889 until her death. She secured funding for an extensive renovation of the White House and oversaw the work. Interested in history and preservation, in 1890 she helped found the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as its first President General.

MARGARET RHEA SEDDON 
Colonel Hardy Murfree Chapter, Tennessee

Margaret a physician and retired NASA astronaut. After being selected as part of the first group of astronauts to include women, she flew on three Space Shuttle flights.

MARY BAKER EDDY  
Massachusetts State Member at Large

In 1879, Mary founded the Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science).

ROSALYNN SMITH CARTER  
Council of Safety Chapter, Georgia

She is the wife of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter and in that capacity served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

MERCY LAVINIA WARREN BUMP STRATTON MAGRI 
Melzingah Chapter, New York

Mrs. Tom Thumb 

JANET WOOD RENO
Coral Gables Chapter, Florida

Janet served as the Attorney General of the United States, from 1993 to 2001. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11, 1993. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General. 


To read the last post of this series, click HERE

Famous Women Who Are Members of DAR - Part 4

Stars of DAR - Part 4

BO DEREK 
California State Member at Large 

Bo Derek is an actress and model, perhaps best known for her role in the movie  "10." 

SUSAN B. ANTHONY
Irondequoit Chapter, New York

Susan Brownell Anthony was a social reformer and feminist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. 

LAURA WELCH BUSH
Colonel Theunis Day Chapter, Texas

Laura is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States,  George W. Bush. 

BARBARA PIERCE BUSH 
Washington, D.C. Member at Large

First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993 as the wife of George H. W. Bush, who served as the 41st President of the United States.

JESSIE BENTON FREMONT  
Los Angeles-Eschscholtzia Chapter, California

Wife of Captain John C. Fremont, 5th governor of Arizona Territory and leader of the Fremont Expeditions.

CLARISSA HARLOWE BARTON 
Washington, D.C. Member at Large

Clara was the founder of the American Red Cross. 

MARGARET CHASE SMITH
Eunice Farnsworth Chapter, Maine

Margaret served as a U.S Representative and a U.S. Senator from Maine. She was the first woman to serve in both houses of the United States Congress, and the first woman to represent Maine in either.

LUCY MAYNARD SALMON 
Mahwenawasigh Chapter, New York

She was the first woman to be a member of the executive committee of the American Historical Association, serving on the Committee of Seven, which largely defined the way history would be taught at the high school level.  A professor of history at Vassar College from 1889 until her death.


To read the next installment click HERE

Famous Women Who Are Members of DAR - Part 3

Stars of DAR - Part 3

ABBY ALDRICH ROCKEFELLER
Williamsburg Chapter, Virginia

Wife of John D. Rockefeller, Abby is referred to as the "woman in the family."  She was known for being the driving force behind the establishment of the Museum of Modern Art.

SUZANNE POWELL BISHOPRIC 
Walter Hines Page Chapter, London, England

From 1999 to 2007, Suzanne was the Treasurer of the United Nations.  2007 until recently she was the Director of the Investment Management division of the United Nations.

SONPHONISBA PRESTON BRECKINRIDGE 
Lexington Chapter, Kentucky

She was a suffragist, a social reformer and an attorney being the first woman to pass Kentucky bar exam.

MARY ELLEN HINAMON WITHROW 
Captain William Hendricks Chapter, Ohio

Mary was the  40th Treasurer of the United States from March 1, 1994 to January 20, 2001 under President Bill Clinton.

ANNA M. JARVIS
Daniel Davisson Chapter, West Virginia

Anna is recognized as the founder of Mother’s Day holiday in the United States.

EDITH KERMIT CAROW ROOSEVELT  
Oyster Bay Chapter, New York

Edith was the second wife of President Theodore Roosevelt and served as the First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1901 to 1909.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT  
New York State Member at Large

She served as the First Lady of the United States from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, making her the longest serving First Lady of the United States.  Eleanor was appointed as United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952.  In 1939, in a dramatic and celebrated act of conscience, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution when it barred the world-renowned singer Marian Anderson, an African American, from performing at its Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. The DAR has long since apologized and Marian Anderson performed many times in Constitution Hall.

