Filed under: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, Grossman, Personal History, Voss
Week 22. Secrets. Describe something about yourself that won’t be found on any record 100 years from now.
Secrets Not (Family Gathering)
For every prompt you can write about the prompt or chose a topic of your own. This week I have chosen another topic : Family Gathering.
FAMILY GATHERING
In June of 1971 I was finishing my first school year, it had had many ups and downs, professionally and personally. But it was coming to an end. I would not be returning to that job for the coming year, so I was heading home. My brother (Kenneth) and his family were back for a visit, and came along with my parents to help me pack up and move back to Kansas.
On our trip back through Iowa, one of the highlights was stopping to eat at an Amana Farm. We had a wonderful family style dinner of fried chicken and all the fixings.
Once we got back to Kansas it was time to gather the family. Many of our family gatherings were held at the Dipman place near Larned. At this gathering were:
Inez & Rudolf
Kenneth & Billie
Rudolf & Inez my parents
Melba & Eugene their 7 children,
Kenneth & Billie and 2 children
And me
Aunt Vada (my mother’s sister),
her son, Wayne and 2 or 3 of his children.
John and Eldred (my mother’s sister) and their families,
Danny & Vicki, their 2 daughters,
Dedria & Bob (I think Bob was there, but no picture) and Dari
David
The Dipman Family
Cindy.
Danny's Family
Also invited was my boyfriend, Richard. I had not seen or talked tohim since April, when he had decided to break everything off (Another story). So I had no idea if he was coming or not. To my surprise he did show up.
Here are some photos taken that day. Of course I took them all so I am not in any pictures. Need to see if anyone else there has any pictures of the family gathering.
Afternoon Entertainment
Younger Generation
The weather cooperated, so we spent a great deal of time outside. We enjoyed sharing a meal, visiting and enjoying the family, and watching the kids.
This family gathering was also a turning point in my life. I came back to Kansas, found a new job for the next school year, continuing for another 37 years and renewed a relationship which eventually led to marriage and a family.
Treasure those Family Moments
You never know what the future will bring.
Grandpa Voss Carl & Shannon
"Auntie" and Dari
Richard & John
Put the picture of all the kids on Facebook, and several of them had memories of that day. What fun to have others add to the memories.
Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog (http://wetree.blogspot.com/) has yet another successful series on her hands: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History (http://www.geneabloggers.com/52-weeks-personal-genealogy-history/).
5 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Liblady's Genealogy Blog 
What a story! Actually, it turns out to be a kind of “secret” because it would never appear in any official documents–yet it was a turning point in your life. Thanks so much for sharing.
Comment by Marian Wood June 1, 2011 @ 9:25 amNice read. I found your blog from the new personal storytelling blog at Scoop.it.
My great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents lived in the Larned area in the 1880s. I’ve done a little research into the area’s history. It’s fun to picture you there.
Linda
Comment by Linda Thomas June 1, 2011 @ 3:08 pmLinda,
I am currently living in Larned. I worked for the school here for 18 years. My cousin, who is a Dipman, has also been studying the early history of Pawnee County and Larned as her father’s parents settled here. My mother’s sister married into the Dipman family. My father was living in the area when he married my mother, when they were expecting their first child, her sister came to help her. Eldred never left the area, as she married John Dipman. So this is an area of Kansas I have known most of my life. The house I live in was built around 1885-1890, one of early homes in the town. In 1915 it was moved to its current location to build a large brick home on the hill. Because of the Dipmans and Ashworth Dedria has studied the Pawnee Area more than I have.
Comment by liblady495 June 1, 2011 @ 3:28 pmLiblady, my great-grandparents were named Willey, and my great-great-grandparents were named Notestine. I think there’s a brick building outside of town (the first school, maybe?), and my great-great-grandfather made the bricks for it. Actually, I should look up these facts. I might not have gotten them correct. I’ll get back to you.
Linda
Comment by Linda Thomas June 1, 2011 @ 4:30 pmI will check with Dedria to see if she recognizes either of those names. Also if you come to the area, you might want to check out the Santa Fe Trail Center, they have a library, and it has some history of Pawnee County.
Comment by liblady495 June 1, 2011 @ 4:46 pm