The Event ~ Reunions

Reunions are an important event in life. Be it a class reunion, a family reunion, a reunion of old friends, or just a reunion of two over coffee. It’s always good to reconnect with friends and family.  Links to the past should not be cast off lightly and forgotten, because they are an important element to individual history.  I am so blessed to have ties to really awesome extended families. Families are eventful friends to share eventful times with. Families are life treasures that should not be lost, but rather cherished and reconnected.  Reunions serve that purpose.

I have really special memories of a few reunions in my life. In 1993 Tim, I and Cash attended a three-day destination reunion on my dad’s side  in West Yellowstone, Montana. We shared a log cabin with second cousins that I had not met before. 90 Corneliusen family members arrived to enjoy the three-day event in the mountains.  I know the fun and family  made a huge impact on Cash who was 12 at the time. because he talked about it for years. 

I cherish memories of a 2002  reunion when seven of us inseparable (at the time) college girlfriends reunited at our Rapid City, SD college stomping grounds for a 3-day weekend. We hadn’t seen each other for 32 years, had lost touch with a one or two through the years, but everyone stayed connected with someone, and thanks to internet we were all able to reconnect again.  It was like we picked up where we left off 32 years earlier. We laughed, we cried, we shared struggles, joys, hardships, memories, revisited a lot of college fun spots. It was an awesome time for Carol, Carla, Penney, Betty, Ginger, Diane and myself.  Internet still keeps us in touch.

In 2007, again thanks to internet, I organized another “Corneliusen” family reunion right here in Scottsbluff because there was a new YMCA camp facility built that was perfect for such an event. Internet was a huge part in the promotion of the event.




Esther, Aunt Betty, Uncle Ray, Aunt Bertha, Aunt Lilly

 We had 100 people in attendance, from all over the country ~ Florida, Kentucky, Maine, California, Arizona, Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado ~ to name a few,  All five of the remaining elder generation – my aunts/uncle and my mother ~ were still able to come.




The Corneliusen Family - July 2007

 

It was a four-day event that started on July 4 with fireworks.  It was so fun to see the 3rd, 4th, & 5th generations meet for the first time and get to know each other. There was no end to the food! All enjoyed poker tournaments, swimming, puzzles, card games, ice cream social, reminiscing, and lots of food. Everyone took their turn in the kitchen for cooking or cleanup duty. What fun to reconnect!

In 2009 we travelled to Billings, MT for the “Gallwas” family reunion ~ my mom’s side of the family. I didn’t think I would ever see this side of the family again, because most all of us failed to keep in touch with family beyond our own immediate families.




Aunt Bernice/Uncle Wally; Mom; Uncle Fred/Aunt Dorothy
Aunt Bertha/Uncle Arnold

 

I wondered if such a reunion would even gather but a few in attendance.  To my surprise, there were 100 in attendance for the two-day event, including all seven of the surviving elder generation ~ my aunts/uncles and my mother, again from all over the country.



32 cousins at  Gallwas reunion - 2009
Front: Alice, Mavis, Betty, Shirley, Margie, Gloria, Linda, Doris, Francis
Sandi, Nancy, Sherry.  Back: Harold, Edward, Gary, Wanda Lee, Darlene,
George,  Roger,  Robert,  Timmy,  Lori,  Bruce,  JoAnn,  Doris,  Florence,
Kelly, Vern, Allen, Bryan, Sherry

What was even more amazing is that 31 of us “cousins” out of a total of 32 were there. The oldest I had never met before, most I hadn’t seen since I was a young girl. Cousin Francis did an amazing job pulling that reunion together. I remember my son-in-law asking “I thought this was a Gallwas family reunion, but I can’t find any Gallwas name on the nametags.” That was because Grandpa and Grandma had one son and five daughters, and the one son had five daughters, thus ending the Gallwas name. Uncle Fred and Aunt Dorothy Gallwas were there! We spent two days reminiscing, singing along with those who played accordion and guitar, laughing, and eating lots. Cousin Bruce did his magic show and I did a ventriloquism show.

Through the years Tim’s side of the family have come together for Memorial Day picnics. I do remember large, well-attended Stricker family picnics 30 and 40 years ago, but once Grandpa Stricker died, the gatherings became less and less. Though we have enjoyed numerous picnics and softball games through the years, the attendance has dwindled to the same few locals. Now there are only four remaining aunts/uncles, including my own father & mother-in-law.  




Aunt Lucille, Aunt Lydia, Wilma, Leo, Tom, Kathy
Back: Susan, Julie, George, Donna, Tim, Peggy, Debbie,
Linda, Buddy, Don, Mick, Rich, Jim

 

Last fall Cash was home for several months and helped Tim's cousins with beet harvest.  He was amazed to meet extended family cousins that he never knew existed.  He enjoyed getting to know them. 

I have enjoyed immensely the time that I have shared with extended members of all these families and friends of the past.  And I will always enjoy getting to know more family if our paths should ever cross.  They are eventful friends and eventful times, creating eventful memories.  Reminicing today about these eventful times is an event in my day.