Plaque rededication

Looking into your family ancestry can be interesting. For some, the experience can confirm family stories. For others the research can reveal new information that can be passed down to the next generation. Like a personal genealogy, it's good to look at a community's history, too.

The Nancy Hunter Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution held a ceremony last week at the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. The purpose of the event was to rededicate a plaque with names of Revolutionary War veterans buried in Cape Girardeau County. Before being unveiled at its present location, the plaque was housed in the lobby of the old post office on Broadway -- having been dedicated in 1924 -- and the new federal building on the same site.

Names of eight soldiers are listed on the plaque: Christopher Hays, Robert Brevard, Ithamar Hubble, Stephen Ranney, Thomas Hill, Alexander McLain, Uriah Brock and John Walker. Since the plaque was first erected in 1924 the names of other soldiers who fought in the war and are buried locally have been discovered.

It's important to preserve history, and the members of the Nancy Hunter Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution should be commended for its dedication to the cause. May future generations be just as committed to remembering the sacrifice of those who came before us and honoring their legacy.