Gathering the Generations

I found this little booklet recently while culling some of the books in our personal library. I forgot I had it. I could not find a publishing date anywhere in the book, but looks fairly recent. It's a little guide to help one plan a memorable reunion. Chapter contents include = Making a Master List, Family File, Teams or Committees, Reunion Notebook; Family Liaisons, Planning the Event, Family Poll, Public Sites, Lodging, Invitations, Feeding the Folks, Activities and Entertainment, Ice Breakers, Variety is the Spice . . ., Extra Projects, Gathering Data, Establishing a Tradition, Keeping in Touch, and Seeing You Again Next Year!

Since the beginning of the Rush Reunion some twenty odd years ago, we have naturally completed some of these chapters and moved beyond, but it gives me various ideas for invitation design ideas or activities that could be included in a future reunion.

And while I've got your attention, I just want to say that as the second Reunion secretary [the first was my sister-in-law], the directory I use to address the envelopes for the reunion notices still needs updating. Some of the older generation are graduating to heaven and the younger generation our son's age are moving out on their own and/or getting married. I NEED THEIR ADDRESSES PLEASE! Personally, I think it would be a nice idea if we could get a photographer come to the reunion and take photos of family groups for a directory like one gets at church. Would anyone like to be in charge of setting one up and letting me know in advance [like April for the following July], so I could include the information with the invitation? 

We also have several books published on the Rush family tree and inter-related branches [see the book list on the side menu of this blog] and David sets up a table every year at the reunion with info, the books and photo albums to pass round. He LOVES sharing family information. 

Our reunion planning committee was and is a loosely formed decision crew. One person, G.R., took charge of the renting the picnic shelter where we hold the reunion every year and still does. I remember some discussion about when to hold it and as most of the family were from the area and farmed, it was decided to have it after harvest in June and before the Missouri State Fair in August and the only open day then at the airpark shelter was on the second Saturday of July which has become the family tradition. He also puts an advertisement in the local papers for the reunion. 

After a few years, the city of Eldon, MO. began charging a low rental fee for the park shelter [amenities: natural air, level concrete floor, picnic tables, electrical outlets, playground, skatepark, basketball, tennis court  and a softball field, Johnny-on-the-spots, a pool, parking and getting to watch airplanes take off at the airpark] versus buildings with artificially cooled air. 

My father-in-law, N.R., paid for the stamps and stationery to send out the invitations until last year. I've designed the reunion invitations since I was handed the baton and stuff the envelopes, but I know my husband would appreciate help with the cost of the postage and stationery as we sent out approximately 150 invitations last year, give or take a few. 

Several years ago, another Mrs. Rush took on renting the park pool for a couple of hours near Reunion Day which is a much welcome, cool activity. I hope she continues with it. It's been fairly well attended. I know she would appreciate help with the rental expense as it's quite expensive to rent the pool for a couple of hours. 

We do gather the family together around several picnic tables loaded with a potluck dinner [that's lunch time for you city folks]. There are some excellent cooks in the family! There has been talk of gathering recipes for a family cookbook for several years and if you would like to be in charge of that, go for it! Just let me know, in advance of the reunion, so I can add it to the invitation.  

There are many activities in this book that give me food for thought. If you can locate a copy, perhaps this booklet can be a springboard for your family reunion too! See ya!

Update: Last year, in 2020, has been the first time since our Rush Reunion began, that we have canceled it due to Covid-19. May the following years be healthy ones! 

Are You a Family History Junkie?

Borrowed.

Several sources have reported that genealogy has now replaced stamp collecting as the No. 1 hobby in the United States. If you are spending lots of time working on your family history and still don't think of yourself as an "addicted genealogist" here's a little test:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Do you always brake for libraries?

Yep! But we also brake for cemeteries, historical societies, museums, and tourist information offices. Do you?

2. If you were locked in that library overnight, would you notice?

Probably not, unless they turned the lights out on us. Hubbin would have to have his trusty sidekick though and that's his laptop.

