 Sunday, August 12, 2012 Independence Lake Park 3200 Jennings Road, Whitmore Lake, MI Co-Hosts: Don and Marjorie Shelton and Jim and Lena Culver |
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| The 100th annual Culver Cousins Reunion was a wonderful occasion with one of the largest group of cousins ever to attend. These photos show just some of those who attended. | ||
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| The food was marvelous with the main barbeque dishes graciously provided by co-hosts Jim and Lena Culver and the potluck dishes to pass were, as always, varied and delicious. | ||
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| The annual business meeting was well attended. Introductions were made, family historian Marjorie Shelton featured stories of ancestor George Culver and his exploits in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars in the 1870s. | ||
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| Don Shelton and Tracy Shelton Colson were re-elected as President and Vice-President (when no one else volunteered) | ||
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Kerrie LeClercq acted as temporary secretary and then young Michael Pepper was elected as the new reunion Secretary/Treasurer |
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| The most senior cousin in attendance was Richard Cone | and Bob and Cathy Culver traveled from Maryland | |
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| Stories and jokes have always been a part of the meeting and this year was no exception with Bernie Pepper, Don Shelton and even the young Shelton grandchildren giving their stand-up comedy routine | ||
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| Some found the meeting part of the reunion very interesting | ||
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| . . . others not so much | ||
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| We celebrated the birthday of Benjamin Cochran in song | ||
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| But we (or at least the adults) spent most of the time just catching up with each other on our diverse lives | ||
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| while the younger folks enjoyed the water - swimming, splashing in the "spray zone" or even fishing | ||
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| Here are the reunion minutes | ||
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The 100th Culver Cousins Reunion was held on August 12, 2012 at Independence Lake Park in Whitmore Lake, Michigan. The hosts were Don and Marjorie Shelton and Jim and Lena Culver. It was a beautiful sunny day in the upper 70s. A wonderful meal was preceded with grace by Jack Culver. The meeting was called to order by President Don Shelton who welcomed everyone and gave a brief introduction to the history of our family, who all descended from Phineas Culver, who was born in 1786. We reviewed the new Culver Cousins website at www.culvercousins.org and followed the early family trees on the site. A number of pictures and facts are available on the site. Our family historian, Marjorie Shelton, had placed many posters around the room explaining our ancestry. She talked about Phineas and his first and second wives, Thankful Sawyer and Electa Harkness-Witherell. All together the farming family had 17 children and many of them originally settled in and around Mooreville, Michigan. She explained why the first reunion in 1909 was called the Throop-Culver-Cone Reunion and how it grew out of the celebration of a shared birthday. Marjorie then gave a presentation featuring George Culver, a grandson of Phineas, who fought in the Civil War but then served in the 1870s during the Indian Wars in the West. He was regarded as a war hero in the Milan area. The oldest in attendance was Richard Cone at age 85 while the youngest was 11 month old Adrianna Tinoco. The family that traveled the furthest was Bob and Cathy Culver who came to the reunion from Maryland while moving to Wyoming. Family introductions were made as the head of each family unit presented their members who were present and gave a quick explanation of their place n the larger family. Bernie Pepper told a funny story (about mistakenly praying over the installation of a septic tank) to entertain the Cousins. Ten year olds Elizabeth Colson and Madison Shelton told jokes of their own. The entire gathering, led by the youngsters, sang "Happy Birthday" to Benjamin Cochran in honor of his 9th birthday.
Officers were elected for the next year: President - Don Shelton Vice President - Tracy Shelton Secretary/Treasurer - Michael Pepper Historian - Marjorie Shelton
The number of cousins in attendance was estimated to be 110. A collection was taken to support the upkeep of the Mooreville Cemetery, where Phineas, Electa, son Jesse and his wife Polly are buried, along with several more Culver Cousin ancestors. A total of $313 was collected and will be donated to York Township for that purpose.
Respectfully submitted,
Kerrie LeClercg (nee Cochran), acting Secretary
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