Paul and I have been friends for most of our lives. We went to the same church when we were kids, we were in 4-H Club together, and when I was in grad school at Penn State, Paul was an undergrad. He is the only one of his six siblings still alive.
His family is now scattered across the country in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The younger generations have no knowledge of their ancestors, of the experience Paul and his brothers and sisters had growing up on a small dairy farm, their time in one-room schools, or where their great grandparents are buried.
Paul decided to invite them all to fly or drive back here for a two-day tour of cemeteries, schools, and other places important to the family. Today they visited Kibler School, a one-room school house I attended, now owned by the Palmerton Area Historical Society. I was the docent for the visit, and we served cake and lemonade. I thought this was a wonderful way to hold a family “reunion,” so we put out a press release. The local tv station and the local newspaper covered the school event.
In addition to the school, the family members visited two cemeteries, the old homestead (still in the family), and a church, ending with a family picnic. It was a good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment