Another one bites the dust...

Yep, it was The first Saturday in August, again. The Phend Family Reunion has come and gone for another year. Attendance was at an all-time low (35 or so) but those of us there certainly enjoyed ourselves! A few new faces did show up and there were descendants of three of the children of Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend - John, Christian, and Henry. They came from Texas, Ohio and Illinois as well as Leesburg, Goshen, Mishawaka, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Auburn, North Manchester and Columbia City (all in Indiana).

After 25 years of organizing the reunion I decided that this year was the last year for me to do so. Hopefully someone will step up and they won't let it fall by the wayside, but attendance has been dropping considerably the last few years. The old folk are getting older making it more difficult for them to attend and the young folk don't seem to be all that interested. It's sad, but that's the way it is.

Regardless of how many people show up, I always consider it a success when people depart with smiles on their faces! And here are a few of those smiling faces...

1st Cousins - Josephine & Phyllis.

Husband and Wife - Rich & Kathy.

Mother and Daughter - Sunny & Dee.

Little Imp.

Third cousins once removed - Jackie and Matt

They found each other on Facebook a few weeks ago.

My brother.

Two of the three sections of family charts and photos.

The beginning. The first five generations.

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.

Phend Reunion 2008 is now History

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Sun shining, blue skies, low humidity, a nice breeze. I couldn't have asked for a nicer day on which to hold a family reunion. A really nice change from the previous few days of heat and humidity!

Attendance at the Phend Family Reunion this year was the lowest it has ever been with 24 adults and 9 children. However, there is an advantage to having fewer people attending - I got a chance to visit with each one of them! I have to admit though, it is a bit disappointing that more people don't come. However, I understand that there are a lot of other activities competing with a family gathering and that some people are reluctant to attend because "they don't know anyone."

The fact remains, no matter how many people show up, the amount of preparation is the same as is the overall cost. Announcements have to be mailed, rental fees paid on the facility, basic supplies (paper plates, cups, napkins, etc.) still have to be bought. I pay for those things out of pocket as the expense occurs then get reimbursed. There are two ways funds are generated - through a "White Elephant" Auction and also from "passing the hat" for contributions.

Items for the White Elephant Auction this year included several vases, a couple of books, a jacket, a hand-crocheted baby blanket, old grass-clipping shears, three decorative baskets, several shelf-sitting dolls, a glass bank, six candle holders, and a few other knick-knacks. To be honest, I wasn't very hopeful that they would generate much excitement. Several items brought in more than a few dollars but most went for one or two dollars. A couple of things were even given away. But it is a fun way to generate funds and prevents people from leaving immediately after eating! Given the small number of people in attendance it was a pleasant surprise to learn that all costs were covered this year through the auction and other contributions.

When I got home from the reunion I unloaded the car, put away what needed to be put away, sat down in my comfy chair, turned on the television, and immediately dropped off to sleep! Several hours later I woke up with stiff joints and the mother of all headaches. It took a while ;-) but I was finally able to stand up. I made it to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Still a little stiff this morning but a hot shower loosened up the kinks and the headache is pretty much gone now. Guess I'm not used to being on my feet for nearly 8 hours straight. Plus the stress of making sure everything is ready, and wondering if anyone will show up!

It is doubtful that she will see this, but I want to acknowledge the help and support that my niece, Tami, provides before and during the reunion. She oversees the placement of food putting the hot stuff, salads, and deserts in their proper place. Keeps the lemonade pitcher filled up and the ice bucket full. She even helps with cleaning up afterwards! Thanks Tami.

Speaking of food, there was an awful lot of it considering there were only 33 people in attendance and a couple of them too young to eat anything. There were two kinds of meatloaf, three varieties of potato salad, two types of green bean casserole, a Reuben casserole, potatoes au gratin, fried chicken, several varieties of bean salad, cole slaw, apple salad, fruit salad. Deserts included lemon pie, brownies, zucchini-carrot cake, chocolate cake, pineapple upside-down cake, chocolate chip cookies. There was also a vegetable plate with dip and two cheese plates and crackers. No chips. That's a first! I didn't taste everything, but I what I did have was very good. I don't think anyone left hungry. If they did it was their own fault!

Each year I wonder if it is worth the effort it takes to have a reunion considering the time, energy and money expended. But as the people are leaving and they come up to me and thank me for doing this, then I know it is worth it. Two cousins travel every year from Cleveland, Ohio to be with us and to visit family and friends afterward. And two sisters, Julie and Marla, drove from Kalona, Iowa this year, just to attend the reunion. They left Iowa at 3:30 a.m. and arrived here about 11:30 a.m. Four and a half hours later, they were on their way back to Iowa! So, whenever I ask myself if it is worth it, the answer is a resounding Yes! Because I know that those who do attend, do appreciate it, and that certainly makes it worthwhile.

Family Picnics and Reunions

The Genea-Bloggers are having a picnic hosted by Bill West over at West in New England. You can read the questions that Bill asked us to respond to in his invitation.

