Rebel Joan Of Arc 2721 Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy spreads it’s members across Montgomery County and into Harris County on Veterans Day, to Honor all our Veterans at many Memorial Services held across Montgomery County and surrounding Counties of our area. RJOA ELAINE COLLINGS and her Family, as well as RJOA LYN HOWARD and her family cover the Veterans at the TEXAS HISTORICAL FLAGS PARK and LONE STAR MONUMENT, in honor of their many-many Veteran Ancestors in their Families. The COLLINGS & HOWARD ‘separate visits’ to the LONE STAR TEXAS HISTORICAL FLAGS PARK was in honor of their Daughters of the Republic of Texas, as well as their Confederate Ancestors, where Texas is honored as the 7th Confederate State, to Succeed the 2nd Month after their Declaration of Independence from the United States.
RJOA’s VETERANS CHAIRMAN: CYNTHIA CONNOR, and RJOA’s DIANNE KEBODEAUX, DONNA SUMMERS, and JENNY LEHR traveled to the FALLEN WARRIORS MEMORIAL in Houston, to honor the nations most recent fallen in conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan. A lot of Ground was covered this past Veteran’s Day at various Memorials by the Rebel Joan Of Arc Chapter to honor their Veterans. Some RJOA ladies even attended the Conroe Veterans Memorial Flag Park, next to the TEXAS HISTORICAL FLAGS PARK.
On the Steps of the TEXAS HISTORICAL FLAGS PARK, RJOA Honorary Associate Member: DOUG COLLINGS is shown holding two Veterans Photos of his Family.
* One Photo shows his Father: DOUGLAS CLIFTON COLLINGS, SR., who was in WW11, as a Staff Sargent in the Army, at an Alabama Training Base, as a Sharp Shooter Instructor. Doug Collings Jr. still has the rifle his father used in this duty and has framed a Shadow Box full of all his Father’s Military Remembrances. Such a Treasure that is brought out on all Military Days at the COLLINGS place of Honor in their home.
In Doug Juniors other Hand is the Framed Photo of himself as Captain in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era, where he was stationed as Commander of a Base in the Mouth of a Volcano at Cape Newenham, Alaska. Their major purpose was watching Russia, who constantly tested our USA perimeters and security. Sound familiar?!?!
Doug recalls many strange experiences that occurred there, and he served in many capacities at this remote site to care for his soldiers and base in the freezing wilderness.
On behalf of the Douglas C. Collings Family, Doug stands on these steps in Honor of his membership in the Sons of the Republic of Texas where his Ancestors:
Thomas Boatwright, and Son-In-Law: Daniel Gilleland and their families came to Texas in 1819, as 1st Families of “Austin’s Old 300” to establish colonization and receive land grants! Some happened right here in Montgomery County!
Doug’s Veteran Ancestor: Stephen Thomas Slater, a Cherokee Indian from Tennessee, came to TX in 1837 as a Texas Ranger and was a spy for President Houston. This Ancestor Veteran also Signed the last Comanche Indian Treaty for President Sam Houston.
A few years later, Doug’s Confederate Ancestors also fought on Texas soil, as William Barney Selfridge was a Confederate Doctor who was stationed at Fort Parker, Texas.
So, many Collings Genealogy Tree Ancestors served during important Historical times in Texas. The Collings also are Proved to the Sons of the American Revolution, but this purpose is about Texas Veteran Ancestors!
Next to Doug is his Bride of 57 years: ELAINE HAMLIN COLLINGS, a “Texas Valley Girl”, who is also member of two chapters of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and a proud member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, as well as Sons & Daughters of the Pilgrims, and Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century, and DAR, etc. All these Veterans deserve recognition, but today she is holding her Maternal GrandFather: Maurice Anthony Rome who fought in France during WW11.
In her other Hand, ELAINE is holding their Son: Christopher Douglas Collings, who was a Corporal in the Marine Corp, and served in the Persian Gulf War, stationed in Bahrain.
The Collings Family and Hamlin Grand Parents were selected to represent the Soldiers Families at Christmas wrapping presents to send off to soldiers so none are forgotten at Christmas time. ELAINE was a valiant Spokeswoman and Program giver, who single Handed tied over 3,200+ Yellow Ribbons for remembrance of our Soldiers during the Persian Gulf War, from Katy to Houston.
ELAINE’S 15 Confederate Veteran Ancestors were all from Louisiana, but her DRT Veteran Ancestors: Joseph Wyble (1732-1793), wife Susanne Vincent (1740-1798), and their Daughter: Marie Anne Wyble (1764-1842), were all in Spanish (Texas) for land grants at Presidio, later called La Bahia, and then Goliad. These Names, and their “Proofs” qualify ELAINE for 1st Families Texas, and 1st Families Louisiana.
Son: CLEVE COLLINGS chooses to honor his family, and is a Member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Sons of the Republic of Texas under his Ancestor Veterans he has “Proved”. CLEVE is a proud descendant of his Ancestors and chooses to know about them, and honor them.
There was no Photography at that time, only oil paintings or portraits for families of “means”, but many various “Proofs” are required for accuracy to belong to any of these prestigious genealogy historical organizations. This is not a quick or speedy accomplishment and sometimes disappointing investigations result, but the reward can be great satisfaction and a great gift to the family.
~WE DESCENDANTS ARE HERE TO REMEMBER THEIR NAMES, AND ESPECIALLY THEIR COURAGE!~
Submitted by: RJOA Chairman of Public Relations:
Elaine Collings, ehcollings@gmail.com