SUSAN LINCOLN TOLMAN MILLS
Sequoia Chapter, California

President and co-founder of Mills College, the first U.S. women’s college on the west coast.

DOROTHY AYER GARDNER FORD

Lucretia Leffingwell Chapter, Illinois

Mother of Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States.


To read the next installment click HERE

Famous Women Who Are Members of DAR - Part 2

Stars of DAR - Part 2

PHOEBE APPERSON HEARST

San Francisco Chapter, California

Phoebe was the mother of William Randolph Hearst.  She founded the University of California Museum of Anthropology. A major benefactor of the University of California, Berkeley and its first woman Regent, serving on the board from 1897 until her death. Phoebe died in 1919, during the worldwide influenza epidemic.

JULIE NIXON EISENHOWER

San Clemente Chapter, California

Julie is the youngest daughter of Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States. she is married to David Eisenhower, grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

FLORENCE KLING HARDING 

Captain William Hendricks Chapter, Ohio

First Lady of the United States from 1921 to 1923 as the wife of President Warren G. Harding.

BETSY VOGEL BOZE  

Shreveport Chapter, Louisiana

Betsy is CEO of Kent State University and a Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. 

GINGER ROGERS 

Hollywood Chapter, California

An actress, dancer and singer who appeared in films, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century. She made 73 films - 10 of them with Fred Astaire as a dancing partner.

MARIE CORINNE MORRISON CLAIBORNE BOGGS 

Spirit of '76 Chapter, Louisiana

Known as Lindy Boggs, she was the first woman elected to the U. S. House of Representatives from Louisiana, serving for almost 18 years.  From 1997 to 2001 she was the Ambassador to the Vatican.

MARY ANNA MORRISON JACKSON 

Mecklenberg Chapter, North Carolina

She was the wife of Civil War General Stonewall Jackson.  Mary was the first chapter regent for Mecklenberg Chapter in 1898.

NANCY DAVIS REGAN  

California Member at Large

Wife of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. She was the First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

ALICE STOKES PAUL 

Mary Washington Chapter, Washington, D.C.

Alice was a suffragist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and the main leader and strategist of the 1910s campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which prohibits sex discrimination in the right to vote.

JULIA WARD HOWE

Massachusetts Member at Large

Julia is the composer of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic"

LENORE LOVING PRATHER

Horseshoe Robertson Chapter, Mississippi

Lenore was the first female Mississippi Supreme Court Justice.

To read the next installment click HERE

Famous Women Who Are Members of DAR

Stars of DAR

I've written before about some notable women who are members of Daughters of the American Revolution.  Since then, I've done additional research about many more women who have made a place for themselves in history.

Today begins a five part series about these women.

JEANNETTE RIDION PICCARD    

Nathan Hale Chapter, Minnesota

Jeannette was a high-altitude balloonist and in later life an Episcopal priest. She held the women's altitude record for thirty years. She was the first licensed female balloon pilot in the United States and the first woman to fly to the stratosphere. 

MAMIE GENEVA DOUD EISENHOWER  

Gettysburg Chapter, Pennsylvania

First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.

LILLIAN GISH 
Massillion Chapter, Ohio

Lillian Diana Gish was an actress, director and writer whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987.  She was called "The First Lady of American Cinema."  Lillian was the star in one of the highest grossing films of the Silent Era - D. W. Griffth's "Birth of a Nation."

LILLIE HITCHCOCK COIT
Sequoia Chapter, California

Lillian was a well-known patroness of San Francisco's volunteer firefighters and the benefactor for the construction of the Coit Tower in San Francisco.

NINA MCLEMORE
Cherokee Rose Chapter, Mississippi

In 1980 she founded Liz Claiborne Accessories. She is a fashion industry powerhouse and has even climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Nina’s personal philosophy on life: “I have learned you can get through anything in life, if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and breathe very deeply.”

CLARE BOOTH LUCE
Putnam Hill Chapter, Connecticut

Clare is an author and playwright best known for her 1936 play "The Women" which had an all-female cast.  As Ambassador to Italy, she was the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad. She was the wife of Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.

SUSAN KILRAIN
Descendant's of '76 Chapter, Washington, D.C.

