The women from the Roanoke Valley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution joined representatives from the Town of Vinton in a dedication service for the planting of four white dogwood trees at the Vinton War Memorial.

The tree dedication ceremony was held on April 12. Eleanor Dye, who serves as Chapter Conservation Chairman and Virginia State Conservation Chairman, coordinated this service project.

Two trees were planted in memory of Pauline “Polly” Gregory Holloway and James Ross Holloway by their children, Sharon Holloway Hamre, Brenda Holloway Garrison, Marilyn Holloway, and Jamie Holloway.

Polly Gregory served as the Roanoke Valley Chapter Regent twice.

Another tree was planted in memory of Maxine Weddington Fuqua by her daughter, Eleanor Dye. Fuqua served as Roanoke Valley Chapter Secretary.

The fourth tree was donated by the Roanoke Valley Chapter in honor of all those who serve and protect us.

Chapter Chaplain Ellen Hanan, Chapter Regent Sharon Menzies, and Vinton Town Mayor Brad Grose spoke at the dedication service. Mayor Grose thanked the DAR for donating the trees, quoting from a poem by Lucy Larcom, “He who plants a tree, plants hope.”

Others in attendance were Town Manager Barry Thompson, Planning and Zoning Director Anita McMillan, and Vinton Police Chief Tom Foster.

Chapter DAR members attending were Vice Regent Diane Goode, Treasurer Nancy Dewhurst, Secretary-Elect Cindy Higgins, Annie Griffin, Janice Taylor, and prospective member Evon Glasgow and her husband, Sons of the Revolution member Mike Glasgow.

The trees were purchased from the Greenbrier Nursery in Roanoke.

After the tree dedication service at the War Memorial, DAR members proceeded downtown to the Vinton Public Library to donate the book, “125 Years– National Society Daughters of the American Revolution 1890-2015, A Journey Through Time.”

The book was compiled by chapter member Victoria Menzies Williams Danner and presented to the Vinton branch of the Roanoke County Library system.

The Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution held the annual State Conference at the Hotel Roanoke March 24-26. Nine members of the Roanoke Valley Chapter joined 132 other DAR Chapters from around the state for a weekend of workshops, business, and a memorial service. The meeting was conducted by State Regent Judith Joy Surber.

The Roanoke Valley Chapter received three awards at the state conference: the Virginia state award for Chapter Achievement Level 1; the Virginia DAR Honor Roll, and Exceeding New Membership in 2016.

According to Chapter Regent Sharon Menzies, “We serve our community in many different ways: from sending two pet therapy teams to our local Veterans Medical Center to visit on a regular basis, to remembering those who have served our country on special occasions, and to recognizing outstanding students in the area.” They will announce their DAR Good Citizen of the Year at an awards assembly at William Byrd High School on May 23.

“Our members help others trace their roots, raise money for the USO, and are literacy volunteers,” said Menzies. “The DAR Good Citizen Award is given annually to a graduating senior from each of the local high schools we sponsor. We participate in programs that involve interests in historical events, genealogy, antiques, education, and national defense.  We encourage our members to take field trips to historical sites in our area and the surrounding region.”

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 17,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, the DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations.

More information on the work of the DAR is available at www.DAR.org.

The Roanoke Valley Chapter of the DAR meets at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Vinton on the second Saturday of the month at 10 a.m.