Picnics. Well, sure, I've been to a few ;-) and Summer Birthdays were always an excuse for a family get-together. Typical picnic food. Nothing really special. My younger brother's birthday was in July and we took a few trips to the Franke Park Zoo in Fort Wayne in my pre-teen days. My oldest nephew was born on my Mother's birthday and we'd venture to the park in Mishawaka, where my brother and his family lived. The food was pre-cooked. Fried Chicken. Ham salad sandwiches (though why it is called ham salad is beyond me because Mom makes it with bologna). Potato Salad. Cole Slaw. Chips. All the good stuff you're not supposed to eat anymore because it's bad for you. We did go semi-healthy with the deserts though - apples, grapes, watermelon, along with homemade pies and cookies.

Family Reunions have always been a "big" thing in Mom's family. This week I've been busy getting ready for the Phend Family Reunion on Saturday. I wrote about the reunion last year in The first Saturday in August. It is something that I look forward to every year with eagerness along with a bit of nervousness.

The Phend Family started a tradition of reunions in the early 1900s that is still carried on today (though there were a few years during and after WWI and WWII that were missed). In all of the Ledgers that were kept, food is mentioned only in general terms: "a basket dinner was served under a tent, on the lawn"; "dinner was served on tables under the trees, near the river"; "a splendid dinner was enjoyed by all"; "the bountiful dinner"; etc. The only mention of a specific food served was Ice Cream!

The original of the picture shown below was long and narrow and rolled up like a scroll. It was brought to one of the reunions by a descendant of Jacob and Louisa Phend. It's likely that I photographed the picture in its entirety though the only prints I have split it in two. Based on the attendance recorded in the reunion ledgers, the picture was taken in either 1910 or 1913. Based on the size of several children that are identified, I think it was taken in 1910. Only a few of the people have been positively identified. (As always, you can click on the pictures to view a larger version.)


Left half of picture: The boy in the dark suit sitting on the ground is Willard Phend (born 1899). The line going to the man and woman sitting in the first row points to Jacob J. Phend and his wife Louisa (Grimm) Phend. In the back row, I'm pretty sure that the man with the hat on is Henry Phend (my great grandfather). The young man next to him is identified as Mose Phend (born 1888). And the next fellow, between the two women, is Raymond Phend (born 1892).


Right half of picture: The third boy from the left, sitting on the ground, is Harold Phend (born 1903). The gentleman in the front row, in the dark suit with the cane, is Jacob Phend (my great grandfather). The man in the gray suit to Jacob's right is his son, John Phend. The two little girls on the far right in the front row have been identified as Helen Rhoades (born 1903) and Mary Phend (born 1904). The two ladies standing in the next row with lines going to them (on the end and 3rd one in) are Surelda Phend Thornton and Katherine Phend Pletcher. The good-looking fellow in the dark suit behind those girls is my grandfather, Vic Phend.

Link added August 3, 2008: Phend Reunion 2008 is now History

Upcoming Phend Family Reunions

Two "Phend" family reunions are scheduled for this year. The first one will be held on Saturday, July 5th in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was actually considering attending that reunion this year but other family matters have postponed that journey. Contact me for further information.

Why a reunion in Colorado? Well, Samuel, the third child of Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend, moved to Elbert County, Colorado in October 1907 along with his wife Mary Ann, their six living children, and several neighboring families. Their reunion is known as the "PALM" Reunion, which gets it's name from the families that married into the Phend family. Samuel PHEND married Mary Ann LAUDEMAN; their daughter Lillie Catherine married John Edward AKERS; and their daughter Dora Agnes married Frank John MANUWAL. When I was putting together the book "The Phend Family" a "few" years ago I made a trip west and met several of Sam and Mary's descendants and they were instrumental in providing photographs and information on that branch of the family.

The other Phend Family Reunion will be held on Saturday, August 2nd at the Family Life Center of the Troy Presbyterian Church a few miles north of Larwill, Indiana on old U.S. 30 (now Lincolnway). The carry-in potluck dinner will begin at noon. For additional information, please contact me!

This photo was probably taken about 1890: back row, left to right: John Ernest, Sophia (Phend) Ernest, Samuel Phend, his wife Mary (Laudeman) Phend, Jacob J Phend, his wife Louisa (Grimm) Phend.front row, left to right: John Phend, his wife Mary (Rarrick) Phend, Jacob Phend, his wife Louisa (Fisher) Phend, Christian Phend, his wife Mary (McConnell) Phend. Seated in front of his parents is Henry Phend.

Previous posts that may be of interest:

• Information on Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend and their family part One and part Two
• A brief history of the Phend-Fisher Family Reunions can be found in The first Saturday in August
• A record of events and of the people who attended the Phend-Fisher Family Reunions was kept in a ledger. Images and transcriptions of the ledger were presented in a series of posts covering the years 1897, and 1909 through 1943.
• Links to additional posts on the Phend Family and the Fisher Family

The first Saturday in August

The first Saturday in August is now history, and so is the Phend Family Reunion for this year. Little did I know what it would lead to when, in 1984 after Heneretta Nelson Phend passed away, I agreed to take on the task of organizing the Phend Family Reunion for the next year. Now, twenty-three years later, I'm still 'in charge' of planning the event!

