Thursday, July 31, 2008

Reunion continued

The first day of the reunion was the golf tournement.  Above is the winner Van B.  We had scores ranging from 84 to 180 (ten was the maximum strokes allowed!)  Fun was had by all and everyone wants to continue this tradition to open our reunions.  

After registration and dinner on the first evening (July 3) a bowl of M&M candies was passed around and we were told to take as many as we wanted but we couldn't eat any until told it was okay.  Some took many and some took only a few.  Below Amanda,Rhye and Millie show their M&Ms.  After everyone had taken theirs we were to go around the circle and say something about ourselves for each M&M we took!  It was a fun way to get acquainted.  The greedy ones were having to say their favorite color, pet's name, etc.  Rhye only had to say his name!  I was quite greedy, but managed to slip a few of mine into some other relatives piles when they weren't looking.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Stark Tree

Since I started the family line, I'll explain how far back to Aaron Stark.  Salona Stark was my great grandmother, her father was Morgan Stark (1801), his father was Morgan Stark(1775), his father was Nathan Stark (1713), his father was Daniel Stark (1699), his father was William Stark (1665), his father was Aaron Stark(1608 in Scotland), his father was Aaron Stark (1582? in Scotland).  Aaron Stark (probably the second Aaron) came to USA maybe as a political or other undersirable character in Scotland and often got in trouble with the law.  His antics were recorded frequently in historic records. He married Sarah and after that seemed to settle down. Edwin Arlington Robinson, a Main poet who lived during the late 19th century must have read about his antics because he wrote the following poem which he included in his book CHILREN OF THE NIGHT:

 Aaron Stark

Withal a meagre man was Aaron Stark
Cursed and unkempt, shrewd, shrivelled and morose.
A miser was he, with a miser's nose,
And eyes like little dollars in the dark.
His thin pinched mouth was nothing but a mark:
And when he spoke there came like sullen blows
Through scattered fangs a few snarled words and close,
As if a cur were  chary of its bark.
Glad for the murmur of his hard renown,
Year after year he shambled through the town,
A loveless exile moving with a staff:
And oftentimes there crept into his ears
A sound of alien pity, touched with tears,
And then (and only then) did Aaron laugh.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Richter Family Reunion

I'm back!   Where to start after my wonderful month back home?  I've decided to start with one of the highlights of  the summer.  July 3 to July 6 we had a family reunion in Troy, Idaho.  Above are the early birds who were brave enough to sign up for the golf tournement.

Below are the origins of our Richter Reunion.  The old man bottom row is Albert J Richter, son of Gottleib Richter who came over from Germany.  The old lady on the same bottom row is Lona Stark Richter who was a twin and we thought of English decent, but one cousin did an extensive research into the origins and the Stark family actually came from Scotland but were probably German soldiers sent to fight the English!  Then sought refuge in Scotland when they lost.  The seven children of these two and shown below are Bessie, Ida, Otto, Vivien, Guy, Pearle, & Ruby.  The oldest was my Grandmother and she is the one on the bottom left.  The children of these have met every 3 to 5 years for reunions.  Most being back on the old home place in North Dakota, some being up in a camp in Montana, and this year for the second time being in Troy, Idaho.  Every family but Vivien's were represented this year.  A total of over 60 people from many states and generations gathered.  For the next few days I'll describe our wonderful times together this year.