Reunions celebrate families
In the early 1900s, O.D. Anderson, founder of Anderson Coach and Travel in Greenville, skidded off course on his sled and coasted under a moving train.
The Maharg family of Butler County was allegedly once named Graham, but a horse theft prompted them to disassociate from the incident by reversing the letters in their name.
Such stories are absent from history books, but still they withstand the passage of time.
Often shared at annual reunions, the stories help shape each family's character.
Just as families are one of a kind, each of their gatherings is also unique.The descendants of the late Leo Voltz and Jane Boile Voltz of Sarver, for instance, include a mechanical guest at their reunions."Clarence," the 6-foot-2 aluminum robot built by Leo Voltz, stood in a prominent place in Grove City Memorial Park last weekend after being transported there from Northeast.Carl Voltz, who delivered Clarence, was among nine of the couple's 13 living children who attended this year's picnic — not including the robot.Built in 1962 as a Christmas present from their father, the siblings described how Clarence was configured on a conveyor belt to greet visitors at the door.A battery would cause his red eyes and belly button to light up, and a recorded voice would issue the greeting."Hello. I'm Clarence the robot. I'm a product of Voltz Engineering. Don't be afraid, because nothing can go wrong ... go wrong ... go wrong," the robot was programmed to say."My dad built Clarence to scare away the salesmen," said Jim Voltz of Sarver, noting Clarence instead drew additional salesmen.Sibling Margaret Hanna of Sarver recalled introducing her now in-laws to her parents for the first time."When they rang the doorbell, this monster came and answered the door. ... They talked about that for years and years," she said.Although no robots attend Eyth reunions, the family's gatherings also reflect a creative style.
As well as a traditional picnic in July, descendents of George Norbert and Mary Martha Weiland Eyth host a reunion each fall in which multiple holidays are observed."In October, they like to have a Thanksgiving and Christmas all combined," said Mary Etta Eyth of Donegal Township, who said descendents have held the events for 40-plus years."The kids wear Halloween costumes. We have a big turkey dinner. Santa Claus comes," she said.At the time of their 80th birthdays, senior citizens also are recognized.Relatives collaborate on a scrapbook containing photographs and stories, which is read aloud after the honoree is crowned — usually in a humorous manner.When "Aunt Sis" was crowned, for instance, a toilet was used for her throne.Aunt Mill made her entrance in a chariot."The kids walked in beside her. They waved big plumes," said Ruth Eyth of Fenelton.Other activities include the Olympic games — complete with a torch, which is carried by the eldest relative.As well as various races and a version of Frisbee golf, the family plays games with a silk parachute that contains their handprints and signatures."There is a lot of laughing, a lot of carrying on," Ruth Eyth said.<B>A peek at the past</B>But family reunions are not just games, many also focus on history.For Anna Freehling of Winfield Township, reunions are a way to honor her forebears.Freehling's Bicker family reunions are held at Zion United Methodist Church in Sarver, founded in the 1800s by her grandfather, the Rev. Herman H. Bicker.To further preserve their history, Bicker descendants formed a committee to write a history of their family. The book, available in the Butler Library, has been revised several times since the original 1950s version, she said.Grace Markovich of Saxonburg has been working on the book for about 10 years.
"The past historians ... did most of the work. And of course I think a lot of it was stories, handed down from one generation to another. I just picked up where they left off," she said.The Hepler family reunion, held in Pitman, Schuylkill County begins with a memorial service at the gravesite of ancestors, then proceeds to a local fire hall.This year, the Heplers will sing patriotic songs identified in old minutes books."I just pulled the words off the Internet," said Thomas Hepler of Laurel, N.J., coordinating this year's event."After the solemn ceremony at the cemetery, we send the mic around," he said."I try to emphasize more and more:Get people to talk. I try to pinpoint one or two people to set the tone. I try to find people who will talk about old stories — who will sit down and talk about what happened," he said.Kathleen Christy, attending the Maharg reunion from Maryville, Tenn., said her job as a reference librarian has caused her to realize the importance of telling stories."I hear all the time people coming in that say 'I wish I had asked,'" she said of family history research."The stories you get from your family: You can see the faces. You hear the inflections in voices, and it's more alive. It tells you who you are."
At the same reunion, Margery Bish described day-to-day life on the present-day site of the Succop Conservancy.Purchased in the 1920s from her grandfather, James Newton Maharg, by T.W. Phillips Jr., the Penn Township property was eventually donated by his descendants to the Butler County Community College Education Foundation.A resident of Middlesex Township, Bish told stories of family life on the site where her original barn still stands.Describing Phillips as a progressive farmer, Bish explained how he identified trees on the grounds with plaques and installed a mechanized system for spraying instead of dipping sheep.Bish's sister, Mary Esther Halstead of Middlesex Township, spoke of how horses were used to dig the foundation of what is now The Mansion reception facility, also built on the former Maharg farm.Their father, the late William Cruikshank, had told her about working on the structure, originally named Phillips Hall and used for years as the Phillips residence.Although the Maharg family's most recent reunion was held at Armco Park in Slippery Rock Township, its first was held in 1915 on the farm, also now home to a country club and parts of Thorn Ridge subdivision.In one reunion there, Bish recalls finally being old enough to navigate the event unattended and reporting to her mother she had eaten 11 pieces of cake."There were so many lovely cakes that I couldn't pass them up," she said.
Like many families, descendents of O.D. Anderson keep a minutes book in which they record births, deaths and other news.Holding reunions since 1920, the family still maintains the original book, which provides an overview of how times change.In 1920, for instance, 300 people attended. This year's reunion drew 56.And the trend is not uncommon."There used to be over 100, now it's down to 35," said Freehling about attendance at the annual Bicker event."It's like everything else. There's just too much going on. (Before), people lived closer. They didn't get out as much. That was their big day," she added."The reunion probably won't go on much longer, added Markovich, "because after each generation passes away, there's always less of the next generation that takes an interest."Mark Anderson of Sharon, president of the Anderson reunion committee, said his family includes balloon tosses and other games to hold the interest of children. In recent years a committee has formed to organize activities."It takes awhile to get here," he said of the trip to Grove City for some family members. "It's good to wind down with games," he said.Anderson said with planned activities for children, families seem more apt to choose the reunion over other events available each year."The children are our future, that's the truth about it. Without them, it wouldn't be much of a reunion year after year."
