I am honored to be elected as the 90th President of the Indiana State Society. I will do my best to continue the high standard of leadership established by our previous state presidents. During my four years as your state secretary and two years as vice-president, I have learned much from our previous leaders, Jacob Vink, Jeffrey Jones, and Wayne Eells. These leaders looked towards the future of the SAR and events of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. I look forward to seeing these events being celebrated by our society.
In addition to celebrating these events, I look forward to increasing our membership. The Indiana Society has maintained about the same size membership over the last few years. I believe our society can do better in recruiting new members. For example we can set up tables and displays at local events and advertise what the SAR represents. Chapters must be more active socially, not just meet once every two to three months for chapter business. Several of our chapters get together for dinner weekly or bi-monthly to just have dinner and socialize. This helps create a bond within the chapters.
When your new members come to meetings, welcome them and get them involved in chapter activities. Be a mentor by educating them about the goals, programs, and events of the SAR. Also tell our members' wives about the Ladies Auxiliary; it costs just $5 yearly for membership. The Ladies work closely with the SAR and help with fund raising programs. Wives do not have to prove lineage to join the auxiliary. The Ladies Auxiliary holds their own meetings and visit historical sites during the House of Delegates meetings.
In 2026 we will be celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of the United States of America. There will be events celebrating the 250th all over the country. Don't be left out. Get involved in the celebrations. You will be able to look back in years to come with fondness and pride celebrating these historic events.
I hope you will help our society find ways to plan and participate in these upcoming celebrations. The America 250th Foundation envisions these Commemorations as monumental multiyear celebrations. Again don't be left out. BE A DEDICATED COMPATRIOT.
Libertas et Patria William Behnke &&:;;,£: President Indiana SAR
The Francis Vigo NSDAR Chapter and the George Rogers Clark SAR Chapter will host a joint Grave Marking Ceremony for Francis Vigo on
Sunday, October 27 at Greenlawn Cemetery in Vincennes, IN.
The Color Guard will muster at 1:00 PM and the ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM.
There will be a reception following the ceremony at the Francis Vigo Chapter House, 30 W. Harrison Street.
Patriot Grave Marking for Joshua Younger and Patriot Burials Marker Dedication
09/21/2024 @ 10:00 – 11:00
Leatherwood Cemetery 246 Shawswick School Rd Bedford, IN 47421
Please register/RSVP prior to the event (Forms attached at bottom of post)
Muster at 9 AM
Take US 50 east out of Bedford for approximately 3.9 miles from the last stop light just outside of the city. There will be a flashing yellow slight at the intersection of Shawswick Rd.. Turn right onto Shawswick Rd and go approximately 9/10 of a mile and the cemetery will be on your left. If you get to the stop sign and don’t see the cemetery, please talk to Dr Legler for an appointment to get your eyes checked. Coming west on US 50 from Hwy 446 intersection, it’s approximately 3 miles to the yellow flashing light and you turn left onto Shawswick Rd.
A commemoration will be held on Saturday, July 6, 2024, 10:00 am at the Antioch Cemetery located in Sullivan County, north of Dugger, IN. There will be (5) five veterans to pay tribute to. There is a Rev. War Patriot Joseph Neeley who is buried at the Antioch Cemetery. Patriot Neeley has a new SAR marker that has been set next to his VA marker that was set earlier. Patriot Neeley was a freedom fighter who involved at the Battle of Kings Mountain, a POW in South Carolina, escapee and returned to serve despite being injured. Four (4) 1812 veterans will be honored namely; Phillip Usrey, Allen McBride, Martin Gamble and James Pigg. Mark Kreps is a dual member of the George Rogers Clark (GRC) SAR chapter and has coordinated with that chapter. As we know, July is one of the hottest months of the year. We will be having the program to start at 10:00 am versus a hotter time of the day. President of the GRC Daryl Hensley and State Color Guard Commander Randy Helderman, will be participating at the Catfish Festival in Shoals, IN for a parade there. Regardless, we are clear to proceed. Mark Kreps is the POC (point of contact) <mrkjmkreps@gmail.com> . Everyone in attendance should bring there own lawn chair. The muster time set at 9:30 am. Arrive early for set up of wreaths and verify by June 15 on your capability to be present. Inform Mark Kreps if you presenting a wreath and from what organization.
There will be a SAR program to honor Joseph Neeley and after it is formally ended then a Society of the War of 1812 program where George Frantz, Vice President (as Pres. T. Rex Legler II is unavailable) will proceed. The Vet. Rep and American Legion have been invited and their salutes if given will be at the end of the SAR program. Musket salutes will occur during the 1812 portion of the program. For exact directions to this cemetery which is 1 1/4 mile north of Dugger please email Mark Kreps.
The Harrison Chapter, IN SAR will conduct a joint PGM with the Captain Harmon Aughe, NSDAR on 17 Sep 2023, at 2:00pm, to honor Patriot William R. Carter (P-129719 / A020087). The event will take place at the Bunnell Cemetery, 1175N 200W, Frankfort IN.
While I'm still technically not joined to the Indiana Society yet (David Benton Chapter hopefully by February), as a member of the Virginia Society I am pretty active at Patriot Biographies. I found an incredibly interesting Patriot, Joseph Hart, buried at the Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus, IN (Grave Located near corner of 10th St and McClure Road - Cemetery Entrance located at Gladstone Ave just south of 10th St.). The local Columbus Chapter of the DAR is named after this Patriot. The attached document was submitted in Microsoft Word format to the NSSAR for inclusion on the Patriot's record in the SAR Patriot's Database. The Patriot's son, Reverend C.C. Hart, wrote a book about the family's life in Virginia, Tennessee, and Indiana.
I wanted the Indiana SAR aware that I wrote this biography.
BONUS: For those with an affinity for the War of 1812, Joseph Hart's son, Thomas, served as a corporal in Capt Samuel Hopkins Company of Colonel James Barnes 2nd Regt Dragoons under William Henry Harrison.
Deus et Patria,
Jerad D Myers
Historian / Web Master
Col Fielding Lewis Chapter (Fredericksburg)
historian@cflvirginia-sar.org
State Facebook Administrator
Virginia SAR
jerad_myers@yahoo.com
