This past weekend we had our annual family reunion. It is a long standing tradition and I have not been able to go for a few years so it was good to get back. Although it has changed a lot over the years, I think it has been happening for 120+ years now so you can imagine that it is getting pretty far removed from its roots. All of the original brothers and sisters are gone and some of their children are gone as well. So what are left are mostly cousins and second/third cousins. It is sad to see it start to dwindle but I still love going to the church and cemetery where we have it and being near all of my family. This cemetery holds probably 50 people I am related too and it is not a very big cemetery so it feels sort of like my home. The small little church has been there forever and has been through several renovations and it holds so many memories for me. It brings back memories of my grandmother, who I miss dearly, my great aunts and great uncles and many cousins. I remember playing hide and go seek with my brother and cousins and pounding on the church piano. It is all such a vivid memory for me. And Sunday watching my kids play on that very same piano was a surreal moment.
So going there this weekend I went with my three children and since Garrett is old enough we began talking about who was buried there and how we were related to them. He was completely fascinated. He kept asking “now who is this?” It made my heart swell to think he was so interested in his family because, for this side of family, family was everything.
This was also Lydia’s first trip to the reunion. It is extra special because she is named for my great grandmother Lydia. I never knew her but my mother remembers her and everyone adored her. She lived a long and wonderful life. She was an energetic, small little person and my Lydia reminds me so much of her. Small in stature but big in personality. They called my great grandmother “Mittie” because she was small I guess and we often call Lydia our “Little Bitty.”
So I wanted to share a few snaps of our reunion from this year and a few snaps of the reunions from years past. I hope that I can instill in my kids the kind of roots that the Hogan’s instilled in me. It is a priceless gift I am thankful for everyday.
This is my grandmother and grandfather.
This is my grandmother shortly after my grandfather passed away… you can see how much she missed him by the look on her face.
My brother and I beside my grandparent’s grave this Sunday.
My oldest two beside their great grandparents.
My family sitting in front of my grandparent’s grave, and that is my brother and mother in the background. My father took this.
All those graves behind us are part of our family.
My great grandmother Lydia (on left in the printed dress)
My Lydia beside her great great grandmother Lydia’s grave.
A picture at a past reunion
The church before any of my most immediate family’s graves were there. Not sure when this was taken but man it looks old!
This is a super blurry picture, I had no light inside, but this is the piano and my three kids playing on it. Just like me and my brother used to do. Oddly enough, the pictures above it have not changed a bit.
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