I concur with the comments about DAR being much pickier than they used to be, but IMHO sometimes they can?just be hard-headed. Several of my cousins got into DAR?on my 3GGF Jerg Zimmermann [aka Geoge Carpenter] but they are?rather irritated that?DAR would let them in only if they changed his wife from "Unknown First wife" to "Anna Schoettli" since DAR?"knows" that Anna was George's wife. We are all in agreement that Anna was George's wife, but not only does family oral history say that the two oldest sons were born in Europe to a first wife, we have the 1744 records where Jerg is emigrating from Switzerland with a wife and two children [unnamed], and also leaving from the same town the same year is Anna's step-father?with his wife, 5 children and 3 step-children [Anna had two sisters],?and further we have the probated will from one of George's?childless?sons leaving his estate to his "half-brother George" [jr], "half-brother John", and his full-brothers and full-sisters. Why?DAR refuses to accept "Unknown First wife" is beyond me. It also strikes me as interesting that DAR?"Patriots" include not only soldiers, statemen, etc but also individuals who paid a substitute to take their place. I think that some might question the patriotism of those who bought their way out of serving. George was German Reformed, and his granddaughter [myGGM] was baptized German Reformed as was her husband. These GGPs are buried at Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren, Rockingham Co, VA. They apparently became Brethren sometime after my GGF was shot through the eye as the CSA retreated from Gettysburg. He survived to marry and have three children. I suspect that getting shot in the head might have had something to do with his conversion to a peace church. ? Thom Flory -----Original Message----- From: Joyce Underwood <groovygrammy@insightbb.com> To: brethren@rootsweb.com Sent: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:14 pm Subject: [BRE] DAR I just joined the DAR this year and yes they are very picky. I had to gather birth, marriage and death certificates, census, obits etc to get my application approved. I agree it's not easy to become a member. It took me a year!! Joyce in Indiana

It struck me as odd when I was urged to join the DAR because my Metzler Mennonite ancestors in Pennsylvania at the time might have helped the cause. Perhaps the woman who asked me was equally surprised when I said I was not at all interested in joining... ................................ Valerie A. Metzler, M. A., C. A. Valerie Metzler Archivist/Historian 114 Ruskin Drive Altoona, Pennsylvania 16602 814 940 0493 fax 940 0493 vmah@keyconn.net On 01.07.2008, at 11:52, thomasflory@aol.com wrote: > > > It also strikes me as interesting that DAR?"Patriots" include not > only soldiers, statemen, etc but also individuals who paid a > substitute to take their place. I think that some might question > the patriotism of those who bought their way out of serving. >