Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Reunion

Reunion
(Lots of Fun!)
 
This was the second weekend in a row of family gathering. (Last weekend was for the Balloon Rally) This time we had a gathering of 50 people for an extended family reunion.
How do you like the view we had? This is in Dutchess County, New York State.
 
 
We had my husband's four 1st cousins, their children and grandchildren, his two brothers and sister and their children and grandchildren and one of our children and grandchildren. Oh, yes, spouses; plus a second cousin and a 3rd cousin, once removed. We had never met the 3rd cousin in person before.
 
I have our family tree on Ancestry.com. I really love that site. Not only does it have lots of information but I've been able to contact several of my cousins - twice removed. And we made contact with a 3rd cousin of my husband there too. We have been sharing old family pictures and other family "branches"  and finally met this weekend.  Here are some of those pictures:
 
 
 
 
This is a picture of the brothers and sisters that are their common ancestors. Their spouses are behind them.
 
The third from left in front row is my husband's  and his second cousin's great grandfather. The first on the left is the great great grandfather of our newly met 3rd cousin.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I give up on the rest of the relationships. But you get the idea - relatives. Generations of them! I need my Roots Magic software program to keep them all straight. The habit of repeating family names occurs in all families, much to the confusion of following generations.
 
 
 
It was a great tradition in my husband's family to have large reunions. They traveled for hours to gather as we did this past weekend - in the same general area. However, there were no Interstate roads as we have and though the places they traveled from were really much closer it took just as long to get there. It only took us 3 1/2 to 4 hours to go about the about 200 miles from Massachusetts. (The extra 1/2 hour going was because of torrential rain and several accidents in the way.) We stayed overnight, too. The area is still as beautiful and much of it undeveloped. (See the first picture)
 
 
 
 
 
Here is a 50th anniversary picture taken 100 years ago. Fifty years married back then was a real feat. The couple in the middle are the same ones on the left in the picture above. See the white beard.
 
It does show how important family reunions were then as they are now.
 
 
 
 
I'm sure there will be many more such reunions. It is tradition!
 
I have a word of advice on family pictures for you. Before you go to a reunion, check the last picture of a family reunion to see what you wore. I had the same outfit on in the last two pictures though 3-5 years apart. I hope no one else noticed. Do I need to get some new clothes?
 
I hope you enjoyed accounts of my family gatherings. I should be more in jewelry mode by next week.
 
 
Until  next week,
 
Bev
 
 

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