WILTON — The 42nd annual reunion of the descendents of James and Flora (Adams) York was held on August 10, 2019, at Kineowatha Park. Thirty-eight family members were present. Of the original 5 sisters and 2 brothers, 31 grandchildren, and 117 great-grandchildren, 3 first cousins (Noreen Cummings, Grace Baker, and Cecil Jones) were in attendance. Evelyn Dearborn, the eldest of the first cousins, was unable to attend this year. An amiable woman with a remarkable memory of York family history, she was missed by all.
Traveling the furthest to attend were Belinda and Dawn Ellsworth from Georgia, Rebecca Leeman from Florida, Bonnie (Sawyer) Minnick and husband Ross from California. All received locally produced Black Acres maple syrup for making the journey.
Family ancestral charts, old photographs, and a scrapbook of postcards dating back to 1906 were displayed by Family Historian Richard Corey. Over the past few years, Richard has done extensive work organizing, scanning, and enlarging numerous old family photos.
At noontime, guests made their way around a repurposed ping-pong table resplendent with casseroles, crock pots filled with steaming baked beans, meatballs, chili, and chop-suey. Ambrosia salad, green salads, coleslaw, Thai noodle salad, yeast rolls, and devilled eggs complemented the offerings. Pastor Jim Sawyer offered the blessing.
Following the meal, a business meeting and family sharing time were held. Due to family illness, Secretary Susan Dearborn was absent; Anne Agan read the 2018 minutes and took the 2019 minutes. Special remembrances of family members Jimmy Adams, George Cummings, and Maxine Swett, who passed away this year, were given. Terry Sawyer made a motion to pursue an estimate for the restoration of three Wilkins (Flora Adams’ maternal grandparents) gravestones in Adams Cemetery on Route 156 Intervale. Polly (Sawyer) Brown delightfully showed everyone the box camera that was given to Helen York when she left her teaching job at the Temple School in 1916, to marry Arthur Burtt Sawyer. Jim Harris asked the group for ideas regarding ways to increase future reunion attendance, regaling the group with memories of attending reunions as a youngster—playing outdoor games, singing, storytelling, and swimming. “The only way our reunions can stay alive is getting the young children involved,” he advised. Revamping the e-mailing list was a priority.
Officers for the next year are: Richard Corey, President; Jim Harris, Vice President; Ken Sawyer, Treasurer; Susan Dearborn, Secretary. The 2020 York Family Reunion will be held on Saturday August 15 at 10 a.m.
Last but not least, several babies will soon enter the next generation in the York family.
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