Mary Kay Felton was sworn in on July 3, 2022, as the State Regent of the Maine State Organization of the Daughters of the American Revolution at the DAR’s 131st Continental Congress in Washington, DC.

Felton joined the Lady Knox Chapter of MSODAR in 2012 after moving to Camden from Greenville, Ohio, where she was a member of the Fort Greeneville Chapter Ohio DAR since 2010. In Maine, Felton served as Lady Knox Chapter Secretary from 2013-2016 and Regent from 2016-2019 where she led the chapter in the restoration of the Tolman Cemetery in Rockland and earned the Chapter “Golden Eagle" status by increasing membership by 42% during her three year term.

Over the last ten years, she chaired numerous DAR committees at the chapter level. Felton served as State Chair of Project Patriot and State Vice Chair of DAR Museum Outreach 2013-2016, State Co-Chair of Chapter Development and Revitalization 2016-2019, and State Musician 2013-2019. She served on the MSODAR Executive Committee as State Historian, 2019-2022 and as State Organizing Secretary 2016-2019.

Felton is a retired attorney residing in Camden with her three daughters, Anna, Emma, and Ellison Felton, and is the wife of the late Roger L. Hurley, who passed away in March of this year.

The theme for Felton’s administration is “Our National Timeline: Marking Our Way to America’s 250.” Her three-year term will commemorate the Nation’s historic events from the Boston Tea Party to the first man on the Moon to the first female Vice President and will honor Maine Revolutionary War patriots with the placement of four DAR America 250 bronze plaques, to be placed at Burnham Tavern, Revolutionary War era hospital and center of debate, Ft. Western, Old York, and one unconfirmed location in Castine.

Felton has already received roughly $10,000 in donations toward her $20,000 project costs, according to the Lady Knox Chapter, in a news release. Part of the remaining funds will come from the sale of a pin designed expressly for that purpose. The pin design was copied from the lid of a small brass box made by Revolutionary War patriot Daniel Steward, of Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Steward was a clockmaker and used motifs from his clock faces when he crafted the small brass box commemorating his Revolutionary War service.

Felton credits Thomaston antiques dealer Ross Levett with finding the little box that inspired her National Timeline theme, as well as her Administration’s motto: “When the story of these times gets written, we want it to say that we did all we could and it was more than anyone could have imaged” (Bono) and scripture “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

“Our Nation really owes a debt of gratitude to scholarly antiques dealers like Maine’s Ross Levett and Peter Eaton, as well as the curators of museums and collections focusing on Americana,” said Felton. “I’m forever grateful to these dedicated people for preserving America’s artifacts for future generations.” 

Knowing the box was actually made by a Revolutionary War Patriot just added another layer of significance for Felton who has proven her descent from eleven patriots so far, said Lady Knox Chapter.

“As the DAR and other National Partner’s mark America’s 250, the focus is both on our Nation’s future and on our past patriots, mostly ordinary people like Steward, who gave their time in order to build a new Nation founded on democracy and freedom,” said the release.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to patriotism, historic preservation, an enlightened public opinion and a better future through education. Membership is open to any woman eighteen or over with lineal blood descent to a man or woman who aided in achieving American independence through military, civil, or patriotic service. Since its founding in 1890, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has admitted over one million members, with chapters in every state, plus twenty-four chapters in twelve foreign countries.

The Maine State Organization DAR was organized in February 1898.

There are currently 21 Maine chapters with 944 members. For more information, visit www.mainedar.org. Those wishing to make a tax deductible contribution to the State Regent’s Project may do so through the Maine State Organization DAR Treasurer, Deborah Bragdon, 64 Hunter Place, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, (207) 741-2595.