From left, Paulene Holderman, Kathy Gawthrop and Sally Nichols look at one of the Revolutionary War history books in the Warsaw Community Public Library. The three are members of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Kathy Gawthrop discovered one of her ancestors, Adrian Anglin, is the only Revolutionary War patriot buried in Kosciusko County. Anglin served for nearly six months in the war as an infantryman in Virginia and may have also been a drummer.

But when it was learned he was only 14 years of age, he was sent home.

Gawthrop’s connection to Anglin made her eligible for membership in the Kosciusko County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Locally the chapter is known as the Agnes Pruyn Chapman Chapter.

DAR, founded nationally Oct. 11, 1890, is open to women ages 18 and above who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. DAR defines a patriot as one who provided service or direct assistance in achieving American independence.

Among other local chapter members are Paulene Holderman, linked to Christian Holderman who served in the war in Pennsylvania, and Sally Nichols, linked to Christopher Bowman, an ensign who served in Pennsylvania.

There are presently 42 members in the Kosciusko County DAR chapter, down considerably from as many as exceeding 100 at one time. Most of the membership is of the ages of 45 and above. They meet monthly, usually at Richard’s Restaurant in Warsaw, with the exceptions of the months of December, January and July. Some meetings are held at the Kosciusko County Senior Center in Warsaw.

For some, membership is fairly simple because the genealogical research has already been done by someone else. But for others, they must provide proof they are linked to a Revolutionary War patriot. Proof can include, but is not necessarily limited to, a family Bible, a compiled family history handed down, birth records, death records, land grants and census records. Warsaw Community Public Library has a list of patriots in a book located in the Indiana Room.

Gawthrop noted documenting the lineage can be a stumbling block because photo copies must be made of everything. “It must be a clean record and not printed off a computer,” she said. Challenges arise because records were frequently destroyed in courthouse fires, especially during the Civil War in the South when the Confederates set fire to them to prevent the Union Army from capturing the building. Also, prior to 1850 U.S. Census records only listed the head of each household, not the names of the children.

New patriots are still being discovered quite often, though. When that occurs, it promotes pride in the nation and patriotism because it shows family members were living in the states as far back as the 1770s or earlier.

Kosciusko County DAR Chapter is also connected to local schools through the DAR Good Citizens program and scholarship contest. One high school senior is selected from Lakeland Christian Academy, Tippecanoe Valley High School, Warsaw Community High School and Wawasee High School and given the opportunity to complete a profile and write an impromptu essay, which are judged. One is then selected to represent the county chapter for the Indiana DAR Good Citizen Award and Scholarship.

There is an also an American history essay contest for grades five to eight, a Christopher Columbus essay contest for grades nine to 12 and presenting a medal to the female outstanding cadet for the Warsaw High School JROTC.

Kosciusko County’s chapter supports the national DAR mission statement and works with the motto of God, home and country. If interested in membership, call Gawthrop at (574) 527-2674.