KINGWOOD — Preston County now has a chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution.
The DAR is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States’ efforts toward independence.
Karen Kurilko, regent of the new chapter, said she has always been interested in history. She said a cousin on her mother’s side of the family got her interested in the DAR.
“I joined the Morgantown DAR. It’s a great group, but what I wanted was have a chapter in Preston County,” Kurilko said. “I’m retired, so I had time to work on it.”
She said the Preston County chapter became official in September and now has 14 members. Kurilko said she has three other completed applications to send in, and six other prospective members. One person who sent an application in Thursday is Kurilko’s granddaughter, who recently turned 18.
“I believe it’s important that we remember our history,” Kurilko said. “Our (DAR’s) mission is historic preservation, education and patriotism.”
She said her love of history led her to volunteer at Arthurdale Heritage. While there, she found a piece of family history that she did not know.
“I found out the Arthurdale Heritage Center Hall used to be an old church belonging to my grandparents,” she said. “Eleanor Roosevelt was driving by and saw it. So it was purchased for $100 for Center Hall. My cousin still has the receipt.”
She said she also serves on the board of The Society for Preservation of the McGrew House, a nonprofit organization which began in 1989 as a group of community volunteers. The society achieved 501(c)3 status in 1993. Its primary purpose is restoring and preserving the 1841 home of West Virginia forefather the Honorable James C. McGrew.
Kurilko said while doing some historical research, she found out there are roughly 45 Revolutionary War veterans buried in Preston County.
“They would have to have passed away in the 1700s or early 1800s,” Kurilko said. “A lot of them were buried on family farms, so the spot they were buried in can’t be found.”
Any woman 18 and older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution can become a DAR member.
Kurilko said if someone is interested in joining the DAR but is not sure they have a Revolutionary War veteran in their family, the organization can help with the search.
“I backtracked from one person’s father. I went on Find-A-Grave and backtracked from there. Luckily, they were from Preston County. Within an hour I found her patriot (Revolutionary War veteran),” Kurilko said. “The National Society of DAR has a really good website that anyone can access. It’s at DAR.org. It lets you search by descendants and lists thousands and thousands of patriots and records.
“We need death certificates, marriage certificates, and a birth certificate for the applicant plus ex husbands death certificate if applicable. I would love to see a genealogy room at the library — a place where you could come in, sit down, and go through the books.”
For more information or to apply to join the Preston County Daughters of the American Revolution, email karenkurilko@gmail.com or call 304-329-0835.
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