WILSON'S CELEBRATE 98TH ANNUAL REUNION IN MORAVIA PARK
The 98th Annual Wilson Reunion was held Sunday, August 19, 2007 in the Moravia City Park, Moravia, Iowa. A traditional carry-in meal was served shortly after the noon whistle.
Election of officers was held. This year's slate of officers is: Keith Hanson, President; Marla Wilson-Batterson, Treasurer; and Kerry Wilson, Secretary. The officers will serve for two more years. Following a brief business meeting and treasurer's report attendees enjoyed Ice Cream that was served for desert at 2:00 P.M.
Reports
Letters were received and read from LaVora Broshar Stearns, Jacquie Stevens Mary & Jane Wilson, Bill Rains, Melanie & Jeremy Osborne, Brian Wilson, Dana Moritz, and Christine Unruh.
Births reported, Joseph Allen Unruh 01/19/1998; Rachel Grace Unruh 12/31/1994; Kaitlyn Clough to Kelly & Scott Clough - Kelly is Kerry & Joyce Wilson's daughter born 02/09/2007; David Lane Dodd to Kacey and Josh Dodd - Kacey is Kerry & Joyce Wilson's daughter born 04/14/2007; Brennan Andrew Moritz 10/05/2005;
A marriage reported by Sally Stewart. Kevin Stewart was married September 2006.
Death reported Donald Dowd, June 2007. Arlene Boulio January 16, 1998, Bob Boulio 10/31/2005, Charles Costadt (son of Fern Broshar Colstadt Hedges) June 30, 2006 (reported by LaVora Stearns).
Tom & Mary Ann Wilson are in Little Rock, AR. Tom is receiving treatment for cancer, and was unable to attend the reunion.
We were happy to see Glen Moritz , Annabelle Wilson, Neal Wilson and Dorothy Carver this year. We missed Lois Wilson, and Bob Hoffman, Melanie and Pacey Hawkins, Joann Louis and family, the Cloyd and Stewart families, and Mary Ann and Tom Wilson, and Kevin and Brian Wilson and families, and the Hutchins families from Arizona, and Brandi Hatfield. We also missed Donald Dowd, who recently passed away. For many years, Donald was not only very faithful to attend the reunion, but he also helped Paul Wilson pickup and serve the ice cream.
About the Wilson Reunion
Jesse and Miram Wilson, the patriarch and matriarch of this Wilson Clan moved to Moravia in 1857 from North Carolina. They had seven children: Nathan, Abel, Mary, Rachel, Ephriam, John and Martha. Rachel married and was moving away from Moravia in August 1910 to homestead in Wyoming, so the family was called together for a reunion. The 1910 gathering started a tradition that had been carried on for 96 years. The reunion was held at Miriam's farm for several years. It was held at the home of the children for several years. It has been held at the Moravia City Park since the 1950's. The reunion is always held on the Sunday closest to the 16th of August, which was Miram's birthday, and is still held within 5 miles of its original location.
WilsonFamily.net
The Wilson family now boasts of it's own web site. Family members can log in, and update their address, and view names and addresses of other family members. Others may also point their browser to the site: http://wilsonfamily.net and read family history. Photos and press releases of recent reunions may be viewed at http://www.kerrywilson.com/reunion.htm. To add names to the database, please email information to kwilson@kerrywilson.com
Upcoming: 100th Reunion
Plans are underway for a special celebration to mark the 100th reunion, which will be held Sunday August 16, 2009. The slate of officers elected last year will also serve as a committee for the 100th Reunion. The 100th Reunion will be a 2-day event, which will include camping at Lake Rathbun on Saturday, concluding with the traditional dinner and celebration at the Moravia City Park on Sunday.
98th Reunion Attendees
Despite the rain, seventy relatives and guests attended the 2005 reunion compared to Sixty two in attendance last year: Kerry Wilson, Gadsden, AL; Casey Ann, Moravia, IA; John Wilson, Annabelle Wilson, Sycamore, IL; Keith and Judy Hansen, Marion, IA; Georgia, and Darrell Brown, Des Moines, IA; James and Charlene Wilson, Moravia, IA; Jeff, Sherri, and Maggie and Anna Vining, Des Moines, IA; Paul and Deanna Wilson, Moravia, IA; Dana Moritz and Glen Moritz, Centerville, IA; Richard, Rhea, and Cody Wilson, Moravia, IA; Milton, Julie, Chelsey, Mallory, and Abby Wilson, Moravia, IA; Ron Wilson, Crystal Lake, IL; Jon and Patty Bolard, Albia, IA; Cheyenne, and Dalton Ervin, Moravia, IA; Diane Coles Conner, Melrose, IA; Marla Wilson Batterson, Matt, Cory, Kaitlyn, Cody, Kelsey, and Colby Batterson, Pleasant Hill, IA; Linda Wilson Ware and Nate Ware, Moravia, IA; Garett, Shonna, Blake Wilson Mitchellville, IA; Mikyla Martin, Mitchellville, IA; Marcia Wilson Zaputil, and Dave Zaputil, Moravia, IA; Rachel and Laney Hoffman, Moravia, IA; Harry Dennis (guest) Gadsden, AL; Ruthann Wilson Burkman, and Nathan Burkman, Albia, IA; Doris Wilson, Moravia, IA; Jennifer Wilson Ledford, Jason Ledford, Jordan Ledford, East Moline, IL; Mardena White, Centerville, IA. Greg and Kathy Wilson, Moravia, IA; Alexandria Hansen, Melrose, IA; Dean and Mary Brown, Des Moines, IA; Melanie Wilson Osborne, Jeremy, Jacob, and Emma Osborne, Urbandale, IA; Patrick and Michelle Coles, Des Moines, IA; Fred and Barb Bridges, Shell Rock, IA; Dorothy Wilson Carver, Waverly, IA; Sheila Dowd Reistroffer,
Ken Reistroffer and Brad Close, Centerville, IA.
