RICHMOND — The 80th annual Lamb family reunion was a special event this year, as it became the Lamb and Smith family reunion. Two Smith sisters married two Lamb brothers in 1919 and 1923, so many who attended the reunion are related to both families. The reunion was held at Gordon and Ruth Brown Sherman’s house.

There were games, a display of baby pictures and a presentation of family history by family historian Jude Lamb. The presentation featured “The Smith Family Mystery,” with facts, clues and questions about the Smith family ancestry, and “The Rangeley Lambs,” including photos of Timothy Tibbetts (born 1812) and Lucinda Hoar Tibbetts (born 1819).

Lucinda Tibbetts was the first white child born in Rangeley. Alma Tibbetts, one of their 10 offspring, married Dexter Lamb, tying the Rangeley Lamb descendants to that vast clan of “Tibbetts Tinkerers.” A third display featured the Smiths and ancestors reaching back through Revolutionary War soldier, John Dill, and back to an early settler in Newbury, Mass., Tristram Coffin Jr.

Those joining in the festivities from Maine were: Ruth and Gordon Sherman, Aurora, Connor and Alton Sherman, Richmond; Prudy and David Brown, Morgan Chadwick and Hannah Chase, Pittston; Deborah Sawyer Caron, Paul and Kim Sawyer, Peggy Lamb, Augusta; Tom Sawyer, Topsham; Jeanne Lamb Whittemore, Norway; Kathy Lamb, Farmingdale; Joyce Lamb, West Paris; Jude Lamb, Lamoine; John Keneally and Jennifer Myles, Biddeford; Nina, Joshua and Emily Hyssong, South Portland; Kelly, Cameron, Nicolas, Sophia and Weston Hartley, Auburn; Kyra and Molly Flaherty, Sabattus; Sandra and Randy Grady, Jefferson; and Tom and Georgia Lamb Hersey, Livermore Falls.

Those attending from out of state were: Elaine Lamb Blossom, Marcia Duenkel, North Branford, Conn.; Kerry Conard, Plainville, Mass.; Dottie LaRochelle, Chelsea, Mass; and traveling from the greatest distance were Elinor Geraldine Lamb Kenneally and Gene Miller, Avon Park, Fla.

Dottie O’Brien LaRochelle had not seen her first cousins, Jeanne Lamb Whittemore, Elaine Lamb Blossom and Geri Lamb Kenneally, in perhaps 60 years. There was laughter over stories of the O’Brien and Lamb children sleeping in the hay mow many years ago, while Dottie’s father wired the Lamb house for electricity. There were other stories about smoking corn husks in the chicken house, but that may have been at another time.

Elinor “Geri” Kenneally was the oldest member of both the Smith and Lamb families, and traveled the furthest. Connor Sherman, 3, was youngest. Joyce Lamb had the most descendants present, with attending children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren totaling 12.

The extended family shared a potluck lunch, photos and stories, and a date was set for another reunion in August of 2011.

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