Patty O’Neill, DAR member, Gila Butte Chapter. No, she is not in the witness protection program, LOL. This photo was taken at our annual fundraising garage sale. In all of the photos taken that weekend, our faces are half hidden behind our COVID masks! (Sorry, I don’t think you will be able to recognize her at the Safeway!)
Deborah Goodacre
This month, I’d like to introduce you to a member of our Gila Butte Chapter, Patty O’Neill. Patty worked tirelessly for many days prior to the sale in her front yard, organizing and arranging mountains of donations from our community to raise funds for the many organizations we support. The garage sale netted $4,000, and the remaining items were donated to Sunshine Acres which supports Crisis Children. A sizable sum of money was donated to the veterans.
Raised in Battle Creek, Mich., Patty and her husband now split their time between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Sun Lakes. She always knew about the DAR, as her Aunt Mary from Nashville, Tenn., was a member, but she never thought about joining until she met another DAR member on a bus ride to Tucson to attend a quilting show. Patty has received awards for her quilt designs, her impeccable craftsmanship, including a third-place National DAR contest award for her Suffragette quilt depicting scenes from the women’s suffrage movement to obtain the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
Patty has never forgotten how proud her grandmother was that she could vote in our elections. But the deeper part of Patty is in her heart. She is passionate about serving our veterans in any way possible. “What I like best about the DAR is the purpose; taking care of veterans who deserve our respect. It is an honor to honor them with our support in any way possible.” Many veterans attended our garage sale, and Patty was misty-eyed meeting all of them. “I thanked each one of them for their service and did my best to help them find items they needed and wanted at a very fair price. They all touched my heart.” Having gone through some tough times lately with her health, Patty knows how important it is to give back. Thankfully, Patty is healthy now and is back to doing her fast-paced community work and hobbies.
Patty is an example of what our organization is all about. Smart women, creative women, passionate women who appreciate our nation, remembering the struggles which evolved into our nation and the men and women who put their time, attention, and lives on the line for it. Yes, you need to prove your lineage to a patriot in order to join. So, what’s stopping you? What a great way to spend time, digging into your family background. If you’re looking for an ah-moment, researching your lineage is one place to find it. Contact Pennie Bonnett at [email protected] or call 602-418-8908.