Eastern Oregon DAR chapter supports veterans, serves Union County

At Memorial Day observances and Wreaths Across America events tied to Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City, members of the Lone Pine Tree Chapter handed out American flags and helped honor veterans, while keeping a DAR presence within reach of Union County through meetings held between Baker City and La Grande. Betty Milliman, the chapter’s regent, said her interest in genealogy and a family ancestor from the American Revolution drew her into the organization.

The Lone Pine Tree Chapter said it was organized on April 22, 1995, with 16 members, after the Baker City and La Grande groups combined because they could not find enough women to form separate chapters. The chapter is part of District V of the Oregon State Society, DAR, and it meets from September through June at locations between Baker City and La Grande. It does not hold formal meetings during the summer, a schedule that still leaves Union County residents a regular point of contact for chapter work most of the year.

The national Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 and says its mission centers on historic preservation, education, patriotism and community service. With more than one million members, the organization continues to frame local projects around military remembrance and family history. In Eastern Oregon, that mission has shown up in practical ways: the chapter has remained visible at Memorial Day ceremonies, organized wreath-laying and offered a place where people can ask about Revolutionary-era ancestors.

The chapter’s involvement in Wreaths Across America at Mount Hope Cemetery has continued across multiple years, including 2023 and 2025, showing a recurring commitment rather than a one-time appearance. Wreaths Across America says it operates at more than 5,500 locations nationwide, and the Baker County event has become one of the chapter’s most visible service projects. For Union County, the value is immediate: a nearby volunteer network that helps fill the gap in veteran remembrance, ceremony support and genealogy help, especially for families looking to connect local service with older American history.