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Sunday, July 31, 2005
razos Life D
theeagle.com
`(Frances Henry] gives a lot of herself to what she believes in.'
JANE COHEN
Honoring a Daughter's service
By GREG OKUHARA
Eagle Staff Writer
Frances Henry said friend
and fellow Daughters of the
American Revolution mem-
ber Jane Cohen approached
her earlier this year asking
for a copy of her resume.
Henry said it was "embar-
rassingly" long because it
included several pages listing
her leadership positions and
accomplishments in local vol-
unteer organizations. She
offered to trim it down to one
page, but Cohen wanted the
entire document.
Cohen said she wanted to
include it in an application
packet for a national award
from the DAR.
Henry's tireless devotion to
the organization, which is ded-
Devotion to America's past leads
to national award for CS woman
icated to promoting patriotism
and preserving American his-
tory, deserved recognition,
Cohen said. The national
organization agreed, and
Henry recently was awarded
the 2005 Outstanding Woman
in American History Award.
"I am very proud of [the
award]," Henry said. "I
thought surely there were
other people who would have
been chosen."
The 84- year -old College Sta-
tion resident has been an
active member since 1968.
She currently serves as chair-
woman of three committees
for La Villita, the local DAR
chapter, which has about 75
members. Henry said she also
helps many potential mem-
bers with their application
forms, which include provid-
ing proof the applicant is
related to someone who took
part in America's independ-
ence efforts.
To help spread historical
facts and figures, Henry
helped produce more than a
half-million bookmarks with
American history designs
that were given to Brazos Val-
ley students from 1988 to 2000.
It's not the first time Henry
has been recognized for her
work and dedication to local
volunteer organizations. She
was named the 1992 Outstand-
ing Woman of Brazos County,
an award presented by local
service and civic organiza-
tions.
Cohen said Henry made a
great nominee for the DAR
award, considering all the
work Henry has done for the
organization.
"Frances has done so much
in a lot of areas," Cohen said.
"She gives a lot of herself to
what she believes in."
Henry said preserving
American history fits the bill
for a cause she holds dear to
her heart.
"I think we build on our
past," said Henry, who served
as the La Villita regent from
1970 to 1972.
"We need to preserve it."
Henry dresses up in Colo-
nial clothing several times a
year and tells stories to school-
children about life in the late
1700s.
Henry also helped start the
La Villita chapter's efforts to
provide American flags to
place on veterans' graves on
Memorial Day and Veterans
Day. She coordinates with the
National Sojourners, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, American
Legion and Boy Scouts to pur-
chase and place the flags.
After nearly 40 years of serv-
ice within the Daughters of
the American Revolution,
Henry said she looks forward
to its younger members pick-
ing up wuere she left off.
"People like me will still be
around to answer any ques-
tions they might have," she
said. "I don't want anyone to
think I'm trying to run the
chapter, but if we want the
organization going, we have to
train the younger people."
"I think we build on our
past. We need to
preserve it:'
FRANCES HENRY
Member of the Daughters
of the American Revolution
But finding people with the
same work ethic may prove
difficult.
Henry, a self-described
workaholic, also worked as a
registered dietitian in addi-
tion to her volunteer activities
with the DAR, National
Sojourners, American Cancer
Society and George Bush Pres-
idential Library.
"I had a good example in
my mother," Henry said. "We
lived on a farm, and she made
our clothes, cooked and
worked all day. I didn't have
ready -made clothing until I
went to college. But she
enjoyed it. Both my parents
instilled in me that I could do
anything I wanted to if I was
willing to work hard
enough."
• Greg Okuhara's e -mail address
is greg.okuhara @theeagle.com.
S ection
Frances
Henry, 84,
winner of the
Daughters
of the
American
Revolution's
2005
Outstanding
Woman in
American
History
Award,
has been a
DAR member
since 1968.
Eagle photo
Dave
McDermand