Six sisters help Grinnell grow

GRINNELL — Ann Igoe introduced the Grinnell Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution to six Sulser sisters during a meeting in November.

Ulrich and Margarita Sulser and their family came to Grinnell in 1877, said Igoe, a member of the board of trustees of the Grinnell Historical Museum.

Five of their six girls stayed in Grinnell for most of their lives and married farmers. The families were active in the farming community and the life of Grinnell.

Their husbands were among the organizers of the Farm Bureau in Poweshiek County and served as directors of local banks, said Igoe. The youngest daughter married and lived in Omaha where she became the first woman real estate agent in Omaha.

The sisters and their families helped Grinnell grow and prosper and left a hometown legacy we can all appreciate, Igoe said.

The Grinnell Chapter meets nine times per year and is named after Josiah B. Grinnell, the founder of the city of Grinnell. Members come from Grinnell, Newton, Montezuma, and surrounding communities.

Chapter meetings are the second Saturday of the month, March through July and September through December. In addition to having educational and entertaining programs, the chapter participates in service projects that have included glazing bowls for the Empty Bowls initiative, assembling “Pick-me-up” jars for veterans and providing seed packets for the Hindman Settlement School in Kentucky.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.

Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible to join.

For information about membership in DAR, contact Nancy Bender, registrar, 641-236-7065. Members are available to help prove lineage to a Revolutionary War patriot.