Re-Reunuioned Out
Sunday I attended another family reunion. This was the third I’ve attended this past year. The first one that was held was the Minerd-Minard-Miner-Minor Reunion that was held at Camp Christian in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. There were relatives from as far away as California and the attendance was great. I thoroughly enjoyed mingling and reuniting with cousins from all over. The cam was quiet and conducive to sitting, eating, relaxing, and talking. There were people there that I hadn’t met before and was able to make new friendships.
Next was the Rugg Reunion. It would have been the 102nd reunion if the Covid scare hadn’t closed the gathering. It seems that this crowd brings quite a few young people to the event. It doesn’t seem that long ago that my kids were young and so was I. The unusual thing about this reunion was the food table had lots of main dishes and only one lone fruit salad on the dessert table. Usually it has been just the opposite with the tables of desserts outweighed the good-for-you foods. The auction of wrapped gifts is the center of attention where often bidding wars develops to see the contents of the bag or wrapped box. Usually there is a hint to what’s inside. It lets the bidder know if it’s for a child, man, or woman.
This past Sunday was the Nedrow-Ferguson Reunion. It was the 109th gathering. The reason for the double named reunion is that back in history of the area the Nedrows and the Fergusons had adjacent farms. They were isolated in the wilderness, so men from one family married women from the other and vice versa. When the genealogists traced the family tree, they were stumped at all of the intertwining roots. It became necessary to collect all of the branches from both trees. They also have an auction, but it’s just a little less exciting. The “white elephant” items are visible and the people know what they are bidding on. Because I have been so busy with canning, I didn’t take the time to search my closets or to shop for anything. Instead I took a quart jar of Kosher Dill Pickles and a jar of Salsa. Another item I took was two of my books. I was talking with another writer who writes poetry and songs.
I was able to share many old photographs of the Nedrows and Fergusons. They were passed down from my grandfather Beck. The best thing was that most of the photos had names on the reverse side. If you keep photos, please include the name of the person and date on the back side for future generations if you know.