January 4, 2007

Planting daffodils at Casa Grande just one of many ways
Daughters of the American Revolution provide service

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

As their ancestors did before them, the Los Gatos chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution tilled the soil recently at the New Almaden Mining Museum’s Casa Grande. However, instead of planting root vegetables for the kitchen table, DAR members planted daffodils to beautify the flagship building and surround the future site of a historical marker and ore cart to be installed at a later date.

Another job well done by the Daughters of the American Revolution Los Gatos Chapter. Left: Earl Bell, Katie Wark, Nancy Wark, New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum park interpreter Terri Sanislo, Kristin Khanna, Anita Bell, Kelly Holiday, Sue Bergtholdt and Sue Gamble. Center: Kayla Holliday. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“The daffodils are the flower of hope and this area will be a focal point for the museum,” said New Almaden Mining Museum park interpreter Terri Sanislo who assisted in the plan for the marker, ore cart and the daffodil planting. “This area used to be the bus stop but now it will recognize Casa Grande [with the plaque] and serve as a memorial for Pat Tillman and other veterans. We really appreciate the Daughters of the American Revolution’s efforts and support.”

The Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] was founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The volunteer women’s service organization is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing Americans’ futures through better education for children.

The California State Society, organized in 1891, is comprised of approximately 8,200 women ages 18—100+. Membership in the Society provides opportunities to honor American Heritage, preserve family and local histories, promote the celebration of national holidays, support national defense, enjoy the member-owned buildings in Washington, D.C. and to form friendships with others who “share the love of God, home and Country”.

The Los Gatos Chapter of the DAR was organized in 1929 welcoming women 18 and over who can prove lineal, bloodline from a man or woman who aided in achieving American Independence such as signers of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States, military service or civil and patriotic service.

And their service projects are equally impressive. Annually they present the DAR Good Citizen award to senior high school students displaying qualities of good citizenship; the DAR Good Citizenship Medal is presented to selected fifth through eleventh graders who fulfill the qualities of honor, service, courage, leadership and patriotism; and the ROTC medals are awarded to a Santa Clara University ROTC.

DAR’s American History Essay Contest is open to grades five, six, seventh and eighth. The 2006-2007 topic is “Jamestown Colony is Settled” where entrants are asked to take on the persona of an early settler writing a letter to their family members who remained in England. One winner is chosen from each grade and will continue on to compete at the district level.

The most recent community service project found the DAR members with shovels in hand at the Casa Grande planting 350 daffodils, which were supplied by San Jose Beautiful for the organization’s citywide beautification
project.

“First we’ll plant the daffodils, then poppies and then install the pad for the ore cart,” said DAR member since 1983 and Almaden resident Sue Bergtholdt. “We’re still waiting for approval from Parks and Recreation for the Casa Grande plaque to be installed at the site. We raised money by selling cookbooks. We want to pay tribute to the miners who worked in the area.”

DAR member and Almaden resident Kristin Khanna has been a member for five years. In that time, besides the Los Gatos annual events, she has seen group service projects as diverse as purchasing motorized wheelchair accessible carts to transport V.A. hospital patients, donating 400 children’s books to SJPD for distribution and buying displays and educational equipment for Marine Mammal Rescue Centers by adopting California seal pups. Los Gatos DAR has even adopted a seal pup, which is named “Miss Kitty” after New Almaden’s Kitty Monahan. Khanna is especially proud that on the national level the California Society has recreated an old Monterey whaling station parlor in the State Room at National in Washington D.C.

And so from what was once a bus stop, the area in front of New Almaden’s historic Casa Grande will flower brightly this spring showcasing an ore cart and a plaque commemorating local history.