The 70th Pearl Reunion was held for the 2nd year at the farm of Russell and Susan Gray in Sterling, CT. Rain, though predicted, held off and the Sun came out so that folks could enjoy sitting on the lawn and the children had space to play. Some 58 “cousins” came to enjoy the day, the food and company of each other. An event such as this brings the opportunity to reconnect with family, get to meet unfamiliar and familiar faces. Sharing stories and memories and sharing lives is fun.
The oldest attendee was 90 years of age and the youngest was 10 months. The folks came from as far away as Utah and Florida. All but one of the 6 New England states were represented.
The pot luck dinner was eagerly attacked and nobody went away from the tables hungry. Two milestone birthdays were celebrated, a 70th and a 30th, with cake and slightly out of tune renditions of ‘Happy Birthday’.
After dinner moderator, Neal Moon, presided over the business meeting. Each ‘cousin’ introduced themselves including information on the line they were descended from and any new family news that they wanted to share. Some discussion revolved around this new Pearl Family website. Those present, who had accessed the site, liked it. It is much cheaper than the old site and it was approved by the gathering to continue its support. Profuse thanks were given to the Gray family for hosting the past 2 reunions. Their hospitality and organizational skills were excellent and much appreciated. Some discussion followed on a possible site for next year’s reunion. The Hampton Community Center (the old Little River Grange Hall) as a site was placed on the table. Other possibilities were mentioned and all will be considered before a final decision is made. In the meantime anyone who is interested in hosting the Reunion is invited to contact Dot Vander Meulen, or post a comment on this site, or contact Neal Moon.
After the business meeting, a group photo was taken. Unfortunately some people had already left for home, but enough were present to be recorded for posterity!
…..Dot Vander Meulen, Family Historian.
