Hoyt Family Reunion 2006

We had a wonderful time at the annual Hoyt reunion held in Wisconsin, June 17-18, 2006 near the Wisconsin Dells. Some of us stayed at Bababoo Campground http://www.baraboocampground.com/, others lodged in motels and several packed in with local relatives. To view pictures of the reunion, click on My Picture Albums on the sidebar. Some of these pictures were taken by my parents.

Sabbath, June 17, we met for the official reunion event at a park. Cousin Ernie lead the singing while his daughter Diane played the keyboard. I had a short mission report about evangelism in India. Cousin Steve presented a thought-provoking sermon. After closing prayer we all brought out our food for a bountiful potluck lunch. The adults visited, the teens/twenties threw a football around and the young children played on the playground.

Later that evening some of the cousins joined those of us staying at Baraboo Campground. A late afternoon storm had formed a temporary river beside Diane’s camper so the camp visitors found their way to our cabin. We had sundown worship by sharing our favorite Bible promises and a devotional reading. We brought out leftover salads from earlier and warmed up hotdogs.

The next day, Sunday, was so much fun. Diane and I talked the available cousins into coming back to the campground for the day. Diane fed everyone a wonderful late breakfast. Then the day was filled with biking, basketball, swimming in the pool, mini golf, fishing and other available recreation provided free by the campground. At one time most of the pool population was related. Loved ones flowed freely between our cabin and Diane’s or Ernie’s campsite to visit. Diane and I fed the group burritos and tacos for supper. I wish the rest of our cousins had been able to join us. The next morning our crew packed up and had to clean our cabin. After breakfast Diane’s family stayed all week to play in the Dells area.

How did these reunion’s start? My Grandfather Asa Hoyt and Grandmother Bertha Hoyt noticing the first letters of their names and decided to continue the alphabet with their children. They had Coral, Dale, Emery, Fern, Gladys, Helen, Irma, Joe, Kermit and Lois. These children of Asa and Bertha have been referred to as the ABCs. The baby, Lois, is my mother.

Over the years these ABC children established a yearly family reunion. I have attended some of these, as they bounced back and forth from Colorado to Iowa, throughout my growing up years. Only half of the ABCs are living today. Emery, who attended the reunion last summer, is now in a nursing home. Irma suffers from Alzheimer’s and is being cared for by her husband in her home. Joe is in poor health. Although Joe calls my mother frequently, he is unable to travel far enough to attend a reunion. That leaves Gladys and my mother. My mother is the younger of the two and better able to travel so we located the 2006 reunion in Wisconsin near Gladys’ home.

Due to the change of location, some of the cousins that are unable to attend other years were able to join us this time. Other cousins needed to bow out due to the distance for them. How I would love to get all my Hoyt cousins, spouses and their children together for a few days. I hope we don’t have to wait until heaven for that to happen.