Tombstone Tuesday - Wreath Laying at Arlington Cemetery

One of the duties of the National Chaplain of NSDFPA is to prepare a wreath-laying ceremony at the end of General Court.  The wreath is used during the annual memorial service where one carnation is inserted for each member who died during the preceding year.

This year, the memorial wreath was placed at the grave of one of our Honorary National Presidents, Anne Holle, who is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Anne Carter Baldwin was born on 2 May 1907.  She was married to Major General Charles G. Holle.  They lived in Washington DC.  She was a member of several lineage societies in addition to the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America.  She served NSDFPA in several capacities, including National Corresponding Secretary from 1967-70 and National President from 1970-73.  She died on 26 November 2002 and is buried next to her husband and his first wife.

National President Irene Walker knew Mrs. Holle and gave a lovely personal tribute to her.  To add to the ceremony, it was a beautiful day and the Cherry Blossoms were blooming.

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 34

A Lonesome Town

The town is big and lonesome

Every day is a lonesome day.

For the boys who donned the khaki

Have waved, and marched away.

There are gleams of yellow sunshine

Coming through the new leafed trees

And the butterflies have wakened

We hear the hum of the honeybees.

The sounds are as cheerful as of old

As we watch the children run and play

But the boys, just out of school,

Have waved to us and gone away.

Yes, the boys have gone and left us

have marched away, khaki clad

And the town is big and lonesome

The days are not so glad

As they used to be.

The birds Sing as gayly in the tree.

But it seems the world will never be

The same as it used to be.

‘Till we have the boys back with us,

‘Till we hear their marching feet

And see them waving again to us

Coming gaily down the street.

They are boys, who were just little bits

of fellows, only yesterday,

Full of talk about their kites and marbles

And now they’ve marched away.

Marched away, like grown men, to meet

And battle with a foreign foe.

Our hearts were sad, but proud, to have

Them wave to us, then turn and go.

We know they’ll do their duty nobly

Our brave boys in khaki brown,

But ‘till they come marching home

This will be a lonesome town.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Society Saturday - Breakfast with the Children of the American Colonists

Every year during Lineage Week, there is a friendship breakfast hosted by the Children of the American Colonists.  It coincides with the meeting of one of its parent organizations, the Daughters of the American Colonists.

National President Mitchell Clouse talked of his project to help fund the Mountaintop Activity Center at Jefferson's Monticello.  This will be a hands-on area for children to learn about Thomas Jefferson's life and times.  His theme is "Fortifying the Past, Building the Future".

He concluded by inviting everyone to the 2014 General Assembly to be held at Monticello in June.  

This is a nice way to visit before the busy day begins.

http://www.nsdac.org/nscac/

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 33

Strikes

When our country was threatened by an outside Joe

Uncle Sam did not ask our boys if they wished to go.

Leave their homes, wives, children and jobs with good pay.

But took them at a much less wage, they had nothing to say.

But when of money won’t cooperate, refuse to play ball

He seems to be helpless and does nothing at all.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Society Saturday - Hosting the Magna Carta

Lineage Week began for me this year at the Rendezvous of the Women Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.

This group of ladies met for a business meeting during the day, then relaxed at the banquet that evening.  Our banquet speaker was Robert Newlen.  He is the assistant Law Librarian for the Library of Congress.  His topic was about the Magna Carta, which is coming to the LOC this year.  The Magna Carta will celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2015.  The LOC will have an exhibition featuring one of only three original 1215 copies of this document.

Mr. Newlen showing a slide of the Magna Carta

Mr. Newlen spoke a little about the history of the Magna Carta, some facts about the various copies, and told of the preparations surrounding the exhibit.  When asked how the document would travel, he stated that it flies first class with its own escort.

This was an interesting start to this busy week in Washington DC.

The Illinois delegation to A&H Rendezvous

http://blogs.loc.gov/law/2014/03/magna-carta-is-coming-to-the-library-of-congress/

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 32

My Second War

I am only an aging grandmother

My heart torn with grief and pain

When I think of another grim war

Coming so close to my home again

After my great loss in the last war

I had learned to hide my sorrows

And think of my many grandsons

To cheer and comfort my tomorrows.

But again, grim war, in more dealy and terrible might,

Has called my grandsons to fight for freedom and right

No difference how great my dread, I won’t ask them

to delay the call.

For someone must fight to end this terrible curse,

this time for all.

All I can ask is, they may fight

With valor, a lasting peace to gain.

And if they fall, may God grant the right

That this time, ‘twill not have been in vain.

Note: Four of Grandma Hill's grandsons enlisted during World War II - they were:

Charles Victor Hill - Corporal in Army

Robert Leroy Kern - Sr. Chief Boatswain's Mate in Navy

Donald Edward Ormsby - Airman 1st Class in Army Air Corps

Charles Victor Ormsby - Private in Army

In addition, two of her granddaughters' husbands served:

Donald Earl Vail - Sergeant in Marines

William H. Watkins - 3rd Class Petty Officer in Coast Guard

Thus, all branches of service were represented, and all her "boys" came home safely this time.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Society Saturday - Kentucky in the War of 1812

The Illinois State Society of US Daughters 1812 had Eddie Price as our speaker for our state meeting.  He is the author of "Widder's Landing" - historical fiction set in early 19th century Kentucky.

Author Eddie Price in costume, telling about Kentucky's role in the War of 1812

He had done quite a bit of research in preparation for the book and he shared some of his findings with us.
For instance:

• Kentuckians participated in all battles of the War of 1812 from Thames in the north, to New Orleans in the south, as well as all points in between
• Of those killed in all War of 1812 battles, 64% were from Kentucky
• 30 of the 120 counties in Kentucky are named for War of 1812 heroes
• Kentucky played a major role in the battle of New Orleans, comprising 25% of Jackson's U.S. forces; unfortunately, only 1 in 3 had a decent weapon.

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 31

There was a man who had a little cow

And the cow had a wee short tail.

Each morn and evening, even until now

They milk the milk in a large pail.

He has two girls who own a cat with spots on her back

And of this milk, they never allow her to lack.

For every Mickey Mouse she’d spy, running to and fro.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Society Saturday - Yea, we have a Goodly History

The Lac des Illinois and Robert Hempstead Chapters of the Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century held a join meeting.  The special guest was the State President, Nancy Schultz.  She must visit each of Illinois' seven chapters during her two year term.  Members from both chapters held their business meetings.  There were some new and some prospective members present, as well as some members from out of state chapters.

After our business was concluded, and after lunch, President Schultz gave her program "Yea, We Have a Goodly History".  This was about the founding of the National Society by Mary Florence Taney in 1915.  The Society will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year.  Since its founding by 5 women, it has grown to over 11000 members with the following goals:
     - preservation of records and historical sites
     - to foster interest in historical colonial research
     - to aid in education of our youth
     - to commemorate noble and heroic deeds of our ancestors, the founds of our great Republic
     - to maintain a Library of Heraldry
     - to develop a library specializing in seventeenth century American colonial data

http://www.colonialdames17c.org/illinois.html