At the end of June, I went to a cousin reunion, held in Atlantic, Iowa, where our Great Grandparents settled, and where many of us grew up. It was unseasonably cool for the area for much of the trip, and it was green, green, green.
I didn't grow up in Iowa, but my father did. It was a very special place for me growing up, full of fun times with the cousins that we got to hang out with on our visits. Almost all of the still-living first cousins (grandchildren of Ralph and Cora Nichols) attended. 1st photo of the cousins only, the 2nd photo cousins and spouses. Unfortunately Shirley had left and is missing from the (Photos by Tom).
Friday night began with dinner at Dick and Cindy's. After dinner, we sat out on the lawn and took turns standing up and catching everyone up on our lives, since many of us had not seen each other in a long time. As you can imagine, this took awhile, and we were out til well after dark. This allowed us not living in the midwest the nostalgic experience of watching fireflies lighting up the night. (Not my photo, I think either Alison or Tom's)
Satuday morning, It was brunch at Jill and Randy's house in town. We then gathered on the porch to share memories of our grandparents. Folks also passed around photos and artifacts of our family history.
Jill brought out an oil painting and a needlepoint by my mother that had been gifted to her. The needlepoint is of the farmhouse where her family (which includes 8 of this large cousin cohort!) grew up.
From there, we headed over to Jill and Randy's farmland, where Randy still farms, and where their daughter Michelle is operating a highly successful candle-making business. Randy talked about the history of the farmhouse.
The farmhouse (I believe now occupied by Michelle and her family) originally belonged to our great-grandparents, Charles Fletcher and Sarah Jane Nichols. That huge cottonwood, as well as a pine that you can maybe kind of see in the background, were planted by our great grandparents.
At Bill and Linda's afterward, we got to see yet another creative family venture. Bill showed us his woodshop, where he has been building furniture. From what I understand, everything he is building is from the wood of a large tree that fell on his property. Here he shows us the baby crib he is building for a grandchild on the way.
We then headed into Bill and Linda's home for more visiting and afternoon snacks. (Yes, we pretty much never stopped eating.) This house has a very unique history. They purchased it for $500.00 from Fairway, which was razing some houses in Atlantic to build a store. Everyone who was able pitched in to move the house to what used to be called the Tingley farm. (Close neighbors of the family).
Dinner on Saturday was at Jane and Craig's, where my sister Danita and I stayed during the visit. This was the last official event of the reunion. The after-dinner porch chat included sharing memories of visiting each other's families when we were young, including memories of the cousins no longer with us. Some of these stories were wilder than others: I will never forget Bill's story of when he and Stuart made a torch out of Aunt Mary's broom when they were little.
One of the most notable things about Jane and Craig's home is Jane extensive flower garden. The gazebo pictured was a shady oasis when the weather got warm.
Also in the yard is the old swing that used to be in Uncle Fletcher and Aunt Avonell's yard. I have memories of hanging out on the swing with various cousins during summer visits.
I recognized this old table in their basement. This very table featured prominently in many of the memories shared of eating at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
On Sunday, Jane and Craig took Danita and I to the Atlantic Cemetery, where many family members are buried, including our mother and father. I didn't get a very good picture of their gravestone, unfortunately.
It was a fantastic time to renew connections, catch up, share memories, and learn more about our family history. Thanks to Alison for all the planning she put into this to make this a truly memorable weekend!
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