NSCDA Roll of Honor

The Roll of Honor was created as a part of the NSCDA’s fiftieth anniversary celebration in 1941 to recognize individuals in state societies whose sustained service, dedicated leadership and devotion to the ideals of the NSCDA has gone above and beyond the ordinary. A national committee defines guidelines and oversees distribution of certificates to awardees, while each state society’s board of managers oversees its own process for designating its nominees to be sent to the national Roll of Honor Chair. Names of recipients are recorded in a leather-bound book which is kept in the archives at Dumbarton House and displayed only at the Biennial conference or by request. For more information, please visit the national organization’s website at https://nscda.org/officers-committees/roll-of-honor/. In its first 100 years, the Minnesota society honored the following Dames as Roll of Honor recipients.

1941 - Marion Furness & Anna Jane Cleveland

Marion Ramsey Furness (1853-1935) was the daughter of Minnesota’s first territorial governor, Alexander Ramsey, and his wife Anna Jenks Ramsey. She was the only one of their children to survive to adulthood. Marion attended boarding school in Philadelphia. In 1875, she married Charles Furness. Marion and her children moved to Minnesota and lived in her parents’ home in St. Paul, now the Alexander Ramsey House operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. She was one of the founders of the NSCDA-MN and its longest serving President, from 1908 to 1923. She was also involved in the Harvest Festival, Home for the Friendless, Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Schubert Club, and New Century Club. Her colonial ancestor was Joseph Kirkbride.

1961 - Florence Welles Carpenter, Carolyn McKnight Christian, Laura Winter Dean, Anna “Anita” Furness, Eleanor Lawler Pillsbury, Helen “Nelle” Winston Pillsbury, & Anne Turney White

Florence Welles Carpenter (1867-1958) was the daughter of Isabella (Griswold) and Edwin Pillsbury Welles. She graduated from Wells College and later served as a trustee. She married Elbert Carpenter in 1890. Florence was a trustee of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts and was also associated with the Minneapolis Associated Charities, the Friendly Visitors’ Conference, the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, and taught a women’s bible class at Westminster Presbyterian Church for thirty years. She was second Vice President of NSCDA-MN from 1922-1934, first Vice President in 1939, and President from 1940-1944.

Laura Winter Dean (1871-1968) was born in Kentucky in 1871, daughter of Edwin Wheeler Winter and Elisabeth Cannon. She married William John Dean in St. Paul in 1891. Together they had 9 children, including twin daughters Helen and Alice. She was first Vice President of the Minnesota Society of the NSCDA from 1922 to 1928 and President from 1929 to 1932, and her daughter Helen became President from 1972 to 1974. Some of Laura’s descendants are current Dames today.

Anna “Anita” Earl Ramsey Furness (1876- 1964) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the oldest daughter of Marion Ramsey Furness, only child of Minnesota governor Alexander Ramsey, and Charles Furness. She attended the Baldwin School in St. Paul and the Convent de la Assumption in Paris, France. She was president of the Women’s City Club, Vice regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and member of the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul Century Club and Unity Unitarian Church. She served as President of NSCDA-MN from 1936-1940. In her will, she provided for her home, first built for her grandfather, to be given to the Minnesota Historical Society with a provision that the NSCDA-MN share governance. Her colonial ancestor was Joseph Kirkbride of Pennsylvania.

Helen “Nelle” Winston Pillsbury (1878-1957) was the daughter of Philip Winston and Katharine Stevens. A native of Minneapolis, she married Charles Stinson Pillsbury. She was active with the Pillsbury Settlement House, maternity hospital, Girl Scouts and National Child Health Organization. She was a member of the Women’s Club, DAR, and the Order of First Families of Virginia, among other organizations. She was an avid family historian and commissioned and assisted in the publication of a book on her Winston family history. She was Treasurer of the NSCDA-MN from 1922-1927, First Vice President from 1929-1931, and President from 1932 to 1936. Christopher Robinson of Virginia was her Colonial ancestor

1967 - Marion Eleanor Cross

Marion Eleanor Cross (1903-1996), the daughter of attorney Norton M. Cross and Martha V. Ankeny, ensured the legacy of the NSCDA-MN scholarship for International Students at the University of Minnesota by creating an endowment in her will. Granddaughter of Judson Newell Cross, Civil War veteran and champion of the Forest Reserve Law and his wife Clara Steele Norton. Marion authored several books related to the history of Minnesota explorers and businesses. She translated Father Hennepin’s 1680 Description of Louisiana Newly Discovered to the Southwest of New France by Order of his Majesty from the original French, which was published by the U of M Press for the NSCDA-MN. She served on the NSCDA-MN board of managers as Treasurer from 1953-1955.

