Fort du Rocher DAR in Mendota honors Good Citizen Award winners

The Fort du Rocher chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met Feb. 10 at Zion United Methodist Church in Mendota and honored its Good Citizen Award winners.

Regent Donna Jungnickel conducted the meeting. Chaplain Alice Giberson led the opening prayer and blessing for the meal.

Madalyn Becker of Mendota, Makaela Lockwood of Leland, Chesney Auter of Earlville and Addison Duttlinger of La Salle-Peru and their parents were honored during the Good Citizens Award Breakfast.

Becker, Lockwood and Duttlinger introduced themselves and shared their plans for the future. Lockwood read her essay that advanced in the competition.

During the regular meeting, new members Susan Scully and Melinda Jaht were inducted into the chapter by Giberson and placed their patriot ornaments on the Patriot Tree.

During reports, members heard about patriot James Nickens, a freeborn Black who served in the Virginia State Navy for three years, then in the Continental Army as a private to the end of the war. His commander didn’t let him fight but put him at the rear to oversee the baggage.

Most veteran free Blacks were not allowed to stay in Virginia, a slave state, after the war. Nickens was one of the few exceptions.

Bev Richardson talked about heart attack symptoms in women. These can include pressure in the center of one’s chest; pain in one or both arms, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath; cold sweats; and lightheadedness. Sometimes the signs are subtle and can be confused with those of the flu.

Kasha Bonnell shared an article on the Navajo code talkers and how their work helped the Allied win World War II. This top-secret group of 29 men developed a code using the Navajo language.

Diane McCully designed a counted cross-stitch pattern for DAR bookmarks and asked if others would like to help make them for the district meeting.

The deadline to register for the DAR Illinois State Conference from April 25 to 28 in Bloomington is March 20. The Fort du Rocher webpage has been updated and can be viewed at www.fortdurocherchapternsdar.com.

The chapter’s next meeting will be at 10 a.m. March 9 at the La Salle Public Library, 305 Marquette St. The program will be given by an Illinois Valley Community College speaker on literacy.

Any woman older than 18 whose lineage traces back to a Revolutionary War patriot and who wishes to learn more about the DAR is invited to attend the next meeting or visit dar.org.