It was on Saturday, June 26th 1897, that the family of Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend gathered to "celebrate the 69th birthday" of Jacob and Louisa, which was the next day. Records show that Jacob and Louisa were both born on June 27th 1829. It was during this celebration that "A permanent organization was Effected with Henry Phend as President" and it was decided to hold annual meetings "and to invite the Fisher family" to "unite under the name of Phend-Fisher Family Reunion".

However, it was not until October 27, 1909 that the next entry was made in the reunion ledger and "the families met at the home of Christian Phend in Nappanee, Ind. to reorganize". The reunions continued annually until the one scheduled for August 31st 1940 "was cancelled due to the infantile paralysis epidemic present in the northern section of this state". Reunions were held in 1941 and 1942 but the last entry in the ledger is for 1943 and simply states "No Reunion", it was World War II and rationing was in place.

Henry and Susie (Yarian) Phend were married on September 4, 1892 and on Sunday, August 28, 1952 their 60th anniversary was observed with a gathering of family from near and far. It was reported that "75 people attended the dinner at noon which was served on the lawn. In the afternoon 150 guests called between 2 and 5 o'clock". Since that anniversary celebration, a Phend Family Reunion has been held annually for the past 55 years.

In the spring of 1984 I began gathering information on the Phend Family. Like the chicken and the egg, I'm not sure which came first, agreeing to organize the reunion or working on the family history. Anyway, 1985 was the first year in recent times that "extended family" members were invited to the reunion (descendants of Jacob and Louisa, not just Henry and Susie). Everyone that I had made contact with in the prior year was invited and many of them showed up! It was so exciting. That was the year that my grandfather met two of his first cousins for the first time. I'm not sure he ever fully understood the connection though. Grandpa was 92 years old at the time and his cousins, Jake and Elizabeth, were 65 and 63, respectively. But I am sure he did enjoy meeting them.

In 1993, it was unanimously decided that the "Reunion of the Family of Jacob and Louisa Phend" (commonly known as the Extended Phend Family Reunion) would be held in the even-numbered years and the "Henry and Susie Phend Family Reunion" would be held in the odd-numbered years. And so it has been since then.

Attendance at the reunions varies from one year to the next. I never know how many people will show up, it could be as few as 30 people or more than 100. Regardless, I am never disappointed in the outcome. Sometimes there is more time for visiting, other times new "cousins" show up. I keep a binder of the sign-in sheets and family update sheets along with any pictures that I'm sent. I seldom have time for picture taking and am dependent upon other people sending me their pictures. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

This year there were 47 people attending with 35 adults and 12 children. There were two "cousins" in attendance that I had never met, at least I don't remember having met them though we probably attended reunions together as little kids.

One of those cousins (and her husband) recently moved to Florida. They have spent the last 20+ years in Haiti establishing a home and school for Haitian children called the "House of Blessings" and the results have been astounding. They have personally cared for more than 40 children and their staff now consists of some of the children they raised. The home is now almost 3,000 square feet and sits on nearly 2 acres of land. Lonnie and Phil are spending the next few months visiting churches and friends talking about the future of the House of Blessings. They will no longer be "on site" continuously but will visit occasionally and help support the home. They are going to try to put together teams to work on special projects for the homes, they'd really like to get a Phend Family Team together for one of the projects. Lonnie says they always looked forward to the Reunion Newsletters that helped them keep in touch with the family.

The other cousin whom I'd not met told me how much she appreciated the book that was published on the family history and told of the experience of one of her granddaughters with a school project. The granddaughter created a tableau with various scenes in the life of Jacob Phend using clothespin characters for Jacob, his wife, and their children. It was, apparently, a very nice presentation as she was asked to give it more than once! Another thing that is neat, is that in the year in which her grandchildren turn 13, this cousin and her husband take the grandchild on a trip to wherever in the world they want to go. This granddaughter has chosen to go to Switzerland next year to visit the homeland of Jacob Phend. Is that cool, or what!

It's gratifying to know that the Phend Family History and the Phend Family Reunions mean so much to other people and that they appreciate the time and effort that has gone into them. Since I have no children, the History and the Reunions are my legacy to the entire family, a small contribution for the short time spent on this earth.

Phend Family Reunion - August 4th, 2007

The Reunion of the Henry & Susie Yarian Phend Family will be held on Saturday, August 4th, 2007 at the Senior Citizen Center, 603 W. Van Buren Street, Columbia City, Indiana. Carry-In potluck dinner at noon. For more information contact me (Becky Wiseman) rrwiseman "at" gmail.com

Previous posts on Henry & Susie:

• 60th Wedding Anniversary - includes photos
• Henry Phend - part 1
• Henry Phend - part 2
• Henry Phend - part 3
• Memories of Henry & Susie from some of their grandchildren
• Aunt Phyllis Remembers Henry & Susie
• You never know what you will find