Huerter Family Reunion (July 8 - 10th, 2011)

The last of my grandparents died in 1998.  Grandma was 93 years old and had led a long, hard-working life.  After that time, her children, my mother and her siblings, decided to meet for a family reunion each year in June, near the time of Grandma and Grandpa’s wedding anniversary.

Albert and Leona Huerter

When I was living in New Zealand, attendance was simply not possible - for all sorts of reasons, and each year I felt sad that I could not participate.  Some years I phoned, but that was even harder, so most years I just felt sorry for myself!

Veteran's Memorial Wall, Seneca Kansas

This year, however, the organizers kindly put the date a month later, and I was able to attend!  This was another highlight of my summer trip.

The Huerter family reunion kicked off on Friday, 8th July.  On the way to Marysville, Kansas, we stopped in Seneca to see my Grandpa’s name on the Veteran’s Wall there.

The entire group at the Wagon Wheel

After we settled into the motel, it was down to the Wagon Wheel for the traditional dinner.  Since chicken fried steak seemed to be THE thing to order, who was I to buck the system?  I had not had chicken fried steak in years and years!  It was so good to spend time with aunts and uncles, cousins and second cousins!  A toast was said in memory of Richard who died a few years ago and was missed. 

In memory of Richard Huerter

Inscribed brick bench at St. Gregory's School

The entertainment committee decided to keep this year low-key, due to the huge variety of  interests and ages of the group.  So I can only report on the parts that I participated in, but they were by no means the only happenings.  On Saturday morning some of us went to St. Gregory’s where a number of us had attended elementary school. The school grounds were looking good, and of particular interest were the bricks on an outside bench, commemorating Grandma and Grandpa (Albert and Leona Huerter) and great-grandparents John and Christina Steinbach and John and Gertrude Kienlen.  

Next we went to see the Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Marysville.  After a long search we concluded that Grandpa’s plaque (and Dad’s and Richard’s) were on the wall where clearly everything had fallen off!  Upon investigation, this was indeed the case and it will be some months before this is fixed up.  An incentive for me to go back soon?

After lunch in town with most of the group, we ventured to the Pony Express Museum.  Here we saw Grandpa’s WW I uniform - well, at least the jacket and helmet.  Not sure where the trousers have gone!  As always, it was fun to see the exhibits and recall the history of the Pony Express Home Station #1.  (I did not recall that the Pony Express only existed for only a very short time - April 1860 to Oct 1861.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_Express    for those interested in finding out more.) 

Saturday afternoon two cousins and I managed to catch up with a childhood friend from Marysville and dinner was at a local burger place. 

The Jaeckel branch of the family

On Sunday morning we took our various group pictures proving that we were indeed at this reunion, before going to Mass at St. Gregory’s Church.  This church features strongly in our family, with a large number of us and our ancestors having been baptized and married there.  Quite a number were dispatched from this church, too.  So before the service we had visited the Catholic Cemetery to pay respects to Grandma and Grandpa, Rosemary (an aunt of mine), Richard and great grandparents. 

Lunch was scattered, but I went to the Mexican restaurant with my parents, aunt, uncle and cousin.  Some of us then went to the site of the Blue River rope ferry crossing (replica of the ferry is pictured) which was an important aspect of the early days and settlement of Marshall County and Marysville township. 

Replica of Blue River rope ferry

Hearing the news that the Courthouse was open drew many of us there and housed there was Grandma’s wedding dress, the girls’ first communion veil and an old family globe that was displayed in the historical schoolroom.  

Some of the cousins and their children had to leave on Sunday to get back into their working week, and others were able to spend time in Marysville until Monday.  Many had traveled far to attend and rearranged schedules especially to be there.  For this I was grateful because it meant I got to see the largest number of family possible at this event (and I was sorry to miss a few who could not make it).  Numbers were good, thanks to the many children of cousins who opted to also come along, and they were patient with the generations older than they, who had lots to talk about and share.   

I was pleased to be able to be at the reunion in 2011!