Celebrating Saugus History

Parson Roby Chapter of DAR honors local residents

  (Editor’s Note: The following info is from a news release from the Parson Roby Chapter DAR of Saugus on their recent Awards luncheon.)

  On Saturday, April 8, the Parson Roby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) of Saugus held an award ceremony followed by a luncheon at the MEG. The luncheon was attended by friends and families. The awards given were to recognize two Good Citizens of Saugus High School and Winthrop High School, Community Service and Historical Preservation.

  The Good Citizens Award recognizes outstanding young people who demonstrate dependability, respect, leadership, community service and patriotism. They were chosen by the administrators and teachers of their respective high schools. The recipients of the Good Citizens Award were Wiktoria Biegun of Saugus High School and Sarah Marie Delehanty of Winthrop High School. Wiktoria was described as a “student who is always the first to volunteer both in school and in her community and does so with a smile. She demonstrates integrity, leadership, respect and a positive attitude in every task and activity.” Both students wrote an essay on what it means to be a Good Citizen during the revolution compared to today. Their essays were outstanding. Each student was given a Good Citizens pin, a certificate and a monetary gift card.

  The Community Service Award recipient was Jack Klecker of Saugus. Jack has spent countless hours serving his community. He has a passion for veterans and building models to record history. One of those models he made is of the Saugus Iron Works and is on display at the Saugus Historical Society. Jack recently did a presentation to members of the Parson Roby Chapter, and he said that it took him 18 months to build this model. He also displayed his other models, which include his childhood farmhouse and train layouts. Jack is also an active member of the Historical Society, VFW, American Legion and Saugus Veterans Council and lent his time and truck in the DAR’s Wreaths Across America event held in December.

  The Historical Preservation Award recipients were Laura Eisener and Paul Kenworthy for their continued commitment to preserving the history of Saugus. Laura and Paul both live in Saugus. Laura is President of the Saugus Historical Society and has a passion for history. She recently did a wonderful and informative presentation on the DAR’s Chapter’s namesake, Parson Joseph Roby from Saugus, who led 62 men from Saugus to the battles in Concord and Lexington on April 19, 1775. Laura has a wealth of information and has supported the Parson Roby Chapter on many historical and community events. Laura was named Woman of the Year at last year’s Founder’s Day celebration.

  Paul Kenworthy also received the Historical Preservation Award. Paul is very passionate about historical preservation and is the Vice President of the Saugus Historical Society. If you visit the Saugus Iron Works, you will find Ranger Paul giving tours and talks on the history of the Iron Works. He has worked for the National Park Service since 2015. Paul recently did a presentation on how the DAR and Louise Hawkes were instrumental in preserving the Saugus Iron Works. Paul is camp commander of the Camp 5 Dept. of Massachusetts Sons of Union Veterans.

  In addition to the awards, the Parson Roby Chapter donated a check to the Historical Society.

  The Daughters of the American Revolution’s mission is to promote Education, Patriotism and Preserve History. These citizens exemplify these qualities, and the Parson Roby Chapter was very honored to recognize their accomplishments.

  If you are interested in learning more about DAR membership, please email parsonroby.saugusdar@gmail.com