3. Do you hyperventilate when you see an old cemetery not yet explored?

When hubbin and I were courting, we went parking in cemeteries and we weren't necking, either! We were too busy taking notes! LOL!

4. Would you rather browse in that cemetery than in a shopping mall?

Not necessarily -- I like junking in garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets and hobby/craft stores. I have found historical treasures at the three above places that's been donated to our local genealogy library and transcribed for genealogy newsletter publication.

5. Do you think every home should have a microfilm reader?

I don't know where I would put a microfilm reader in my cottage. Lack of space and lack of purchasing power puts a crimp in that idea.

6. Is your closet carefully stacked with notebooks, books and journals while your clothes are stuffed under the bed?

Nope, the closet holds clothes, although there is a small metal drawer cabinet of maps on David's side of the closet which he obtained from raiding old National Geographic magazines at garage sales. Right now, most of our genealogy books are stacked on my walker seat between a stuffed bookcase and the TV. Library books are stacked on top of a TV tray, waiting to be either read or taken back to the library.

7. Does all your correspondence begin, "Dear Cousin?"

Some of my correspondence or emails begin with "Dear Cousin," but not all. I also have friends, some who share my passion for history and some who share my passion for crafts and card-making.

8. Are you more interested in what happened in 1693 than what happened in 1993?

Not necessarily. I try to keep up with current events as I'm making history of my own too! Hopefully, some day I'll be great-grandma to a descendant and maybe they will be interested in my American history as well. To see what happened the year you were born, click here.

9. If you can find Harrietsham, Hawkhurst, Kent on a map of England--but can't find Chicago on a map of the United States--you know that you are an addicted genealogist.
Well, I'm sorry, that's really sad. Maybe that's the difference between the quizzer above and me. I can find Chicago on the map -- probably because I'm a former homeschool mom. We had a huge laminated map of the world nailed to our laundry room wall for many years and I have a well-used US atlas parked next to my computer that gets referred to a lot.
Take it from me. Even though we don't "pass" all the questions above, I can tell you we are addicted family researchers. Both of us have compiled info on our dead relatives since high school and love history, even handing down that love of history to our son! He said one time he would rather go to a flea market than a museum, because you get to purchase a piece of history to bring home! We have this blog, I have a history blog that I write short biographies of interesting people from Missouri and Kansas history for it, I like crafts from grandma's day, my hubbin belongs to both the Miller County, MO. historical society and the MO. Genealogy society and I am the current secretary for the Rush Reunion, so we've got it BAD, BAD, BAD! *wink*

William "Bill" McKinley Carrender



Bert & Bill's 50th
Anniversary

William "Bill" McKinley Carrender (1898-1989) = Logger (cut timber for staves). Farmer.  Bill was born on July 24 to George Alfred (1852-1920) and Lucy GOOD CARRENDER (1874-1944) in Cole County, MO. He was their fourth child of five children and their first son. His last years were spent in the care of his first daughter and he died in his sleep at her home in Wyandotte County, Kansas on January 8, but was laid to rest in the same county he was born in at the Hickory Hill, MO. Cemetery.

His wife of fifty-eight years, Bertha "Bert" Edith (1904-1991) was born in Miller County, MO. on April 19 to Joseph (1866-1947) and Mary "Mollie" Elizabeth STAPP GOLDEN (1870-1914). She passed away just a few days shy of her 87th birthday on April 8 in Cole County, MO. They married on January 11, 1931 and their last home together was a small cottage in the tiny village of Henley, Cole Co., Missouri.

Bill and Bert had four children. The first one, a daughter, eloped by bus, to meet and marry her fiancé. He was stationed at the army base, Fort Bliss, in El Paso, TX. They went to Los Cruces, New Mexico to get married by a justice of the peace. Must have been true love as they celebrated their 66th anniversary. And by the way, they begat five children.

Their second daughter, Shirley Mae  (1934-1973), married William Norment and had two boys.

The third one married twice; the second time after she was widowed. She had six children, including a pair of twins by her first husband and two more by her second.

