Lord Craven Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Centur

 

Jane Johnson is our new president at the Lord Craven Chapter CDXVIIC. If you need to reach her at anytime, you can email her at jjatbhi@bellsouth.net  She is a master at genealogy. We are very lucky to have her. 

Memorial Day

Lord Craven Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century May 16, 2025 Meeting

A message from President  Jane Johnson, who can be reached at  jjatbhi@bellsouth.net

                                                                                Former President Cindy Sellers Bids Farewell: A Heartfelt Goodbye After Two Wonderful Years

Colonial Dames 17th Century - End of Year Message

Hello Dames!

Well, ladies, the end of the Colonial Dames 17th Century year is here, and with it the end of my term as your President. Having served before from 2019 to 2021, and having been forced into Zoom meetings by COVID, this term has been so very enjoyable, with lovely meetings in lovely places, and lots of sparkling camaraderie. We do have a good time in CD17C!!

Having attended the State Conference, I am happy to report that you won numerous awards, which I will share with you at the May 16th meeting. You should be very proud of the work you do for Lord Craven Chapter and the Society as a whole! Thanks for letting me serve you these past two years!

L to R:  The following members were sworn into their new offices by Honorary State President Pat Gooding.  President Jane Johnson, Chaplain Waydell Bicking,  Treasurer Louesa Canning,  Corresponding Secretary Linda Dail, Recording,  Secretary Karen Maddry. Three officers were unable to attend. These members include: Historian and Librarian Martha Blacher, Registrar Carol Jutte and Vice-President Suzanne Palmer.

The Lord Craven Colonial Dames members officially welcomed their new officers for the 2025-2027 term. The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by Honorary State President Pat Gooding, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the organization.

Jane Johnson assumed the role of president, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a commitment to furthering the objectives of the Colonial Dames. Alongside her, other dedicated members were entrusted with various roles to ensure the smooth running of the chapter. Their collective expertise and enthusiasm promise a vibrant and impactful tenure, dedicated to the preservation of historic sites, education, and the promotion of American colonial history.

The Lord Craven Colonial Dames look forward to the contributions and leadership of their new officers during the upcoming term, as they continue to preserve and celebrate their heritage.

Former President Cindy Sellers and former Vice President Dale Spencer gather gifts that Cindy gave her board for Lord Craven Colonial Dames as a little thank you for all the ladies did for the chapter over the past two years.

Travelogue:  Rebecca Chipman’s Trip Back in Time continued from Fall/Winter issue

After saying good bye to Laurens, NY, I made my way to Cooperstown, which is also in Otsego County.  You see, that was another reason I made this trip.  I wanted to donate some correspondence, deeds, and a handwritten cookbook to the Research Library at the Fenimore Art Museum, which sits on property once owned by James Fenimore Cooper. My family kept and passed down many documents and letters from one generation to the next.  I was now the keeper of those documents. After careful consideration, my brother and I decided some of the documents and letters needed to  return back “home.” Some were letters between Sarah Sabina (Cooper) Comstock, the niece of James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans, and William Cooper, founder of Cooperstown and a politician.  Sarah married Horace Hawkins Comstock, brother of my 4th great-grandmother, Rosepha Comstock Tripp, whom you met in my first installment.

I have to pause here and say what I beautiful town is Cooperstown, situated on the banks of Otsego Lake and steeped in rich history of its own.  I walked the town, taking in the sights in the historic part of the old town, finding the beautiful museum and delivering the family papers, and spending the night by the lake.  It was heaven to sit by the water’s edge and watch the sun go down, and in the morning sip my coffee as the sun rose over a misty fog.  I was bidding the town farewell, but my journey didn’t end there.   

From Cooperstown I made my way east to Van Schaick Island, a few miles north of Albany. This was a journey back to another line of ancestors that came to America, my Huguenot and Dutch roots.  This side was from the granddaughter of Rosepha (Comstock) Tripp, my 2nd great grandmother Clara Tripp.  It is through her husband James Chester Coxe, my 2nd great grandfather, that you find the families of De Peyster and Van Schaick.  Johannes De Peyster II was French Huguenot and was the 23rd Mayor of New York City serving in 1698 and 1699.  The Van Schaick family was Dutch.  They were granted the patent of Van Schaick Island which still bears their name.  The Van Schaick Mansion is on the island in the town of Cohoes.  This home was built in 1755 and belonged to Anthony Van Schaick, the son of Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick.  The mansion is now owned by the General Peter Gansevoort Chapter, DAR.

