National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

Mexico-Missouri Chapter

Mexico, Missouri

Ashley Jesse was presented with the DAR American History Award and Clint Turek was presented with the DAR Good Citizen Award at the Mexico-Missouri Chapter 100th Anniversary Celebration. They are pictured with Helen Maupin, MSSDAR State Regent Sally Bueno, and Mexico-Missouri Chapter Regent Sallie Ekern.

Mexico-Missouri Chapter History and Activities

Mexico-Missouri Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was orgnaized April 7, 1906. Miss Linnie Allison was organizing Regent and there were seventeen charter members. Mexico-Missouri Chapter has an illustrious history of promoting patriotism, education, and historical preservation.

Members of Mexico-Missouri Chapter who have held state offices are: Miss Linnie Allison, State Treasurer 1907; Mrs. W.W. Botts, State Regent 1923-1927; Mrs. Pinckney French, State Chaplain 1934-1936; and Mrs. F.M. (Helen) Maupin, State Librarian 1982-1984.

At the time of the organization of Mexico-Missouri Chapter NSDAR there were no club activities engaged in civic work in our city. It was our DAR chapter which set the standard for community service in Mexico. Some of the accomplishments of Mexico-Missouri Chapter are:

• We had among our first projects obtaining permission from the Audrain County Court to have a ladies’ restroom located in the courthouse for women shopping in the city.
• We took the initiative in establishing a free public library in 1908, the nucleus of the present Carnegie Library.
• We assisted in establishing support for a local hospital and furnishing a room in 1916. Later, the chapter actively worked for votes throughout the county to help secure the county hospital status and community support.
• We contributed to furnishing the Missouri Room in the DAR Continental Hall in Washington, D.C.
• We presented a 60” by 60” concrete flag base, a flag pole, and a bronze plaque to the Audrain County Historical Society in 1959.
• We presented a total of 355 small flags to kindergarten students in the Mexico Public School District in 1969.
• We presented a 5’ by 7’ flag to the Missouri State Society DAR headquarters, historic Roslyn Heights, in Boonville, Missouri, in 1987. Other flags of this size have been presented to Missouri Military Academy, Presser Hall Restoration Society, Mexico Junior High School, and Old Country Church.
• Mrs. Frank S. Meredith, Jr. (Ann Lewis), past Regent of Mexico-Missouri Chapter, presented the chapter a seven page booklet she had written entitled "A Centennial Message: DAR Local History and Ties with NSDAR." The booklet contains a wealth of information regarding the beginning of the national, state, and local DAR organizations. It was written as Mexico-Missouri Chapter's contribution to the National Society DAR Centennial Celebration held in 1990.
• In 1991, Helen Maupin, as her Regent's project, delivered to the Western Manuscript Section of the University of Missouri Ellis Library, Columbia, Missouri, for permanent storage, the chapter's minute books, record, and yearbooks. Some of these records date back to 1906. Prior to delivering these documents, the oldest records were copied by the Audrain County Genealogy Society to be retained in the Mexico-Audrain County Library. Ancestral charts dated from 1906 to 1954 are part of this collection.
• We have supported the DAR Tamassee School and also sent a large number of sweaters and clothing for their use.
• We have supported Regent Sallie Ekern's project to make sure every Mexico-Missouri Chapter member has in her possession a copy of her DAR approved application.
• We present awards to area school children for American history essays and Good Citizen recognition.
• We support our community in the celebration of national patriotic holidays.
• Over the years we have contributed to the Mexico-Audrain County Library DAR lineage books, thirty-five priceless genealogy books, bound DAR magazines, and ancestral charts.
• We take special pride in placing DAR markers on the graves of deceased members of our chapter.

Throughout the history of our chapter, we have engaged in many activities of community service with projects of patriotism, education, and historical preservation while following the DAR motto of "God, Home, and Country."