She is a retired Commander, US Navy, a former NASA test pilot and an astronaut.  Susan has logged in over 3000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft including an F-14 Tomcat.  As an astronaut, she has over 472 hours in space.

EMILY WARREN ROEBLING
Life Member, State of New York

Emily is known for her contribution to the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband Washington Roebling (who had been the chief engineer) developed caisson disease (decompression disease). 

HELEN EILEEN JOHNS CARROLL  
Sumter's Home Chapter, South Carolina

Helen won the gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay event in the 1932 Olympic Games.

TAMMY DUCKWORTH
Captain William Penny Chapter, Illinois

United States Senator from Illinois.  Tammy is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and an Iraq War Veteran.  While serving as a helicopter pilot, a rocket missile hit her helicopter and as a result, she lost both her legs becoming a double amputee.  She was awarded the Purple Heart. 


To read the next installment click HERE

Big and Fun News From MyHeritage!

MyHeritage has been announced today by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as Presenting Partner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019! As the event’s main sponsor, MyHeritage has been granted extensive global association and event, media, and digital rights for the upcoming song contest.

The Eurovision Song Contest is a famous international song competition held annually since the 1950’s, primarily among the member countries of the European Broadcasting Union. It is the world’s biggest live music event, a hugely popular television event that has been watched live by an average of close to 200 million people in the past 3 years. The contest is hosted by the previous year’s winning country — as Israel won the 2018 competition, Eurovision 2019 will be held in Tel Aviv.

Some past winners of the Eurovision Song Contest:

1969 - Lulu won for her song "Boom Bang-a-Bang" - better know for her song "To Sir With Love"

1974 - ABBA for "Waterloo" - Who doesn't know ABBA?

1988 - Celine Dion for "Ne partez pas sans moi" - translated "Don't Leave Without Me"


1997 - Katrina and the Waves for "Love Shine a Light"- better known for their hit "Walking on Sunshine"

Another Great Story From The California Statutes - Deputy Marshall Andrew McGinnis

So I am back to extracting genealogical information from the California State Statutes.  I am in the year 1895 and it is mostly all payments made by the State of California to individuals.  As usual, one catches my eye.  Mostly because it is a payment to a woman and the amount of the payment - Mrs. Addie McGinnis for $7500.

So off I go, to ask The Google why Mrs. McGinnis is getting $7500 from the State of California.

At first, all I find is that the payment is compensation for the death of her husband who was "killed while hunting the reward for the capture of Evans and Sontag."

Clickity-clack, clickity-clack and it is now 3 in the morning.  HOWEVER, I now have the story.

In August 1892, George Constant, John Sontag and Chris Evans, using sticks of dynamite, held up a train near Visalia, California and made away with over $10,000 in gold and silver coins.  They shot Visalia Deputy George Witty and then escaped in the deputy's buggy.  This triggered a large possee to come after the desperados.  The train robbers were tracked to a cabin and as the lawmen approached, the robbers opened fire killing Andrew McGinnis.

McGinnis had just moved to San Francisco with his wife and daughter in February of that year from Modesto, where for eight years he had held the position of Deputy Sheriff.  After moving to San Francisco he had found employment at Friedlander Cigar Manufacturers.  When the possee was forming, the Southern Pacific Railroad asked his assistance due to his reputation as an efficient and intelligent officer.  He was sworn in as a Deputy U.S. Marshall the morning the possee left to find the robbers.  In a weird coincidence, McGinnis had at one time worked as a bill collector for Sontag and Evans when they owned a livery stable in Modesto.

Addie McGinnis left San Francisco and went to Modesto to bury her husband at Modesto Citizens Cemetery in Stanislaus County. A little less than a year later, Sontag was killed and Evans was apprehended after a gun battle with a posse. Evans lost an eye and his right hand in the fight.  Chris Evans was convicted of the murder of all three officers and sentenced to life in Folsom Prison. He was paroled in 1912.

 "Whatever happened to the Widow McGinnis and her daughter?", you ask.  Well, I caught up with Addie McGinnis in 1900.  