1972 - Elsie Thayer Rider

Elsie Thayer Rider (1893-1979) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Hiram and Harriet (Carpenter) Thayer. She married Stuart Williams Rider in 1917. She served as President of the Community Health Nursing Service and was involved in the Maternity Hospital Corporation and the Red Cross Victory Squad. She served as vice president of the Junior League in addition to her service as President of NSCDA-MN in 1964-67 and her service as Treasurer of NSCDA-MN from 1944-1951. After her term as President, she remained involved, working with the Alexander Ramsey House refurnishing and redecorating. Elsie was an author of the 75th anniversary NSCDA-MN history written in 1971. She is descended from William Carpenter of Massachusetts.

1977 - Martha Clark Putnam Holman & Alice Bell Eggleston Pratt

Martha Clark Putnam Holman (1903-1982) was born in Spokane, Washington, the daughter of Charles and Mary Clark Putnam. She attended Smith College. She married attorney James Lusk Holman in 1927 and they had two children, Mary Clark Holman and John Holman. Martha served as president of the NSCDA-MN from 1961-1964. Prior to that, she served on the Patriotic Service Committee beginning in 1953 and served as its vice chair from 1954-1957. Martha was NSCDA-MN’s second vice president from 1955-1958. She was a member of the Junior League and served as Secretary in 1929. Her colonial ancestor was Thomas Prence of Massachusetts.

1979 - Ruth Bovey Stevens

Ruth Bovey Stevens (1902-2001) was born in Minneapolis, the daughter of Charles Cranston Bovey and Katherine Koon, who also was a Colonial Dame. She attended Northrup College and graduated from Vassar College in 1924. She married Nathaniel Stevens and they had four children. She was a Regent of Gunston Hall for 12 years. She was past president of Big sisters, Friends of the Art Institute, Lake Minnetonka Garden Club, and was a national judge for the Garden Club of America. She was descended from both John Alden of Massachusetts and Joseph Peck of Connecticut.

1988 - Carolyn Benepe, Georgia Ray Lindeke & Anne Leslie McCarthy

Carolyn Stoltze Benepe (1927- 2015) was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. The family moved to Minneapolis around 1930. The Stoltze's later relocated to Afton, Minnesota on May's Lake. Carolyn graduated from Summit School in St. Paul. She attended Smith College until her marriage to Lou Benepe. Carolyn loved to travel, including an African Safari, greeting the Millennium from Australia, chasing Puffins, white-water rafting on the Snake, sailing on the Sea Cloud, avoiding icebergs and roaming nearly every inch of the British Isles with the Blythe Spirits group. Carolyn was very active with the National Society of Colonial Dames, served as a Regent of Gunston Hall and was very active in the historic preservation of the property. Carolyn was President of NSCDA-MN from 1985-1987. She cochaired the NSCDA Region II conference in the Twin Cities in 1994. She was a member of the New Century Club, and Thursday Club. She sang in the choir for 51 years at her church. Carolyn actively supported the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and The Science Museum of Minnesota, where she was a volunteer for many years. Her qualifying ancestor was Rev. Peter Bulkeley of Massachusetts.

Anne Leslie McCarthy (1923-2007) was born in Minnesota, the daughter of Ruth Hill and Frank Leslie. She graduated from Northrop Collegiate School in 1942 and attended Vassar College for three years. Anne married Lt. Donald W. McCarthy in 1947. She served on the board of managers for NSCDA-MN and served on the board of Dumbarton House, was registrar for NSCDA-MN, and provided leadership to the Dames’ scholarship to benefit students at the U of M International Student Services. For the Nation’s bicentennial, she composed two biographical sketches of women who made important contributions to our state’s history, Charlotte Van Cleve and Abby Mendenhall; these biographies were submitted to the Library of Congress by NSCDA. She headed the local campaign to raise funds for Dumbarton House in 1991, the NSCDA’s 100th anniversary. Besides her involvement with the Dames, Anne was on the board of the New England Historical Genealogical Society, was a Trustee of Stevens Square Home, Goodwill Industries, and chair of the Women’s division of the United Way. Her daughter is also a Colonial Dame. Anne is descended from Henry White II of North Carolina.

1989 - Nancy Ottis Harris

Nancy Ottis Harris (1930-2005) was the daughter of Bruce and Clara Harris. Born in St. Paul, she was a graduate of Summit School in St. Paul, Mills College, and Columbia Presbyterian School of Nursing. She chaired the United Hospital Foundation Board and served on the United Hospital board. She served as President of NSCDA-MN from 1981-1983. Nancy cochaired the NSCDA Region II conference in the Twin Cities in 1994, and also served as National Parliamentarian for NSCDA. She lived in White Bear Lake in later years. Her Colonial Ancestor was John Ogden of New Jersey.

Members of NSCDA-MN can log in to view Roll of Honor recipients through the current day here.