The 104th annual reunion of the Collett-McKay families was held on Saturday in the maple grove on the Gurneyville and Inwood Rds. More than 200 relatives attended from throughout the state and a number of other states.

Each year on the second Saturday in August two of the oldest pioneer families -- the French Colletts and the Scotch McKays -- gather on this four acre tract of land which they own and keep for this purpose.

As the bronze plates on the gatepost indicate, the two families were united by four marriages between 1823 and 1830. They founded churches and schools and built a community. The records show that the first picnic was held in 1866 and the attendance has ranged from 111, the number of persons registered for the first picnic, to 542, the largest gathering, in 1888.

As there is no shelter on the grounds the weather was greatly appreciated this year since the last two picnic days have been rainy ones.

Pleasant odors came from the wood fire and the big iron copper kettle.

The usual long dinner tables which had been set up on Friday were as was written about the picnic held on Aug. 12, 1876: "Fairly groaning with luxuries and subtantials." After an appropriate blessing had been asked by the Rev. R. David Harper, pastor of the New Burlington United Methodist Charge, everyone enjoyed the picnic dinner.

As is the custom the afternoon was spent in visiting, looking at the many pictures with the documents and other interesting things displayed on a large table and in bringing the family tree up to date.

Those in attendance from a distance were Mrs. Elizabeth Browning VandenBerg, Collette and Ronald of Grand Rapids, Mich., Mr. Roger A. Lafferty of Providence, R. I., Mr. and Mrs. Everett L. Baugh of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Mr. and Mrs. Richard Baugh, Adele, Steven and James of Lakewood, O., Misses Joy and Mitzi Jackson of Carmel, Ind., Mr. and Mrs. Marvin White, also of Carmel, Ind., Mrs. Byron Leaser of Westfield, Ind., Mr. Brian H. Magee of Hyettsville, Md., Miss Karen Magee of Sheboygan, Wisc., Mr. and Mrs. Ray Fell, Valerie, Virginia and David of Lexington, Ky., Mr. and Mrs. Howard Doster, Daniel, David, Susan and Ann of West Lafayette, Ind.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page