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I was fortunate that day to meet a distant cousin (pictured on the right with Rebecca on the left) from Illinois there for just a few hours of a tight schedule for her and her husband. We exchanged history and contact information, and have since been in touch.  I soon met another woman when I stopped to take photos of the river I crossed to get to Van Schaick Island, the Hudson River. She told me of a place nearby that I simply must go see before leaving the area.  I took her advice, and behold, I found it, the Cohoes Falls! The falls were truly beautiful and well worth the time and few miles and minutes it took to get there.  Then it was a short ride down to Albany where I had flown into and rented the car for my adventures back to visit my early roots and ancestors.  I wanted to stay longer, explore more, and stay “in the moment” just a little longer. But reality calls you back to the everyday hustle and bustle of life. 

What a joy it was to have the opportunity to learn about my family, to take a few days just to get a glance back into their world, and to see the land where they had lived, loved, and died.  

The National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century Held the State Meeting on March 7-8th.

 Our Lord Craven Chapter hosted the State Conference in March 7th and 8th at the StateView Hotel in Raleigh.  Guest speaker was our own President General, Yvonne Hiteshue.  What a dynamic woman!!  Proudly we had seven members attending. 

      

    

Wreaths Across America Certificate of Appeciation for 2024 Awarded to the Lord Craven Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century Chapter

Dear Group Leader,

2024 was an exceptional year for Wreaths Across America – and the reason it was so successful is because of the thousands of dedicated volunteers like you!

Thanks to this collective effort, 7,408 sponsorship groups registered to bring the program to their communities, and 1,169 new groups signed up to support the mission. I've said it before, but I truly believe this mission resonates with many people. The National Wreaths Across America Day ceremony and wreath-laying event provides an opportunity for families, communities, and the country to set aside differences and join in acknowledging those who have championed our freedom. In 2024, because of joint efforts by volunteers, local businesses, and individuals like you, just over 3 million veterans' wreaths were sponsored and placed by more than 3 million volunteers.

I am humbled by the incredible dedication and commitment of our volunteers and the continued growth of our year-round mission. The wreath sponsorships afford us the opportunity to provide so many wonderful programs for free, some of these include the TEACH Program with free, downloadable lesson plans and service-based learning for youth of all ages; the Mobile Education Exhibit, a museum on wheels that travels the U.S. sharing the mission and serving as an official ‘Welcome Home' unit for Vietnam War veterans; our National Museum and Gold Star Family History & Hospitality House in Maine that offer guests an opportunity to learn about the many stories of service, sacrifice and success through personal memorabilia; our veteran outreach efforts including partnerships with VSOs nationwide that are supporting living veterans and their families; and Remembrance Tree Program which allows families to create a living memorial to loved ones who served; and Wreaths Across America Radio, A Voice for America's Veterans, this 24/7 internet radio station is sharing the stories of service, sacrifice and success from all across the country and now has 75 veteran-centric shows in the line up!

As a volunteer-based organization, none of our success would be possible without your effort. Thank you for making a difference in your community and for championing this important mission! Please know the staff is here to support your efforts, however we can.

I look forward to seeing how we can reach even more people in 2025!

With gratitude,

Karen Worcester

Executive Director, Volunteer

Thank you, Susan DeGroote, our Wreaths Across America chair, for sharing this information with our chapter. We appreciate all your hard work this past year. Our chapter has 58 wreaths purchased for 2025 due to participating in the 2 for 1 program. Members can continue to buy wreaths in 2025. They can give the treasurer a check made out to the Lord Craven Chapter or go to the WAA tab on our blog and follow the directions. 

The Lord Craven Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century held a regularly scheduled meeting on Saturday, February 15, 2025

                                                
President Cindy Sellers at the First Meeting of 2025: National Society of North Carolina Colonial Dames 17th Century, Lord Craven Chapter, held at the Pender County Museum.

The National Society of North Carolina Colonial Dames 17th Century, Lord Craven Chapter, commenced its first meeting of 2025 on Saturday, February 15th. The gathering took place at the historic Pender County Museum in Burgaw, providing a setting for the society's focus on heritage and history.

