DAR recognizes Jane Palmer Starr for 40 years of service
At its meeting Oct. 14, the Col. David Hall Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution recognized Jane Palmer Starr for her 40 years of service to the organization. She joined the DAR as a young woman and continued her membership when she relocated to Delaware. Her many hours in service to the local community include volunteering at the Dover USO, contributing to meals for the Home of the Brave, working as a docent for the Lewes Holiday House Tour and the Rehoboth Art League Cottage Tour, as well as supporting the many projects of the chapter.
Her patriot ancestor is John McKibben, who was born in Ireland in 1728 and immigrated to this country with his two brothers ca. 1750. He settled on a farm in Westmoreland County, Pa., and built a large log house. He also erected a stockade around the house where he and his neighbors took shelter during Indian raids.
Once the Revolutionary War began, his blockhouse became an important asset for the patriots. The stockade was fortified and named Fort Hand. The Continental Army quartered there, and John McKibben was considered a defender of the frontier. The fort burned in late 1779 and the family relocated to Mt. Pleasant, Pa. McKibben died in 1798 and is buried in the Cross Creek Presbyterian Cemetery, Burgettstown, Pa.
The DAR is a women's nonpolitical service organization whose members can trace direct lineal descent from a Revolutionary Patriot. As is evident from Starr's story, not every patriot carried a gun, but all these brave individuals served the cause of the Revolution. Those who might have a patriot in their family tree and would like to apply for membership in the DAR can contact Denise Clemons, chapter regent, at 302-645-2089.
