Rochelle Chapter
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
—Rochelle, Illinois—
In recognition of our nation's 250th birthday, the Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR, joined the nationwide celebration of America 250 . Organizations across the country, commemorated the original reading of the Declaration on July 8, 1776 by reading the Declaration of Independence at 5pm CDT on July 8, 2026.
After the reading of the Declaration of Independence, there were multiple activities for the youth of our community, including signing a copy of the Declaration, (which was included in the Ogle County Time Capsule), making their own Tricorn hats, a photo-op with George Washington & Thomas Jefferson, trivia questions, take home passports, and more!
The Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR, is named after the city in which it was founded
and also includes the Rochelle area towns of Amboy, Ashton, Chana, Creston, Davis Junction, Dixon, Franklin Grove, Kings, Malta, Monroe Center, Oregon, PawPaw, Steward
and Stillman Valley.
Chapter History
The Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR, was organized May 19, 1900, just 10 years after the organization of our National Society in 1890. The Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR, was organized by Mrs. Frank (Josephine Waite) Barker. Mrs. Barker had been interested in the progress of the National Society and through friends had kept in touch with the work being done in Illinois.
The State Regent at the time, Mrs. Waite Talcott of Rockford, Illinois, was invited to Rochelle, which resulted in the organization of the Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR. Mrs. Barker was fittingly appointed by the State Regent to be the first Regent of the Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR. The charter membership of the chapter was twenty-two, being one the largest initial memberships in the State. An interesting fact is that the chief topic of that first meeting in 1900, was the possibility of raising funds to help build Memorial Continental Hall, our national headquarters located in Washington D.C.
In 1992, the chapter placed a DAR marker at the gravesite of Mrs. Barker in Lawnridge Cemetery in Rochelle.
The home of Josephine Waite Barker, 1906.
Chapter Officers
| Regent | Sarah Flanagan |
| Vice Regent | Laurie Perry |
| Chaplain | Bea Chaplin |
| Recording Secretary | Yvette DeWispelaere |
| Corresponding Secretary | Vanessa Cultra |
| Treasurer | Jean Kroupa |
| Registrar | Rena Burgess |
| Historian | Sherrie Taylor |
| Librarian | Rebecca Danner |
| Parliamentarian | Lydia Roberts |
Chapter members were invited to tour Josephine Barker's newly restored home by the owners.
Calendar
Chapter meetings are held from September through May. Our programs focus on historical topics, genealogy, and volunteer efforts. We welcome visitors and prospective members. The remainder of 2026 will continue to focus onthe 250th birthday of our nation. Contact us with any DAR or chapter questions.
| September 2026 | “Tom McDermott: 25th Anniversary of 9/11” |
| September 17-23, 2026 | Constitution Week |
| September 26, 2026 | “State Regent Marria Blinn” |
| October 11, 2026 | NSDAR National Day of Service |
| October 11, 2026 | NSDAR National Day of Prayer |
| November 2026 | “Monique Aduddell, Rockford Chapter: Outfitting the Troops” |
| December 2026 | “Bea Chaplin: Christmas Religious Traditions in the Revolution” |
| December 19, 2026 | “Wreaths Across America, Daysville Cemetery, Oregon IL; Woodlawn Cemetery, Creston IL, Palmyra Cemetery, Dixon IL” |
| December 20, 2026 | “Wreaths Across America, Rochelle IL Area Cemeteries” |
| February 2027 | “Children of the American Revolution; Sons of the American Revolution” |
| March 2027 | “Michelle Wilson, State Chairman DAR DNA Network - Using DNA in Genealogy” |
| April 2027 | “Tom McDermott: Lawlessness in 1840s - Ogle County and the Driscoll Mob” |
| May 2027 | “John Deere Historic Site Visit - Doug Dutchoff: Blacksmithing” |
| June 2027 | Chapter Annual Meeting |
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution | Illinois State Organization DAR
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Website last updated July 18, 2025
Photos courtesy of Rochelle Chapter, NSDAR
