Fayette County Revolutionary War patriot honored
Courtesy of Aimee Cesarino
A member of the AmVets Post 103 Honor Guard of Hopwell presents the American flag to Treva Waldrop, the fourth great-granddaughter of Capt. William Conwell. Treva’s husband, Bob, to the left of his wife, photographs the moment.
Courtesy of Aimee Cesarino
A marker in honor of Revolutionary War Patriot Capt. William Conwell was dedicated at the Conwell Cemetery on Sept. 11
Courtesy of Aimee Cesarino
Steve and Venie Hinson handled the presentation of wreaths at the ceremony. Steve Hinson is the National Sons of the American Revolution chair of the Patriot Record Committee and the Ohio SAR Northeast Director. Venie Hinson is the regent of the Stanley-Redmond-Harper Chapter of Ashtabula Ohio, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and Ohio State DAR-SAR Liaison Committee chair.
Courtesy of Aimee Cesarino
General Arthur St. Clair Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard members (from left) Duane Myers, Tony Kiefer, Joe Wingrove, Ray Zimmerman and Gary Bell.{/div}
Photos: Courtesy of Aimee Cesarino
Among those on hand were ancestors of the Conwell family: (from left) Loraine Durmann and Ann Brainerd, cousins of Treva Waldrop, a fourth great granddaughter of William Conwell; Elizabeth Mahaney, Waldrop, Jennie Peton, Vivian Craigo and Margie Benedum. Craigo and Benedum are Waldrop’s sisters. Mahaney and Peton are descendants of Jehu Conwell, William Conwell’s brother.
Coutesy of Aimee Cesarino
Susan Gillette Meer, Pennsylvania State Society Daughters of the American Revolution State vice regent, was one of the speakers at the dedication.
The legacy of Capt. William Conwell, a ranger in the Revolutionary War, will go on forever.
A ceremony to dedicate a marker for this patriot who once called Brownsville home took place Sept. 11 at the Conwell Cemetery on private land near Heisterberg in Luzerne Township.
The Fort Necessity Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Uniontown dedicated the marker and hosted the event, along with Treva Waldrop, a fourth great granddaughter of Caldwell.
“I feel that if somebody doesn’t recognize William Conwell being buried there, in future generations that cemetery will disappear,” said Waldrop, a member of the Daniel Cooper Chapter National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Oakwood, Ohio. “It is so important to remember our Revolutionary War ancestors. This is important to me. My ancestors are really important to me. “
Other family members attending included Waldrop’s sisters Margie Benedum and Vivian Craigo and their cousins Loraine Durmann and Ann Brainerd.
“They now know the history and they can pass it down to generations to come,” Waldrop said.
Conwell moved to Brownsville from Lewes, Delaware in 1767 at the age of 21 with his brother Jehu and other family members.
In 1777, William Conwell was one of many recruited on the Western frontier during the American Revolution to protect the settlers during the war. He served as a captain of the 4th Battalion, 2nd Co., Westmoreland Rangers at Beech Bottom Fort located on the Ohio River.
Together with Fort Pitt and Fort Henry, it was in the group of posts guarding the western borders during the Revolution and its attendant Indian Wars.
“They were the ones who protected the settlers in the area from the Native Americans who were attacking the settlers,” Waldrop said. “The settlers would go and remove themselves to the forts when there was a danger of the Indians attacking.”
William and Jehu, also a Revolutionary War veteran, are buried in the Conwell Cemetery, along with other family members.
Aimee Cesarino, Fort Necessity Chapter regent, said about 40 people attended the dedication on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
“Our common goal is to honor our Revolutionary War veterans, our patriots,” she said. “We think life is hard now, but when you read what (people like Capt. Conwell) accomplished and what they had to work with, it’s amazing. It was just an honor to be able to participate in all of this.”
Speakers included Susan Gillette Meer, vice regent of the Pennsylvania State Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Waldrop, Dr. Ernest Sutton, National Society of Sons of the American Revolution surgeon general and members of the Broadwater family, owners of the property were the cemetery lies.
“The ceremony was absolutely amazing,” Waldrop said. “The color guard and the veterans presented the flag. That was so emotional. Everything was just perfect.”
Sutton, who also is a member of the General Arthur St. Clair Chapter, Bational Society Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard, said with America’s 250th Anniversary on the horizon in 2026, honoring such patriots is timely.
“It’s very meaningful to rededicate Revolutionary War veterans who fought on the Pennsylvania Frontier, especially frontier rangers like Capt. Willaim Conwell,” Sutton said. “It’s just very timely and meaningful to recognize these veterans at grave dedications before they are completely lost.”
The AmVets Post 103 Honor Guard of Hopwood also participated in the ceremony, which included a rifle salute, “Taps” and the presentation of the American flag to Waldrop.
“It was very moving and touching that family and friends would stay involved and pay respects to someone who, in essence, did his part to form our nation,” said Larry Stavish of the Honor Guard.
The Broadwater family has done its part to maintain the land of the cemetery. Brandon Broadwater said he did some work to get ready for the ceremony.
“I’m pretty patriotic and to get recognized the way he did after all this time is important to me,” he said. “He had to have a rough life. When he came here there was probably nothing except the wild frontier.”
The Broadwater family was presented the DAR American 250 Award for preserving the cemetery where patriots are buried.
“They were amazing with the work that they did,” Cesarino said.
The dedication was followed by a dinner at the Nemacolin Country Club.