Thankful Thursday: DAR-ing to Dig Up the Proof

Genealogy buffs and searchers of family history generally love to dig in the past.  Looking for the absolute definitive proof to prove a theory can be frustrating.  Finding the proof is thrilling.

Many thanks will go the ladies of the Daughters of the American Revolution as their new project on proving the past takes root.  The DAR has undertaken the task of reviewing the patriots whose either service,location or lineage has been questioned over the years.

These questions arose when an applicant tried to join the DAR using faulty information. The end result was the denial of the applicant or the patriot's line would be closed to future applicants.  Those of us who have run across some of these old closed lines have pulled our hair out in vain.  And, of course, there were those instances in the past when applicants were accepted in the DAR using bad information.  Now, those are the cases that can really get under the skin of dedicated, diligent family history researchers. 

I applaud the DAR for changing how applications were reviewed some 40 years ago.  They have worked hard to identify problems with the information being sent to them by unsuspecting applicants.

Today, I applaud the DAR for their new project they call the Cold Closed Cases Project.  Volunteers within the ranks of the DAR will be going back to take a look at these "questionable" patriot lines.  Analysis of the old records will be used to try and determine what caused these patriots' lines to be closed. 

Then, the fun begins.  These wonderful women volunteers will spend countless hours researching these old patriots using the technology of today to dig up the definitive proof of the service or lineage.  Hopefully, a new number of old patriot lines will be reopened for applicants.  To date, some two dozen patriots of the American Revolution can once again have their daughters enter the DAR.

Ahh, genealogy.  Ain't volunteers grand?

©2013 AS Eldredge