DAR awards locals for patriotic endeavors
PENN TWP — A local historian, the county commissioners, the organizers of a large veterans memorial, a chief justice and others were lauded for their efforts on Saturday at the General Richard Butler Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s annual Flag Day luncheon.
Held at Butler Country Club, the chapter’s business meeting was preceded by a tempting lunch and the presentation of the awards.
Mary Jo Ford and Fran Martinelli received a Flag Day Award Certificate from Donna Croft, chapter regent, for the Adams War Memorial in Adams Township Community Park.
Ford said the large memorial, which was dedicated in 2014, was a labor of love, as contributions streamed in without residents having been asked to donate.
“Without the people who helped us, we couldn’t have done it,” she said. “We are very proud of it.”
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd, an Ellwood City native, received the DAR Women in History Award.
Todd holds the distinction of being the first female chief justice in the history of the state supreme court.
“The court was founded in 1722,” Todd said. “It took 300 years until a woman was put in charge.”
The Butler County Commissioners received the chapter’s America250 Award for their support of the America250 program.
America250 is a nationwide effort to plan celebrations for the United States’ 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.
The county commissioners in July 2021 approved the placement of a special marker at the courthouse commemorating the nation’s semiquincentennial, and have supported the effort since it began.
“It required a lot of paperwork, legwork, time and the backing of local officials,” Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman, said of the marker.
She said she stopped to give the marker another once-over recently.
“It is such a great reminder of our history and why we are able to have the history we have today,” Osche said. “We are really excited about the America250 celebration.”
Commissioner Kim Geyer said the commissioners appreciate their partnership with the local DAR chapter, which collaborated with the county in placing the marker.
“We are grateful for your involvement and the things you do to stress the importance of patriotism and love of country,” Geyer said.
She said all Americans have the responsibility to teach youngsters about the principals upon which the U.S. was founded.
Brady Crytzer, a historian, author and podcaster, served as keynote speaker at the Flag Day Luncheon.
Harbison also received the DAR chapter’s Excellence in Historic Preservation Award at the luncheon.
Crytzer spoke of Massey Harbison, a 22-year-old woman who was abducted by Native Americans from her cabin across the Allegheny River from what is now Freeport in May 1792.
A barefoot Harbison, along with her infant and a five-year-old son, were taken up the Buffalo Creek to the Connoquenessing Creek through Butler County.
She managed to escape with her infant from a camp 2 miles from Butler and live to tell the tale.
Crytzer told the 25 people at the luncheon that Harbison went on to have a total of nine children and gave detailed accounts of her captivity and escape, which required her to remain in the top of a tree, then inside a log for days at a time after running away from the Native Americans in the middle of the night.
Harbison was finally rescued along the Allegheny River in what is now Sharpsburg, Crytzer said.
“Those five days were her historic legacy,” he said.
Croft said she found Crytzer’s presentation on Massey Harbison very informative.
“It’s information that I didn’t know previously about Massey Harbison, and I thought Brady was extremely engaging in telling her story,” she said.
Croft was grateful for the attendance of both chapter members and award recipients at the luncheon.
“We certainly appreciate what people do in their communities to make them a better place,” she said.
