Over 50 members and guests celebrated the 96th birthday of the Pack Horse Ford Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) during a luncheon on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Christ Reformed Church in Shepherdstown. Hostesses were Corresponding Secretary Polly Wharton and Second Vice Regent Mary Davis. In honor of Presidents’ Day, flower arrangements of red, white, and blue made by Darla Ambrose decorated the tables.

Dressed in period costume, Martinsburg resident Martin Keesecker gave a presentation about the Revolutionary War General Adam Stephen’s daughter, Ann. He provided a glimpse of Anne’s life, including her marriages, children and father. Born in 1761, Ann first married Alexander Spotswood Dandridge, brother-in-law of Governor Patrick Henry and a cousin of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, in 1780. After Dandridge’s death, she married Moses Hunter, the second clerk of Berkeley County, and resided over their home. She was the mother of four children, one by her first husband and three by her second husband. She died on Sept. 25, 1834 and was buried in Norborne Cemetery in Martinsburg. The chapter is planning to mark Ann’s grave with the NSDAR insignia.

During a short business meeting, Treasurer Megen Showe’s daughter, Ariel Hoover, received the “Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award 2011-2012” for her many hours of volunteer work at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A ninth grader at Jefferson High School, Ariel served in the Mental Health and Medical Supply areas of the facility and received two awards for her outstanding performance during the summer of 2011.

Chapter members were reminded about the cemetery marking on May 5 at the Christ Reformed Church in Shepherdstown with a reception to follow. The public is cordially invited to attend this event, which is being held in conjunction with the General Adam Stephen Chapter, National Society Sons of the American Revolution as part of the year-long Shepherdstown 250 celebration. Plaques commemorating a total of 19 Revolutionary War soldiers and patriots are being placed on the graveyard walls of the Christ Reformed and Lutheran churches.

Two fundraisers were discussed. First, Librarian Patricia Toffling announced that she will make a quilt featuring the chapter logo and the names of Chapter members’ Revolutionary War ancestors. Chapter members can add the names of their ancestors for a small donation. First Vice Regent Kathy Sholl spoke about a second fundraiser, the upcoming bus trip on Saturday, April 14, to Baltimore where members, family, and friends will visit Ft. McHenry, the Star Spangled Banner House, and the Hampton Estate. Seating on the bus is limited to 52 people, and the public is cordially invited. For more information and to receive a bus trip reservation form, contact Regent Cheryl Brown at 304-876-3817 or Registrar Dorrene Hale at 304-725-6140. Trips like these and the Chapter’s charitable work, help the DAR to “Preserve the Past, Enhance the Present, and Invest in the Future.” To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.dar.org.