Sister Rain’s Note:
This is the tenth story in a series about my search for an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War. To read the previous posts, click on the following:
“Historical Society Of Pennsylvania“
“The Search Heard Round The World”
“The Son-In-Law Of Liberty”
“This Colonel IsMy Truth“
“Family Rarelooms”
“Coat Tales”
”Proving My DNA To The DAR”
“Becoming A Daughter In My Fifties”
“My 5x Great-Grandfather Is An Exhibitionist”
Having received the email notification that I had been accepted into the Daughters of the American Revolution by way of my 5x great-grandfather Colonel Augustine Willett of the Continental Army, I waited for the arrival of the certificate that would prove that I had proven my lineage. When it came, the envelope’s top left corner where it said “DAR” was almost more exciting than the document inside.
During the research process, I had found a drawing of Augustine online. I knew that when the certificate was delivered to me, I wanted to frame it along with the picture. DAR offers a variety of custom frames through a third party, Church Hill Classics; I called them, speaking with a wonderful woman, Dilma, to whom I provided measurements and my color selections. A few days later, I received a mockup of the frame for my approval. I phoned her again, placing my order.
It didn’t take long for the frame to land on my porch. My husband carefully unpacked it, telling me what it said on the plastic covering:
YOU EARNED IT, NOW FRAME IT!
Aligning the certificate and the picture of Augustine, which we had printed at Staples, into their inserts within the matte, Mister Rain secured all the pieces, then Windexed it before the big reveal to me.
I was thrilled.
We hung the duo in our living room. I would love to tell you that Grandpa Auggie’s eyes follow you as you move about the room but they do not. Instead, the drawing of the man who started his own company of soldiers with his own money, gallantly sketched, is now part of our home. We have items throughout from those who have passed: my nana’s treadle sewing machine, the quilt made out of my mom’s t-shirts, my father-in-law’s retirement clock, my mother-in-law’s sideboard. Colonel Willett is family now. The Daughters of the American Revolution sent me a certificate that says so.
To be continued . . .
“Valley Forging Our Bond”
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