On March 30, the Effingham County Hussars Chapter No. 2285 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy celebrated its 50th anniversary during its regular monthly meeting in the Effingham Hospital community room.

Many members and their guests were present and past chapter president Norma Jean Morgan served as the anniversary speaker with remarks on “who do they see when they see you coming?”

A resolution from the state House of Representatives recognizing the 50th anniversary and praising the good deeds and efforts to contribute to the community was presented.

The local chapter organized March 28, 1960, with 21 members in Springfield. Two of the original members, Myrtie Exley and Victoria Usher, are still members today. The chapter took its name from the Effingham military unit organized in Springfield in 1846.

A lasting achievement of the UDC women’s work prior to the chapter was the erection of a marble Confederate monument on the grounds of the Effingham County Courthouse, unveiled in 1923.

The purpose of the UDC organization is “to do homage unto the memory of our gallant Confederate fathers.”

The United Daughters of the Confederacy motto is “Think, Love, Pray, Dare, Live.”

Alecia Evans is the chapter president. To learn more about the organization, call Evans at (912) 857-3362.