Hats Off to Family Reunions

It’s family reunion time once again. The event that brings family members from near and far to see and visit relatives, sometimes meeting for the first time. A time to catch up on family news and meet the new babies. Where there is an abundance of good food–old family favorites as well as new recipes–that create one big home-cooked buffet, spread over several tables. Looking through and trying to identify old photos.

We regularly attend two family reunions and they will be held the next two weekends. Our Miller reunion, for the descendants of my grandparents Carl and Gertrude (Brewster) Miller, is this weekend. About 50 relatives attend and the out-of-towners will begin to arrive Friday afternoon.

The biennial Schumm reunion, for the descendants of my third great-grandfather John George and Anna Maria (Fisher) Schumm, is scheduled for the next weekend, 3 August. About two hundred relatives usually attend the Schumm reunion, which is an all-day event..

This past week I looked at some old reunion photos and I noticed that the attendees were all dressed up at the first Schumm reunion, held in 1924. This is no surprise because the Schumm reunion has always been held after the Sunday worship service and people were still in their church clothes.

I also noticed that hats seemed to be very fashionable in the 1924, at least with the Schumms.

The men wore hats and the women wore hats.

The first Schumm reunion, 1924.

The first Schumm reunion, 1924.

The girls wore hats.

The first Schumm reunion, 1924.

The first Schumm reunion, 1924.

The boys wore hats. And knickers!

The first Schumm reunion, 1924.

The first Schumm reunion, 1924.

Even the very young children wore hats.

Schumm Reunion 1924.

Schumm Reunion 1924.

No one wore a hat for the photo taken at the first Brewster reunion in 1913.

The first Brewster reunion, 1913.

The first Brewster reunion, 1913.

Mainard Brewster was holding his hat. Perhaps the others took off their hats for the photo.

Mainard Brewster, holding hat, first Brewster reunion, 1913.

Mainard Brewster, holding hat, first Brewster reunion, 1913.

Below is what may have been the first Miller reunion, in about 1958.

Miller reunion, c1958.

Miller reunion, c1958.

Even though no Miller wore a hat to the 1958 reunion, some Millers liked to wear hats. Going back one generation, some of my great-grandfather Jacob Miller’s sons were sometimes photographed in a hat.

Chris Miller (1880-1911), son of Jacob Miller.

Chris Miller (1880-1911), son of Jacob Miller.

John Miller (1889-1964), son of Jacob.

John Miller (1889-1964), son of Jacob Miller.

Today ball caps are probably the most popular hats worn at reunions.

Hat or no hat, I am looking forward to seeing family this weekend and the next. I have already heard from some relatives who I have never met and who plan to attend the Schumm reunion this year. I am looking forward to meeting them.

And overeating on all that good reunion food…

 

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