elcome
to the Illinois Society United States
Daughters of 1812. Our national society was organized on
January 8, 1892 on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.
Our goals are:
This is an exciting time to become a member of our society as we
have just finished commemorating the bicentennial of the War of
1812 and interest in our organization is high. Look for us
around the state of Illinois as we mark the graves of patriots,
and participate in other historic events. A brochure with
additional information about our national society is available
If you believe in the goals of our society, perhaps you would
like to join us. In order to become a member, you
must be able to prove lineal descent from an ancestor who
rendered military, naval or civil service between the close of
the American Revolutionary War in 1783 and the close of the War
of 1812 in 1815. Military service may be in any one of sixteen
recognized engagements between those dates. You can download a
membership worksheet
Members from aruond the state attended the wreath-layng ceremony at
G.A.R. Mound at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield on Memorial Day 2021.
L-R: State President Julie Barnes, Marria Blinn, Lynda Kerstein, Anna
Hecox and Mary Barringer.
State President Julie Barnes with wreath.
State President Leah Beckhoff returned to Hill's Fort to attend the
meeting of the Kaskaskia Chapter and while there presented a check for
continued construction of Hill's Fort to Hill's Fort Society president
Eric Reelitz (left) and president of the Illinois Society War of 1812
Robert Ridenour. The money was from the sale of Illinois Society pins.
The president of the Illinois Society of the U.S.
Daughters of 1812
enjoyed an ‘impromptu’ and ‘informal’ meeting with the president of the
Illinois Society of the War of 1812 on September 14th.
Leah Beckhoff, Illinois USD1812 president and Lynda Kerstein, Sangamon
River USD1812 Chapter president, both Springfield, Ill., residents,
journeyed to Greenville, Ill., to experience the Hill’s Fort
Rendezvous. While there they were able to spend some time talking with
Robert Ridenour, president of the Illinois Society of the War of 1812.
This was Beckhoff and Kerstein’s first visit to Hill’s Fort, a
reconstructed fort located on the grounds of the Farm Heritage Museum
off Interstate 70 near Greenville. During the War of 1812, on September
9, 1814, 13 rangers and civilians were bushwhacked by marauding Native
Americans outside the fort; four were killed and three were injured.
Beckhoff said, “Having heard about Hill’s Fort and its history for
several years, I was determined to experience for myself what it would
have been like living in that era – what our ancestors also
encountered.”
The Kaskaskia Chapter, USD1812, along with the Illinois Society of the
War of 1812 and the Illinois War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission placed
a commemorative plaque on the fort palisade during the bicentennial of
the second war for independence.
Members of the Kaskaskia Chapter participated in a dedication
ceremony for a fence surrounding the grave of Captain Benjamin
Godfrey, War of 1812 veteran and founder of Godfrey, Illinois on
October 21, 2018. The chapter donated to the project. The
ceremony was sponsored by the Ninian Edwards Chapter, DAR.
Attending the ceremony was State President Leah Beckhoff.
Honorary State President Lola DeGroff (right) installed the new
officers able to attend. L-R, Leah Beckhoff, State President and
Kathryn Zimmerman,.
Susan McPeters and Kathy Elliott present the program.
Alice Cripe, Dorothy Albert, Virginia Rinehart, Marie Boedecker,
Paul Dorocke, Mr. Elliott
Jone VanWinkle, Betty Ruth Hoellerich, Patricia Hopkins-Price,
Honorary State President Carole Wylder,
Honorary State President Lola DeGroff, Jim DeGroff, Linda
Wasem
Nancy Sheppard, Linda Williams, Christine Henderson
Outgoing State Registrar Joy Upton, speaker Kathy Elliott, and
outgoing State Chaplain Leah Beckhoff
Outgoing State Secretary Kathy Zimmerman, speaker Susan McPeters,
Sangamon River Chapter President Lynda Kerstein
Illinois Society N.S.U.S.D. 1812 held their annual meeting March
24, 2018 in Springfield, Illinois. Sangamon River
Chapter
was the hostess chapter for this year’s meeting.
Unfortunately there were many unable to attend at the last minute
due to
inclement weather; including State President Kimberly Nagy.
The program was “Forgotten Illinois: The Battle of Campbell’s
Island During the War of 1812 and the Monument Commemorating the
Event” by Susan McPeters and Kathy Elliott.
Congratulations to Leah Beckhoff the new state
president.
State President Kim Nagy presides over the 2017 State Council
held at the Grace Lutheran Church in Springfield on March 11th.
Kaskaskia Chapter was the hostess chapter.
Mary Truitt from the Illinois National Road Association of
Illinois presented the program on the National Road.
Left - Dale Phillips, Superintendent of the Lincoln Home National
Historic Site, gave an excellent program on the Battle of New
Orleans at the state council meeting on March 28, 2015 in
Springfield, IL. Right - newly installed state officers:: (left
to right) Susan Dove, Chaplain; Kathy Zimmerman, Secretary; Rose
Wilson, Curator; Kathleen Haas, Historian/Librarian; Teri-Ellen
Rogers, Treasurer; Mary Barringer, Vice President; and Dr.
Kimberly Nagy, President. Not present was Joy Upton,
Registrar.
State President Lola DeGroff with President National Ginger Apyer
during the National Society of the War f 1812 Triennial meeting
in Baltimore, MD in September 2014. The President National
dedicated the cannon which was purchased by the USD1812 for Fort
McHenry.
March 29, 2014 state meeting in Springfield, IL.
(L) State President Lola DeGroff thanks author Eddie Price for
presenting a wonderful program about the soldiers of Kentucky
during the War of 1812. Price is the prize winning author of
Widder's Landing.
(R) Julie Worthen, president of the Kaskaskia Chapter, presents a
Spirit of 1812 award to Jim DeGroff.
John Kinzie Chapter President Kim Nagy, State Historian Kathleen
Haas, and State President Lola DeGroff presented a program at the
First Annual Illinois Heritage Weekend in East Peoria, Illinois
on September 28, 2013.
Congratulations to
Charles B. Schweizer who received the Spirit of 1812 award during
the state council held in Bloomington, Illinois on March 2, 2013.
He was nominated by the Kaskaskia Chapter. Behind him is State
President Lola DeGroff and his daughter and son-in-law.
Dolley Madison (aka Barbara Kay)
Honorary State
President
Kathy Haas spoke at the Battle of Fort Dearborn
Commemoration Day at the Chicago History Museum on August 11,
2012
elcome
to the Illinois Society United States
Daughters of 1812. Our national society was organized on
January 8, 1892 on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.
Our goals are: 