Addie McGinnis, age 45,  had moved to Stockton (of all places)  and was working as an attendant at the Stockton State Insane Asylum.  Daughter Etta May McGinnis was attending dental school.  Ten years later finds them both in Oakland, Alameda County working as dermatologists.  Sometime before 1920, Etta May McGinnis married Jeremiah Denahy and she and her mother moved in with him.  Jeremiah was the owner of a dancing academy in Oakland.

Owning a dancing school must have been good business because the Denahy's purchased a home valued at $3000 and all three lived in the house until their deaths.

Addie died first on 4 January 1943, then Etta May on 1 October 1955 and finally Jeremiah on 12 December 1958.  all are buried at St. Mary's Cemetery, Oakland, Alameda County, California.

There are no living descendants of Deputy Marshall Andrew McGinnis.  I am telling his story here so he will not be forgotten.


Sources
1900 U.S. census, Stockton, San Joaquin County, California, ED 108, sheet 5B, dw 39, fam 109, Addie McGinnis household
1910 U.S. census, Oakland, Alameda County, California, ED 121, sheet 1A, pg 53, dw 7, fam 15, Addie McGinnis household
1920 U. S. census, Oakland, Alameda County, California, ED 81, sheet 4A, pg 222, dw 73, fam 81, Jeremiah Denahy household
1930 U.S. census,  Oakland, Alameda County, California, ED 1-101, sheet 9A, pg 9, dw 126, fam 143, Jeremiah Denahy household
1940 U.S. census,  Oakland, Alameda County, California, ED 61-184, sheet 12A, pg 89, Jeremiah Denahy household 
Find A Grave Memorial 146896522
Find a Grave Memorial 146896470
Oakland Tribune, Friday 12 December 1958, pg 21, col 4, Obit for Jeremiah Denahy
San Francisco Chronicle, Thursday 15 September 1892, pg 2, col 1, "Inquest on the Dead"
San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday 14 September 1892, pg 1, col 1, "Two More Victims, Deadly work of Evans and Sontag"
Stanislaus Historical Quarterly, Vol 7, No. 4, Winter 2014, pg 715
Officer Down Memorial Page, http://www.odmp.org/officer/16202-deputy-us-marshal-andrew-w-mcgennis

The DAR Library and Genealogical Lecture Series

Did you know that the Library at the National Society Daughter of the American Revolution has an archived lecture series that is absolutely free to anyone?  All the presenters are librarians or genealogists at DAR and there is a wide variety of topics to choose from.

This is a must to have on your list of genealogical education opportunities.  

DAR GENEALOGY 101 SERIES

"From Rhode Island to Australia and Back" by Andrew Boisvert
"Asian American Genealogy" by Pamela Loos-Noji
"FamilySearch:  Improving Your Research With The Search Tab"  by Anne Merrill
"Revolutionary Elizabeths" by Clare Marshall
"African-American Research in DC" by Stacie Newton
"Real Widows of the Pension Office:  Civil War Widow Pensions" by Pamela Loos-Noji
"Native American Genealogy"  by Briana Diaz
"Cemeteries and Death Records" by Karen Janczy
"North Carolina Land Records in Tennessee" by Stacie Newton
"Jewish American Genealogy" by Pamela Baster
"African American Genealogy" by Elizabeth Drembus
"Female Ancestors" by Darryn Lickliter
"Search Strategies" by Marilyn Mills
"An Ocean Away:  Immigration Records" by Stacie Newton
"An Introduction to Quakers for Genealogists" by Elizabeth Ernst
"Land and Property Records" by Forrest Crosley
"New York Military Records" by Tom Ragusin
"African American Research" by Yvonne Liser
"That's Revolutionary (War)" by Bevin Creel
"DNA Research" by Tom Ragusin

DAR LIBRARY LECTURE SERIES

"1777: Tipping Point at Saratoga" by Dean Snow
"Testing the American Way of War" by Edward G. Lengel
"The Swamp Fox" by John Oller
"Confounding Father" by Robert McDonald
"Abductions in the American Revolution" by Christian M. McBurney
"American Icarus:  A Memoir of Father and Country" by Pythia Peay
"Federal Style in the Federal City" by Ann Wass
"Washington's Circle" by David and Jean Heidler
"The Grand Forage 1778" by Todd W. Braisted
"Using Maps in Historical Research" by Charlie Grymes