Family Reunion

Our family reunion was on Sunday, June 22. It has not been a big deal in the years I have been attending as an adult. We get from twenty to forty people at most. It's potluck and the food varies from year to year depending on who is cooking. Lately, you can't beat the good food. this year I wished some of my favorite salads had shown up but that's what you get with potluck.

The group voted to disband this year. The vote was ten to disband; eight to continue. Close if you ask me. One couple then invited us all to their house for a picnic next year. Bravo!

The person with the most dissent made the case that most of us are five generations removed from the origninal couple of our ancestors and have other ways to keep in touch. I have to disagree.

The way I see it (granted after thought) is that we ARE five generations removed and we have been having this reunion for 78 years. It is a way for us to honor our ancestors and remember them and keep on telling stories to the next generation.

Every time someone has the reunion at their home, attendance at least doubles. When we meet at a campground without activities, people seem to not want to make the effort of going the distance.

So here's the story that was told to me by my mother about how it all began (by the way, these are my colorations to her basic story):

In 1930, Uncle Newt decided to come home to Ohio from Texas for a long-overdue visit. He had moved there because some doctor told him it would be better for his daughter's health. Well, since he hadn't been home in a while, somebody got a brilliant idea -- let's get the whole family together so we can all see Uncle at the same time and save him miles of getting around to everybody's home separately and possibly miss somebody who'd really like to see him. They met in a local park. They took pictures. (I just got a copy this year!) They had such a good time that they decided to do it again next year! And they kept on doing it next year for 78 years!!!!







So doesn't that make it a family tradition?

Some of my fondest childhood memories in the 1950s are of going to the reunion. I particularly loved the year that Daddy obtained a huge green insulated thing that held two five-gallon containers of ice cream, supplied a bunch of ice cream cones, and made a whole lot of children happy and probably a few grownups, too. One year we took watermelon. Grandpa's potato salad was a huge hit.

In those days we met in a shelter house complete with kitchen necessities, lots of seating room, and a swimming pool across the park road. My guess is 75-100 people came. I love seeing relatives I knew. My grandpa loved going. His brothers and sisters were always there. And most of their children and grandchildren. I liked spending the day with my aunts and uncles and cousins. And meeting my mother's aunts and uncles and cousins.

My granddaughter goes out of state for a reunion that covers three days, lots of food, lots of conversation, getting to know one another all over again, and plenty of activities for all ages and interests.

Well, enough. What I'd like to know from readers is: Do you go to reunions? What kind of place do you go? How many people come? What do you DO while you're there?

Go Family!