Saturday evening, I drove to southeast Iowa to pick up my cousins Sheryl and Ellen(Blondie's daughters)so we could gab on the trip. Ellen was not feeling well, so she sent her daughter, Jennifer, in her place. I drove, Sheryl navigated, Jennifer slept. We weren't sure what time the reunion started, so we planned on leaving early. Even after a late start, we still got to Rowley before lunch. By the time that other relatives had arrived, we were ready for food. And there certainly was plenty of tasty dishes for everyone to enjoy! My only complaint was that I couldn't find room in my tummy to try everything.
I was surprised at the number of Basquin relatives we have! I wish I had gotten more pictures and talked to more people, but there is next year. The few pictures I did take are on this page. It was fun to meet so many (and so hard to remember their names).
This is Don Basquin. He, and his lovely wife Rita, drove to Rowley from Michigan. Quite an achievment for a couple in their 80's! I really enjoyed talking to Don. He had spent time with my Grandpa Ralph in earlier days. He well remembered the fine hunting at one of Grandpa's homes. (Grandpa & Grandma moved around, A LOT!) Cousin Sheryl brought along a picture of Grandpa that Don made sure everyone saw. Others there had only seen childhood pictures of Grandpa.
Sorry, Rita and Gladys! This picture didn't translate well from Polaroid to data file to website. Both these gals (Rita on the left & Gladys Corkery on the right) are much better looking in person. Rita is Mrs. Don Basquin, a very upbeat and energetic lady. We of the Southeast Iowa Clan give her our gold seal of approval! She and Sheryl hit it off, I think because together they wouldn't fill a 100 lb. gunny sack. Most of the sweetest things come in small packages. We look forward to seeing you again next year.
Gladys was my initial contact in the "Northern Clan". Believe it or not, I was given her name and address by Dan Stevenson (from whom I received my Grandma's family tree). She has never met or communicated with him, but we're glad he brought us together. Thank you, Dan! And thank you, Gladys, for making us feel at home. On the left is the Grover family. Their mother, Martha, was the daughter of Fred Basquin. Fred was my Grandpa Ralph's uncle. Individuals are: Gladys Corkery, Guy Grover, James Grover, Max Grover, Ruth Hanson, & Ruby Marks. Ruth is "Keeper of the Book". She has the family history in detail, including newspaper clippings, photos, etc. After viewing all those pages, Jennifer was bitten by the bug. I know it's hard to believe that a teenager could be interested in the past; but Jennifer certainly became inquisitive about not only her mother's ancestors, but her father's as well.
You go, girl!! (A very big "Thank You" to Ruth for making the past come alive.) Ruby is another wonderful lady we met. She too has the knack of making people feel right at home. I had a much too short a chat with her. I'm looking forward to seeing you next year, Ruby.
I missed getting a photo of my great-aunt Blanche's son, but I did catch my great-uncle Lawrence's daughter. This is LaVerna Crawford. Blondie was named after LaVerna's mother, Alta Mae. Sheryl had a nice visit with LaVerna; I promised to find time next year. I should have taken more time to look at the family album and taken more notes about "who was descended from whom". Sheryl and I did spend a lot of time adding information to the family history (and we're still not done). I have LaVerna's address so at least I can write to her and maybe fill in some blanks of "our" little tree.