Revolutionary War patriot to be honored in Friedens
FRIEDENS ― The Great Glades Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will gather at 2 p.m. Saturday to honor a Patriot of the American Revolution. The ceremony will be held at the Friedens Lutheran Church Cemetery.
The patriot, Casper Swank, was born in Germany in 1732. He arrived in the colonies in 1754 on the ship Snow Good Intent. In 1756, he married Catherine Mishler. He was a founding member of the Lutheran Church in Friedens. During his lifetime he acquired more than 550 acres of land in Huntingdon and Somerset counties. In 1795 he was designated as Keeper of the Roads. He died in Somerset County in 1813.
The Sons of the American Revolution was organized on April 30, 1889 – the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as the nation's first President. SAR is a fraternal and civic society composed of lineal descendants of the men who fought in the American Revolution or otherwise supported the cause of American independence.
The SAR consists of approximately 32,000 members in more than 500 chapters in the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, Spain and Great Britain. More than 200,000 descendants of these Patriots of the American Revolution have been admitted since the organization's founding. The membership has included 16 U. S. Presidents, generals, college presidents, ambassadors, Supreme Court justices, senators and representatives.
The SAR is a historical, educational and patriotic group that seeks to extend and maintain: the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for our national symbols and the value of American citizenship.
As part of its mission, the Sons dedicate the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers and patriots. The group supports excellence in teaching American history. The members participate in patriotic observances. They support research and preservation of historic material relating to the men and women who fought or gave service for Independence in the American Revolutionary War. They do this by perpetuating the stories of these patriots; their courage, sacrifice, tragedy and the triumph of those who by their service or sacrifice during the American Revolution achieved the independence of the American people.
The program is open to the public.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Revolutionary War patriot to be honored by SAR
