The Cornerstone of My Research

The newspaper article below is about a Duncan, Oklahoma DAR chapter member finding a scrapbook that shed some light on the history of the town's post office:

Scrapbook reveals history of post office (originally published by the Duncan Banner on August 20, 2009).

What's nifty about the article is that it says my great-great grandfather, Frank Jones, assisted in the placement of the cornerstone of the post office. In that stone is a time capsule of sorts. I would love to see what's in there!

This article is a few months old. When I get back from Mesa, I'll try to track down someone at the Duncan DAR chapter and see if I can learn more about the scrapbook, and maybe more about Frank Jones.

Now I simply must plan a road trip back to Oklahoma. On my to-do list will be a visit to that Duncan building and its corner stone.

[Note: I found this article somewhat by accident. An impromptu search of "Frank Jones" "Duncan Oklahoma" (quotations included) and scrolling through many irrelevant links finally led me to the piece. Sometimes patience and creative searching is what it takes to find little treasures like these.]

Sticking My Toe in the DAR Pool

Yesterday I went to the national Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) web site and filled out a Prospective Member Information Request Form. There are two reasons I did this:

1. My great-grandmother was a DAR member. Based on this fact and other records I hold, it's clear this ancestral line held family history in high regard. I know my grandmother would be pleased with my actions, so I did it for her.

2. Elizabeth, model DAR member and author of the wonderful Little Bytes of Life blog, was kind enough to locate and give me a copy of my great-grandmother's DAR application. I am so grateful for her gesture. I'm hoping this makes my application process easier, though I don't quite know what to expect. Without Elizabeth's efforts, it may have taken much longer for me to be ready to do this.

I filled out the basic contact information, patriot name and great-grandmother's DAR number. The form also asked about when the best time is for me to attend meetings. Um...hardly ever. I'm overextended as it is. I'm hoping I can fit this into my schedule.

After sending in the electronic form, I was given a reference number and the promise that someone will get back to me at some point. That works for me.

What does one do at a DAR meeting anyway? My local chapter websites don't give many details.