The highlight of the meeting was the presentation by our esteemed speaker, Mike Taylor. An expert on local history, Taylor engaged the audience with a detailed discussion on the Palatine Settlement on Rock Fish Creek. His insights shed light on this fascinating chapter of North Carolina's colonial past.

The meeting was a resounding success, setting a positive tone for the year ahead. The members of the Lord Craven Chapter left with a renewed appreciation for their shared heritage and excitement for future gatherings.

                    Lord Craven's guest speaker was Mike Taylor, the Head of the Pender County Historical Society.

Kitsey Lackey introduced the guest speaker at the February Lord Craven meeting.

      Carol Jutte, Lord Craven Chapter Board Member

Chaplain Sally Spainour, reported on the sympathy and get well notes sent out to chapter members

Travelogue: Rebecca Chipman’s Trip Back in Time

My journey started on the 19th of June 2024, as I departed from Wilmington, NC, for a “trip back in time” to the place my 4th great-grandparents once lived, loved, and married, Laurens, New York, and the house where my 4th great-grandmother grew up. As I had looked for a place to stay nearby, I would never have thought I would be able to book a room in a bed and breakfast, the Brookside Inn, which was the very house that my 5th great-grandfather, William Comstock, had built and where his daughter, Rosepha Comstock Tripp, born 1804, grew up. (photos of the Brookside Inn by Rebecca Chipman)I have to pause and say I had in my possession the deed where Rosepha’s husband, James Tripp, had bought the property before they married, and the date on it was just a few days shy of exactly two hundred years since it was drawn. And now it was going back to where it came from. The deed describes Josepha’s father’s property, the lands of William Comstock, the brook running beside his house, and the creek on the other side. This was the very property William Comstock owned, and this was where I would stay! How surreal and cool is that! The moment I arrived at the house, my eyes panned the surrounding landscape and the hills in the distance. I found myself on the large porch, opening the door to the house. It was like part of me had come home. I felt nothing but warmth as if I was being hugged by my ancestors from centuries past, as if they were eager to meet me. It was as if I could feel their presence around me. The owner gave me a tour room by room, explaining the time period of each and what had been changed. My room was on the main floor with most of the rooms upstairs already occupied. I have to say I had the best night’s sleep! (Dining room below)The next morning, I had coffee on the front porch, after which it was off to the historical society in the small library run by two wonderful ladies whose families had been there for over a century. I shared family documents and deeds, and they shared what hey knew about my family. They also gave me a book written in the 1970s about the town and the early settlers. We talked for hours. I then made my way to the cemetery, where I found some of the family’s headstones and paid my respects. It was wonderful to visit my ancestors’ home and town! Travelogue: Rebecca Chipman’s Trip Back in Time, continued then I said goodbye to Laurens and made my way to Cooperstown, NY. You see, that was another reason I made this trip. I wanted to donate some correspondence and deeds and a handwritten cookbook to the Fenimore Art Museum’s Research Library. My family had kept and passed down many documents and letters from one generation to the next. I had become the keeper of the documents. After long discussions with my brother, we agreed that some of the documents and letters needed to return back “home.” Some were letters between Sarah Sabina Cooper Comstock, the niece of James Fenimore Cooper, the author of The Last of the Mohicans, and William Cooper, founder of Cooperstown and a politician. I’ll save that story for another installment of Travelogue.

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Wreaths Across America Sponsorship Group - The National Society North Carolina Colonial Dames 17th Century Lord Craven Chapter

                                     
 

         Wreaths Across America: Honoring Our Veterans

Each year, the National Society North Carolina Colonial Dames 17th Century Lord Craven Chapter passionately supports the Wreaths Across America initiative, a poignant and patriotic program dedicated to honoring and remembering our nation's veterans. This year, our chapter's efforts were particularly notable and heartfelt. Through a generous donation made during the 2-for-1 sale, the Lord Craven Chapter facilitated the purchase of 58 wreaths. This significant contribution aligns with our ongoing mission to ensure that every grave at the Wilmington National Cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina, is honored with a wreath.

Our chapter earned back five dollars for half of the total wreaths sponsored. So, with 58 wreaths sponsored, the chapter would earn $5 times 29, which would be $145. For members who did not participate in the 2-for-1 sale, you have until November 27th to purchase additional wreaths to guarantee a wreath on all 5,126 graves at Wilmington National Cemetery. This program is among the best and easiest programs to help our chapter earn funds. So, ladies, “Keep on Buying Wreaths.”