More Photos from Reunion

Ottawa Lake before fun began.

Left to right Back: Nancy, Ronnie, Davey, Gerald, Earl, Lloyd, Paul, Jay, Larry, Tommy

Left to right Middle: Norene, Doris, Cathy, Joan, Marlin, Joyce, Terry, Jimmy

Left to right Front: Eugene, George, Roger, Susie, Billy, Ruth Ann, Janet, Ted

Left to right back: Tommy, Jay, Gerald, Lloyd, Eugene, Paul, Davey, Larry, Roger & Ronnie

Left to right front: Ted, Marlin, Terry, George, Jimmy and Billy

Cousins getting reacquainted

Ted, Gerald, Roger

In front: Eugene, Marlin and Ronnie

Eugene, Janet, Roger talking to Gerald

Janet, Eugene, Marlin, Ronnie 

Jay's daughter Tina

Jimmy Roger and Roger's son

Karen on right

Marlin, Doris and Jim

Tommy, Larry and Lloyd

Tommy and his son

Norene and Janet

Listening to the music

These next two are Steven and Michael

The following photos are the DeVowe's

First Photos from Reunion!

Thank you, Doris & Cathy! Hopefully, I will be able to continue adding photos to this post in the next couple of days. A photo of all of the cousins is in the post What A Wonderful Cousin's Reunion.

Larry and Lloyd

Doris and Susie

Marlin and Larry

Marlin, Cathy, Joan and Ted

Amy on right, with Denise on left and the dogs

Carl H. and Susie D.

Joan, Jeff, Ted and Ronnie

Jim married to Janet and Pierre married to Susie

Tommy, Earl, Larry and Doris 

Where do we go from here?

I didn't take any photos at the reunion -- thinking that there were plenty of people with cameras taking photos and that they would be willing to share them. There must have been at least 10-12 people taking pictures.

So far, nobody has sent any of the reunion photos. Digital photos don't take a lot of monkey business -- you upload them to your computer and email them, and the photos can be uploaded to the blog immediately.

We have approximately 30 to 40 pageviews a day so it looks like there is still interest out there, but few are commenting on what they might like, what they remember, what's important to them, what they would like to see, or adding ideas for where we go from here. There are 49 posts with 39 comments, with 1,633 visits altogether during the month the blog has been up and running.

I have lots of old photos to add and return to those who gave them to me (Davey, Marlin, along with more of my own -- others have said they would send more of theirs), but I'm not sure how to sort them or classify them -- do I still sort them by family? Do I sort them by time period? Do you want to see groups of relatives?   Maybe you are tired of photos..... any ideas at all?

Should I send out requests for certain things and then combine any responses? For instance, favorite family recipes, more Trout Creek memories, memories of one uncle or aunt each week, or cousins? Favorite places in the Upper Peninsula? Tell us about your family, what are you interested in now, what  are your hobbies?

With no comments, no more stories shared, some more old photos but no new photos, where do we go from here? Are you willing to participate?

What's next? Or should we put an end to it? I really am in a quandary here and I do need some kind of input......

What a Wonderful Cousin's Reunion!

For all of you who came, it was a special treat seeing each and every one of you, meeting your families, getting and giving hugs, seeing the smiles (and sometimes the tears). The weather cooperated -- no storms during our get-togethers, and just enough sunshine.

For those of you who couldn't make it, and those who have gone before us, we missed you and we shared memories of each one of you as well.

On Friday, we had a wonderful get-together with perhaps 18-20 first-cousins and their spouses. On Saturday we had 112 all-together, with 24 of us who were born to the children of Oscar and Teckla. We looked at so many photos and I took home so many more photos that will be posted in the future. We talked about the Family Tree, and so much more.

Back row: Nancy, Ronnie, Davey, Gerald, Earl, Lloyd, Paul, Jay, Larry and Tommy

Middle Row: Norene, Doris, Cathy, Joan, Uncle Marlin, Aunt Joyce, Terry and Jim

Front Row: Eugene, George, Roger, Susie, Billy, Ruth Ann, Janet and Ted

Between one-to-one conversations and in small groups, we shared our dreams, our nightmares, our lives and how they all intertwine with each other. Sometimes we looked at each other long and hard, knowing we should know who we were looking at but not quite sure who it was, and then discovering it was a dearly loved cousin or how we were related -- and after a few minutes of talking together, the years fell away and we wondered why we didn't know each other immediately. Others walked in with a smile and a quick hug, and it was like we had been together just yesterday.

Thank you all for coming! Thank you, Roger, for deciding this was the year you were going to plan a Cousin's Reunion. For all those who weren't there, we felt your presence and we spoke of each of you with love.

Thank you for the music -- "young" Davey DeVowe's older sons entertained us with music! Steven played his (our Grandfather's and refurbished) violin for us, and Michael played the cello -- beautiful music floated over us. The hymns were wonderful, and my tears came when they played "How Great Thou Art", that beautiful Swedish hymn.

 Steven and Michael

For those of you who took photos, please share them with us! I have lots and lots of new "early" photos as well, and promises of those who said they will send memories. These will be posted after I post photos of our multi-day reunion.....

Thank you for bringing your favorite recipes, and your favorite cookies and bars. There was no way we could have run out of food. Pasties were wonderful, and we all ate our fill (and some of us did a little over-filling as well) of all the potluck offerings. There is nothing like a good old fashioned pot luck at a very special gathering!

As always, we all appreciate comments -- the more comments the better. Each new memory sparks a new memory in others. Please share with us. And --

                          "Thanks for the Memories!"

Gatherings

Whole family up to Kenneth = in back Nancy, Grandma, Kenneth, Grandpa, Ward, in front Doris, Margaret, Violet, Ray and Alice

My guess - Margaret, second from left in front, Violet second from right in front, Doris behind them dark dress.

Kenneth, Alice, Doris and Ward; Janet and Marlin in front

1938 picnic

The girls

Alice, Janet, Margaret, Nancy in front

Margaret, Ward, Kenneth, Doris holding Davey, Alice, Ray, Violet, Margaret, Nancy in back; Dave Grandma Grandpa holding Marlin, Lloyd and Janet in front of Nancy

Ward, Kenneth, Doris, Alice, Ray, Margaret, Violet and Nancy standing; Janet Grandma, Marlin, Grandpa and Lloyd in front

Alice, Janet and Margaret in back, Nancy, Grandma, and Doris in front

Lloyd, Nancy, Grandma, Bill, and Ward in back, Aunt Nancy, Marlin, Eugene and Dave in front.

Grandma on left, Hulda Hughes second from Grandma at end of table

1958 - Ward, Ray, Kenneth, Marlin in back; Alice, Margaret, Doris and Nancy on couch; Violet and Janet sitting on floor

Cathy, Doris, and Janet Jean with Kenneth

Lloyd, Kenneth, Roger in back; Margaret holding Cathy, Joyce with Janet in front, Nancy, Ward, Teckla, and Earl with Doris in front

Doris, Gerald, Carol, Cathy Davey Janet Jean, Nancy, Eugene with Roger in front of Nancy -- taken in front of the little house in Iron Mountain.