Longtime lineage

By CANDACE CHASE

The Daily Inter Lake

Whitefish resident Marge Fisher credits her involvement in the Daughters of the American Revolution to her father, who traced their ancestry to Revolutionary patriot Joseph Cleveland.

"He was always interested in me being in the DAR," she said.

Fisher is a longtime DAR member and now belongs to a new North Valley chapter.

Carol Nicholson, organizing regent of the new chapter, brought her enthusiasm for the DAR with her when she moved to Columbia Falls in 2001 from Alaska, where she belonged to the Fairbanks chapter.

Her patriot ancestor was John Sloan.

"He was killed at Ramsour's Mill on June 20, 1770," Nicholson said.

For the last 90 years, women of the Flathead have served the motto of "God, Home, Country" through the Chief Ignace Chapter organized by Susie Johnson in February of 1917. Now, the Bird Woman Falls Chapter in the North Valley offers additional opportunities.

Nicholson and Fisher both belonged to the Chief Ignace Chapter. They were interested in starting a second chapter to provide more flexibility, offer night meetings to accommodate working women and expand activities.

The group already put up Revolutionary War displays in the Whitefish and Columbia Falls libraries.

"I'd like to get money together to do some local scholarships," Fisher said.

According to Nicholson, the new chapter began organizing in March 2006. Members finalized the paperwork to send to the national office in May this year.

"We've just been chartered," Fisher said.

Nicholson said that artist Mark Ogle provided a photo of Bird Woman Falls that the chapter plans to use as its signature logo. The members plan to resume meetings in the fall.

"The number one thing we want to do in September is go hiking in Glacier National Park where Bird Woman Falls is located," Nicholson said.

Their chapter has joined with the local chapter of the National Federation of Retired Federal Employees to adopt a 2-mile stretch of road along U.S. 2 from Wendy's to the Apple Barrel for cleanup.

Fisher and Nicholson hope other women will join in the community service and fun of DAR. Women must be 18 or older to join.

"We had to have 12 members (to organize), but we're looking for more," Fisher said.

Daughters of the American Revolution members across the nation work as literacy volunteers, support DAR schools for abused and special-needs children, add to genealogy records, collect oral histories from veterans, help prepare immigrants for the citizenship exam, work with schools and support historic preservation.

"It's for anyone who loves American history and wants to know more about ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary War," Fisher said.

To qualify for their patriotic ranks, a woman must trace her ancestry to a patriot who served in the American Revolution. The Web site, www.dar.org, provides a five-step process to help women document their lineage.

It begins with writing down known ancestor information on a lineage chart or family group sheets. Genealogy software may prove helpful.

The real work begins with filling in the blanks. With the Internet, Fisher said the process has become easier, although it still requires hours and hours of research.

Sometimes a person gets lucky.

"I found 150 relatives in one day," she said.

According to Fisher, anyone with a library card can access Flathead County Library's software program "Heritage Quest." Many people find the research process enjoyable.

"Genealogy is the second leading hobby in the U.S.," Fisher said. "It's so exciting to find these people."

Fisher had a leg up in the process because she had a cousin who was a member of DAR and had completed the research to find their relative soldier, Joseph Cleveland, from her father's lineage.

"We have Joseph Cleveland's powder horn," Fisher said.

Since getting addicted to genealogy, she has found five more Revolutionary War veterans connected to her family. Her passion has produced roll upon roll of lineage charts.

"I found one (a patriot) last year in Kentucky - Samuel Greer," she said. "The DAR put a flag where he's buried."

Fisher discovered that he was buried on a tobacco farm. Since then, she has worked to have the grave site set aside.

Her most famous relative was Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. He remains the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

During her quests, Fisher has compiled 120 CDs of genealogical information. She has armloads of books on the subject.

Even her travels become an extension of her fascination with ancestry and Revolutionary War history. Fisher followed her family from America to Epswich, England, to search for more information.

"I went to Epswich, but all the information was locked up," she said.

Fisher plans to visit the Fairbanks House in Boston.

It's noted as the oldest structure continuously occupied by one family, a branch of Fisher's lineage. She looks forward to signing the register of family members in the historical house.

Her quest for other family patriots continues.

"I'm still looking for Joseph Cooper," she said. "It's always a mystery."

Both Fisher and Nicholson have been moved by visiting the graves of their Revolutionary War relatives. Nicholson visited John Sloan's grave near the battleground where he died in Lincoln County, North Carolina.

"He's buried in a common grave in the Battleground School Project," she said. "He was a captain."

Fisher offers to help women get started tracing their own lineage. She encourages people to call her at 862-1233 to learn more about the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Membership helped her appreciate the history of this country and its amazing victory over England. She points out that Britainia ruled the world at that time.

"We have a history like no other," Fisher said. "We're a country of immigrants who broke away from the mother country and established the only true republic. It's lasted a long time."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com