Courtesy, Missouri Society, DAR Bulletin
We received in the mail yesterday the Missouri DAR Bulletin Vol. 51. Issue 1. On the cover is a photo of Marvin Koechig. While it indicated on page 2 the DAR Member who took the photo, it did not identify that the photo was of Marvin. A photo of the cover is attached.
Also attached is a page I created for the 2021 Chapter Yearbook that related to the photo of Marvin.
Compatriot Marvin Koechig
Fernando de Leyba SAR Chapter
Saint Charles (Missouri) DAR Chapter Member Ms. Megan Atchley took photos of Fernando de Leyba Chapter Color Guard Members Marvin Koechig and Charles Lilly at the Daniel Boone Home in St. Charles County, Missouri for use in painting a portrait to submit in the 2020-2021 DAR American Heritage Contest. The theme of the contest is “Rise and Shine Your Light on Your Revolutionary War Patriot”. Due to health reasons, she was unable to complete a painting in time for the contest so instead
she decided to submit one of the photos she took for the photography section of the DAR American Heritage Contest. Ms. Atchley stated “Amazingly, I saw potential in an accidental picture I took of Marvin Koechig blinking, which has won 1st place for the black and white photography category in the contest! The accidental photo looked like my ancestor praying solemnly before the Battle of Saratoga. So, I aged it a bit and put it in black and white. Apparently, the judges liked it too! I titled it "A Moment of Prayer by Col. Latimer."
I hope it evokes a moment where the Revolutionary War did not have a certain outcome and the struggles of war on what were effectively very brave but normal people.” Ms. Atchley plans on still doing a painting when she is in better health.
Ms. Atchley was to be recognized nationally at the DAR Continental Congress being held in Washington, D.C., June 30 – July 4, 2021 and receive a certificate and ribbon for winning. There was to be a brief time before the ceremony to display the picture and members can ask questions of Ms. Atchley and the picture was to be shown in a video on Thursday night of the Continental Congress. Unfortunately, the Continental Congress has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Dennis Hahn