Coming Soon :: Phend Family Reunion

It's July, already! Wow, where does the time go? And, just around the corner, August will be making its way into our lives. And when August comes, that means it's time for the Phend Family Reunion!

That's right folks! It is closing in on us rather quickly - Saturday, August 1st is the date this year.

All descendants of Johannes B'hend (John Phend) are cordially invited to attend the reunion. For those of you on facebook, or interested in joining facebook, a Phend Family Group has been created. It is currently a closed group, meaning that you will need to be approved before you can join, but the process is painless (or nearly so - just click on the link to "Request to Join Group" that displays beneath the photograph in the upper right corner of the Phend Family group page). There is also a Phend Family Reunion event that is open to anyone. (You have to be a facebook member to access the Group and Reunion event.) Of course, you can always contact me via email at kinexxions "at" gmail "dot" com or leave a comment on this post.

Johannes B'hend, aka John Phend, was born in Switzerland in 1782 and came to the United States in 1832 with his second wife and four children. The children of his first marriage to Barbara Wys were Barbara Phend Feutz, Margaret Phend Weiss, and John Phend Jr. Several years after the death of Barbara, Johannes married Susanna Kübli. They had one child who survived to adulthood - Jacob Phend.

Jacob Phend married Louisa Fisher and they had seven children: John, Christian, Samuel, William, Jacob J, Sophia, and Henry. It is highly likely that anyone living in the United States with the surname "Phend" is a descendant of Jacob and Louisa. Jacob's half-brother, John, did not have any children. While doing the research for my book on the family, published in 1991, every single person I found with the surname Phend was related in some way!

There are quite a few posts here at Kinexxins on the Phend Family and the Fisher Family and about past reunions too - just in case you're interested...

Saturday ~ August 1, 2009

Family Life Center
Troy Presbyterian Church
6465 W Lincoln Way

north of Larwill, Indiana
a mile east of State Road 5, on Lincoln Way (Old US 30)

Carry-in Potluck Dinner at Noon

Bring beverages and table service for your immediate family
and a "covered dish" for the potluck dinner

I will be at the Family Life Center by 10 a.m. The facility is available until about 7 p.m. There are swings outside for the kids as well as an indoor basketball court. The only activity "planned" at this time, is visiting and getting re-acquainted. In the past I've tried planning activities and games but the vast majority of people don't participate in them. They mostly prefer to sit and talk with each other so I've "given up" trying to entertain them! They seem to do a pretty good job of entertaining themselves telling tales and just visiting with each other ;-)

Of course, descendant charts and past reunion photo albums will be available for your perusal. Feel free to bring along your family pictures and memorabilia for others to see. Also, there are still a few of the family history books available for purchase too if you don't already have one.