INDIANA QUESTERS HISTORY
The Indiana State Organization of the Questers was chartered on April 21, 1967, although some individual chapters were chartered earlier.
The following article appeared in The South Bend Tribune on April 22, 1967:
Mrs. Chester Newman, South Bend, was elected and installed as president at the organizational meeting of the Indiana State Questers Friday afternoon at a luncheon in Randall’s Inn. Mrs. John R. Pear, national Quester president, of Grosse Point, MI., installed the charter officers and discussed the aims and purposes of the Questers, which are to study antiques and promote the restoration of historic places. Indiana now has 13 Quester chapters, the required number to organize at the state level, making it the fourth state organization of the National Questers. Other charter officers installed were Miss Janet Holley, Calumet chapter of Crown Point, vice-president; Mrs. Ray Atkinson, Marquette chapter of Michigan City, secretary; Mrs. Michael Hawryskow, Lake Shore chapter in Munster, treasurer; Mrs. Noble Corey, Angelique Navarre chapter, South Bend, organization chairman; Mrs. Garth Stroup, Frances Comparet Coquillard chapter, Mishawaka publicity chairman, and Mrs. I.E. Timbrook, Elkhart chapter, publicity chairman. The new president is also president of the South Bend chapter. She accepted the charter from Mrs. Pear and discussed proposed plans for the new group. Mrs. Newman has served Questers at the national level as organizer of new chapters in the state of Indiana and as treasurer.
In 1967 there were thirteen charter Chapters.
The thirteen Chapters at the time of Indiana’s charter were: Lake Shore #20, South Bend #54, Frances C. Coquillard #78, Elkhart #94, Council Oak #116, Marquette #139, Couer de Cerf #144, Calumet #154, Josiah Wedgwood #172, Princess Mishawaka #196, Angelique Navarre #246, Fort Bean #273, and Door Prairie LaPorte #274.
As of 2024, there are fourteen Chapters located throughout the State of Indiana. Since 1967, Indiana Questers have supported the study of history and contributed to preservation and restoration both locally and through our International organization.