The fourth child, finally a male descendant, Billy Joe Carrender (1939-1986), married Pinky Bias; had three children, but, sadly, his marriage ended in divorce.

Thus Bill and Bert's four children yielded eighteen grandchildren all told. 

More to Read: 

1.  The Car(r)ender, Car(r)inder, Carnder, Cornder, Car(r)inger, Car(r)ander, Car(r)endar, Cor(r)inder, Ker(r)ender, and allied lines, 1740-1990. By Minnie Carender.  Stevenson Print. Co, Richmond, Ind ; 1992. World Cat. 

2. The Rush Report. By Gaynelle Jenkins Moore & David Wayne Rush. Historical Data Services, Glen Falls, NY; 2003. p.187, 260, 291, 300, 357,391, 448, 503. Internet Archive.   

3. Col. Morgan Morgan Reunion website

4. Bill's Findagrave Memorial # 22532962

5. Bert's Findagrave Memorial #22532944

Philander H. O'Neal

Philander H. O'Neal (1850-1920) = Farmer. Born in Havana, Mason Co., IL on September 12 to John L. (1811-1857) and Martha Green (FREEMAN) O'NEAL (1819-1909). His siblings were: Joseph, Susan, Ann, Prander, twins-Frances and Frank, and Ella. We aren't sure when the O'Neals immigrated to Missouri or what route they followed -- they may have come by steamboat up the Missouri River as Bogard, Carroll Co, MO. where the O'Neals settled isn't that far north of the river or they may have come overland from Hannibal following the Indian trail (Hwy 24). However, it was sometime before 1874 because Philander married his first wife, Joan (1851-1885), a native of Bogard and the daughter of John and Lucinda (FARIS) GLAZE then. They had five children, the last two a set of twins. Joan died two years after the twins were born and was buried in the Ebenezer cemetery outside of Bogard.

Phi married Phoebe Emeline CANADAY (1851-1927), daughter of John C. and Mary Ann (SHOCKLEY) CANADAY at the Methodist church in Bogard on March 10, 1887.

Most of Philander's children grew up, married, and had families of their own. From Philander's first family, Effie died at a young age (1875-1876); Hallie (1877-1960) married St. Cloud BROCK (1881-1958); Fannie (1879-1914) married Wm. Carson JOHNSON (1883-1939); Luther (1883-1934) married Emma Ray JAMES (1882-1923); and Lewis (1883-1955) married Jennie E. WAGAMAN (1888-1947).

In Philander's second family: John, possibly stillborn (1888); Arthur (1890-1960) married Dorritt BILLHEIMER (1883-1969); Elmer (1892-1959) married Emma BUNNEY (1895-1978); Wm. Carson JOHNSON married Fannie's half-sister, Mabel (1893-1981), after Fannie died in January of 1914 the following December; Herbert (1896-1973) married Gladys IFORD (b. 1901); Gilbert (1897-1953) married Zelma E. DEHAVEN (1902-1967); Oscar * (1898-1977) married Gladys E. WHITE (1904-1994); Lillian (1900-1970) remained single; and Willie (b. 1902) married Roy Newton CANADAY (1902-1983).

More to Read:

1. Documents of the Philander H. O'Neal Family

2. The Canaday Book. 

3. Willie Green (O'Neal) Canaday's  Zucchini Squash Relish Recipe. 

4. Missouri State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics Death Certificate 33692, Retrieved from website --www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/ 

5. White's Family and Their Kin. By Mrs. Gladys Esther White O'Neal and Elma Leota White Stoops. Paper Graphics, Garden City, KS., 1983.

6. "Leslie Township Biographies: Nathan E. Canaday." History of Carroll County Missouri.  Missouri Historical Company, St. Louis, MO 1881. p. 628. Google Books.

7. Findagrave-- 110205316

Historical Note: According to the Carroll County, MO History book above, Nathan Canaday's family emigrated to Carroll County, MO in 1870. Nathan was Phoebe's uncle. 

Biography written by Dolores J. Rush, updated: 4/6/2022.