REUNION 2009 It’s A Party!!

Maud Williamson State Park

Maud Williamson State Park

PHOTO DISPLAY Elma Hewitt is putting together a gallery of pictures of our oldest ancestors and of past reunions.  Bring your pictures (copies) on poster board so they can be hung in the gallery.

PICTURE COPIES Olive Merry Johnson has donated snapshots from past Reunions.  Come find yourself as a child or other memories to share with your family.  Plus, Marcia Durbin has provided a cd of photos from the 2005-2007 Reunions including group photos. There will be a copier/printer for making copies.

GROUP PHOTOS We will be taking group photos by family branches, which you will be able to download from the website after the Reunion.  Don’t be left out!!

One of Brian Hewitt's sons making the "hop-skip-and-a-jump" at the 2008 reunion

One of Brian Hewitt's sons making the "hop-skip-and-a-jump" at the 2008 reunion

THE  DANIEL MATHENY HEWITT CHALLENGE is back with age categories from under 6 to over 60.  See how far you travel in two hops on one foot and a jump from two feet, in succession after (but not counting) a running start.  This event was started last year by Brian Hewitt, great-great-grandson of Daniel Matheny Hewitt, who was a local star at this traditional Olympic event.  Last year’s winner was Toby Williams who covered 28 feet 8 inches in his two hops and a jump.  Can you beat that?! (See Toby’s jump in the June 2008 newsletter.)

WEBSITE DEMONSTRATION We will have a computer available for viewing our hmcfamily.org website for those who don’t have access to a computer or don’t have experience in navigating websites.

OREGON TRAIL GAME Play the classic Oregon Trail Game computer game, which now has a cult following.

OREGON HISTORY TIMELINE Celebrate Oregon’s sesquicentennial by bringing information on any contributions made by members of our families as citizens of the State of Oregon, the Oregon Territory, or Oregon Country (including Washington, Idaho, western Montana, and a corner of western Wyoming).  We will make cards to put up on a timeline of Oregon’s history.

STORYTELLING AREA Match memories or ask those questions you’ve always wanted to know the answers to about the family.

THE AUCTION As mentioned in the last newsletter, Brian Hewitt has come out of ‘retirement’ to be our auctioneer again! Please bring a brief description and suggested price for your oral auction donations to help Brian out. Our treasurer, Louis Rodge, will be busy with a new tracking system for the auction and raffle.

Marian Murray McClaine helping David Shelburne make ice cream at the 2008 Reunion (James Andrew Hewitt descendants)

Marian Murray McClaine helping David Shelburne make ice cream at the 2008 Reunion (James Andrew Hewitt descendants)

HOME MADE ICE CREAM!! Thank you to David Shelburne for bringing back our tradition of homemade ice cream at the Reunion! Homemade ice cream is a lot of work and we appreciate David’s generous contribution to our picnic last year.  So, this year let’s follow David’s lead and have ice cream for our birthday party.  If you don’t have an ice cream freezer, you can still join in on the fun of turning the crank.

Homemade ice cream at the Reunion was something to look forward to all year.   Elma Hewitt’s fond memories of picnics in Unionvale were of fried chicken and homemade ice cream.  Jean Kerr remembers that “Erma (Shelburne) and Elsie (Warmington) were the only ones to make it for many, many years and they had the best ice cream that anyone had ever tasted.  They had a big dairy and their ice cream was probably cream period (no milk).  Elsie was the master of flavoring it.  Vanilla was always the preferred flavor.” [Especially because we ate it on homemade pies.]

Memories of a Recipe from Elsie Warmington’s daughter, Olive Merry Johnson:

“Thought surely I could find a recipe for the ice cream but could not.  No, it isn’t a secret — BUT —–!!!  Will put down what I remember (with help from the family).  Stir up 6 eggs, add 2 cups sugar, 2 cups cream, and 1 tablespoon vanilla.  Pour in one gallon ice cream freezer and add enough milk to make it two thirds full.  Add crushed ice, sprinkling salt (chunky kind) over the layers of ice cream and turn the freezer until it is too hard to turn.  Seems pretty simple and hope that is correct.”

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