The Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library Family Tree
The Family Tree - Jun/Jul 2002
Family Reunions - Gatherings - Meetings

Family Reunions Gatherings Meetings
by Edith Wagner, editor of reunions magazine

Reunion season 2002 starts now. About 20 million Americans will enjoy family reunions this summer in many places: backyards, parks, hotels, resorts, ranches and on cruise ships. Not a last minute kind of party, reunions will be the culmination of often years of careful thought and planning. If you are the planner, you are urged to enjoy your reunion. Sometimes it's so easy to get completely wrapped up in the details that after all the time and effort you've expended, you are so busy that you have little time to enjoy your own reunion. Make it a point to enjoy your own reunion this year! You'll be well rewarded.

• Byrd - 10th annual. July 19- 21, 2002, Jacksonville FL. Carole Byrd, 404.653.0983; byrdfamilyreunion@everythingblack.com

• Callicott/Calicott - July 19-20, 2002, Lake Murray near Ardmore OK. This reunion is usually on 2nd weekend in June in DeQueen, AR but changed for 2002. Evelyn Straub, 254-893-5880.

• Dean and Creech - 28th reunion. Sep 1, 2002, Morehead KY. Lloyd Dean, 6770 US 60 East, Morehead KY 4035l; mapleview@connectup.com.

• DeKlavon/Downs - Aug 8 -11-2002, Pittsburgh PA. Descendents of William and Phoebe Downs of Butler/Mercer County. Descendents of Francis and Barbara Klavon aka DeKlavon. Contact DeKlavon_Downs_Reunion 2002@hotmail.com.

• Ecker - Descendants of Christopher Ecker and all other Eckers. Christopher Ecker, son of Andreas Ecker and Margartha Bussmann (both born 1697), born Aug 31, 1718, in Wachendorf, Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. Christopher's sister, Christine, came to America about 1737 on the ship Charming Nancy. Jul 21, 2002, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship MD. Charles I. Ecker, 5002 Durham Rd. E, Columbia MD 21044-1421; 410-992-5238; eckerc@erols.com;
  http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com>/users/e/c/k/Charles-I-Ecker/index.html.

• Harmelink - 100th annual reunion. Jul 13-15, 2002, Inspiration Hills, Inwood IA. Jean Harmelink Samson, 8804 Brookridge Dr, Anchorage AK 99504; 907-337-6751; j-psamson@gci.net; www.geocities.com/harmelink100th. When the Harmelink family began a reunion in 1902, the word was passed family to family mainly at church where most of the fewer than 20 relatives arrived by horse and buggy from their farms. Today, the family has grown to require more than 1,200 reunion announcements throughout the US. The Harmelinks originated in Gelderland Province, Netherlands, just west of Westphalia Province in the former German state of Prussia.

• Hatfield And McCoy Reunion - The Hatfield and McCoy Families are holding their third annual Reunion Festival in Pikeville, KY, June 6-9, 2000. Family members from all over the country will be in attendance. We invite everyone to come out and "be a part of history". www.reunionfestival.com or Bo McCoy 1-912-614-4705. leadway@real-mccoys.com

• Luna - Descendants of Adrian and Maria Luna. July 26-28, 2002, Chicago IL. Cesar Garza, 1702 N. Francisco, Chicago IL; 773-252-3821; cgarza5@hotmail.com; www.geocities.com/lunafamily2000

• MacAskill, McCaskill, McCaskie, Caskey and other spellings. Descendents of an important family adherent to the Chiefs of MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan. June 28-30, 2002, Englishtown, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Lonnie McCaskill, PO Box 923, Rockingham NC 28380, 910-997-3019,; scotsman@etinternet.net.

• Torgerson - Descendents of Henrik and Beret (Haugen) Torgerson. Aug 23-25, 2002, Sugar Creek Bible Camp, Ferryville WI. Michelle Rickard, 12429 51st Ave SE, Everett WA 98208; 425-385-8447; susanr856@yahoo.com

• Utley - Descendants of John Allen and Lilla Maude Jacobs Utley. Jul 25-27, 2002, Jackson TN. Jackie Utley, 590 Wallace Road, Jackson TN 38305-2839; JUtleyMail@aol.com.

• White - Aug 16-18, 2002, Manhattan Beach CA. Gertie V. White, PO Box 74, Compton CA 90223; 310-638-4226; GWHITE5964@aol.com.

• Towne - Descendants of William and Joanna Blessing Towne; collateral lines Nurse, Estey, Bridges, Cloyes, Perkins, Cummings. 22nd annual, Sep 4-8, 2002, New Orleans LA. Wayne M. Riggle, 19 Fairway Dr W, Etowah NC 29829-9769; riggle@bellsouth.net

Want more?

For more reunion information, visit Reunions magazine at www.reunionsmag.com where you can request a sample of Reunions magazine free. Also see Reunions Workbook and Catalog and The Family Reunion Sourcebook by Edith Wagner (1999, Lowell House, Los Angeles) in bookstores. List your reunion (also free) by emailing info to reunions@execpc.com.