2025-2026 DAR American History Essay Contest Winners Announced

If no one funds local news, your community is just rumors. Help Decorah News bring facts home. DECORAH — Two Decorah Middle School students wrote grade-level winning essays for this year's American History Essay Contest. Camille Rueckert, daughter of Matt and Kelli Rueckert, is the seventh grade winner, and Lillian Rude, daughter of Jared and Amanda Rude, is the fifth grade winner. The American History Essay Contest is sponsored by the Hannah Lee Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Each grade-level winner was presented with a certificate and an Excellence in History bronze medal. All other participants received a certificate of participation. Both winning essays were sent to the Iowa DAR for judging at the state level. Each year, the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsors the contest for area students in grades 5-8. This year's topic focused on America's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Students chose one of the signers and wrote about how their actions and service contributed to the country becoming independent. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With nearly 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org or connect with DAR on social media at facebook.com/TodaysDAR, twitter.com/TodaysDAR and youtube.com/TodaysDAR. Your inbox, upgraded! Subscribe for free and enjoy handpicked stories, helpful advice, and local insights delivered weekly.