A History of Little River Chapter
In June of 1983, Mr. U.P. Lindley and his wife, Francille, retired in Guymon, Oklahoma, and soon moved to McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Francille had been a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, but there was not a chapter in southeast Oklahoma. She talked to several people, and finally met Miss Helen Whealdon, a DAR member from Texas. They doubled their efforts and soon had recruited a few women who wanted to become Daughters by proving their lineage back to a Revolutionary War soldier or patriot. They contacted Mrs. Cecil R. Lee, first vice regent of the Oklahoma Society and also state chapter organizer, and with her assistance held the first preliminary meeting on November 11, 1984, with four state officers and one national officer present: Mrs. Everett Clark; Mrs. Don Forsee, State Regent; Mrs. Cecil Lee; Mrs. Adeliad Johnson; and Mrs. Joy Ansley.
The second preliminary meeting was June 23, 1985, where the following officers were elected: Mrs. U.P Lindley as organizing regent; Mrs. James Benson as organizing vice regent; Mrs. Sarah Zieglar as organizing secretary; Miss Helen Whealdon as organizing treasurer; Mrs. O.L. Burney as organizing registrar; Mrs. Ted Scott as organizing chaplain; Mrs. Richard Heismeyer as organizing historian; Mrs. Howard Wall as organizing librarian; and Mrs. Lloyd Griffin as organizing parliamentarian. Additional organizing members included: Irene Houston, Doris Martin, and Elizabeth Collins. Within a few weeks these charter members -- Della Fay Barrett, Mary Dugan, Thela Leonard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Mary Jane Burwell, Ramona Mitchell, Melinda Mitchell, and Carla Mitchell -- were added.
Several possible chapter names were discussed and "Little River" was finally chosen as being the most appropriate for this area-wide group.
Mrs. Len Green, a Native American and renowned historian, was contacted to give the history of "Little River." The first crude maps of this area were made in early 1800 by government surveyors, showing Little River to be the west fork of the Red River. In 1832-33, when the Choctaws moved from Mississippi to this general area, they called Little River, The Black River. New maps were made in 1866, and by this time, surveyors knew Little River was a tributary and a river in its own right. Little River is a well-known scenic and recreation area.
On September 10, 1985, an organizational meeting was held with Oklahoma State Regent, Ruth Foresee; National Vice President General, Mrs. Everett Clark; Oklahoma first vice regent, Dorothy Lee; Kaimichi District director and state membership chairman, Joy Ansley; all present at the Hospitality Room in the Public Service Building in Idabel, Oklahoma. State vice regent, Dorothy Lee, installed the new chapter officers. There were twelve organizing members and eight charter members with two ladies whose papers were at the National Society DAR in Washington, D.C., awaiting approval.
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