Family Reunion - Marion 2010

Scott, Greg, Doug, Paul and Ivolene

After a pass through Marion in July, my Great Aunt Ivolene McCree decided to call for a family get together in Marion on October 16th and 17th.

About 20 of us gathered to renew old ties and explore some new ones.

Ivolene played the regal hostess (That is her and her 4 sons on the left.) and entertained us all with family tales, skeletons and adventures for  several hours and I got a bit of revenge on Mary by forcing her to try to remember the names of MY cousins.



Kurby, Ivolene and Trevor

 We traded old photos, family information and stories.  Ivolene told us of a Great Uncle Otis who died in France in WWI; another who perished in a coal mine and lots of information on extended family members.

We ate too much, talked until we were hoarse and enjoyed a spectacular Fall afternoon in Southern Illinois.  Aunt Ivolene thinks we ought to do it every year. I agree.

Click for more pictures.

First Tellico Lake paddle.

We managed to get our kayaks home from Todd without incident and on Thursday, we took them to the Clear Creek ramp a couple of miles from home for their "Home Waters Christening".

Tellico village is a beautiful place but many of its most appealing features must be viewed from the water.  Going low and slow in our kayaks was the perfect way to look around and see the sights.

From the Clear Creek ramp, we went West and under the Tellico Parkway bridge to explore the coves away from the main body of the lake.  Mary & I really enjoyed the paddling on still water: very different from our river experience a couple of weeks ago. 

We were able to launch and board without getting wet and found that the paddling was easy but we had to stroke for all the distance instead of letting the river push us along.  A gentle breeze pushed us along for part of the journey but had to be overcome on the way back to the ramp.

Cousins, cousins, everywhere cousins



Siblings, cousins and all the rest!

 Saturday the third of October was the annual McGuire homecoming in Todd, North Carolina .

Every year on the first Saturday in October, the clan gathers at the old homeplace for fun and food.  We had 49 people this year and enough food for 100. 

Betsy and John were our hosts and a geat time was had by all.

Haskell, Johnny,Mary, Tom, Estelle and Carolyn

Four of the six children of Raymond and Ruth McGuire are still living and attended the reunion (Estelle Smith, Tom McGuire, Haskell McGuire and Mary Norman).  They are pictured here with first cousins Johnny Williams and Carolyn Holbrook.  Start adding in all the children, grand children and spouses and the numbers climb rapidly.

If you were there, thanks for being a part of this celebration.  If not, please try to make it next year - the first Saturday in October at the homeplace.