99th Reunion
The 99th Annual Wilson Reunion will be held Sunday, August 17, 2008, which will be the Sunday closest to the 16th of August.
100th Reunion
The 100th Annual Wilson Reunion will be held Sunday, August 16, 2009. A steering committee has been appointed to finalize plans for the Centennial Celebration. Plans are underway to hold a 2 or 3 day event, in hopes of attracting an attendance of 300 family members.
John Wilson,
Dorothy Carver, Paul Wilson
Annabelle
Wilson, Dorothy Carver, Charlene Wilson, Doris Wilson, Dana Moritz
John Wilson,
James Wilson, Dorothy Carver, Ron Wilson, Paul Wilson
Harry Dennis
Sheila Dowd
Reistroffer, and Ken Reistroffer
Diane &
Patrick Coles
Jon Borland, and
Patty Coles Borland
Jeff Vining
Ron Wilson and
Julie Wilson
Barb Bridges and
Dorothy Carver
Fred Bridges,
John Wilson, Dana Moritz
Glen and Dana
Moritz
Dean Brown
Rachel and Laney
Hoffman
Rhea Wilson
Keith Hansen
Doris Wilson
Marsha and Dave
Zaputil
Greg Wilson
Matt Wilson,
Richard Wilson, Corey & Marla Batterson
The James Wilson
Family, Greg, Ruthann, Sheri, Charlene, Matt, and James
Kerry Wilson
Deanna Wilson
WILSON FAMILY REUNION AGENDA
August 19, 2007
Invocation
Lunch
Gather children, organize games, send off.
1. Call to order
2. Treasurer’s report
3. Collect funds
4. Close meeting
Send group off to side to hear letters, etc.
Separate into groups for volleyball, horseshoes, etc
2007,
98th Annual Wilson Reunion
Yur cuzin’s is uh havin uh Gatherin. Yun’s kum and git it there at thu
Wilson Gatherin in
Moravia, Iowa. They is cummoratin Ma & Pa Wilson’s 98th
Gatherin they started in the
year 1910.
Thu ladies is fixin sum good vittles and is wantin to chew sum fat with thu kin
folk. We will be uh meetin at that thar Moravia City Park in the
town square of that thar Moravia, Iowa.
Thar
be a lake near by called Rathbun Lake ifin yu wants to set up camp and hitch yer
boat to the dock. Yu can water sled in the big pond, ifins yu bring them skinny
sticks an yur boat.
Mark yun’s calendar fur the 19th of August. Dinner is uh beein’
surved at 12 noon, at the same time thu town’s noon whistle will be uh blowin.
Speakin
of whistle, thu ladies will be uh bringin plenty of tea, lemonade, and pond
water so you can wet yur whistle. Be sure to bring yur own eatin sticks and
platters, and plenty of yur favorite fixin’s to share with all thu kin folk.
So,
gather up all yur yungin’s an all thar yungin’s and kum join all yur Wilson
Kuntry Cuzin’s fur thu fun and feast.
We
hope to be uh seein yu on the 19th of August. Yu can find out more
‘bout the Wilson Gatherin ifin yu have one of those electrunik boxes that
connects to everyone’s electrunik box by uh punchin’ in http://www.kerrywilson.com/reunion.htm
Kerry Wilson, Secretary of the Wilson Gatherin 256-546-2811 w 256-492-4882h kwilson@kerrywilson.com
Sally Stewart Reports:
I am sorry that we can't make the reunion this year! Our youngest son, Kevin was married
September to a beautiful Canadian girl from Vancouver, B.C. They live in
San Francisco. We are panning to attend in 2009, along with my 5 brothers and sisters
and their families who live in Virginia. We are ruby Cloyed's grandchildren. I'll be
thinking of you all on the 19th. Sally (Cloyed) Stewart.
Kerry Wilson Reports: The birth of a grand daughter - Kaitlyn Marie Clough to Scott and Kelly Wilson Clough, on 02/09/2007, and The Birth of a grand son to Josh Dodd and Kacey Wilson Dodd on 04/14/2007.
7-30-07 LaVora Stearns Reports:
Kerry:
Thanks you for the information on the Wilson
Reunion. Unfortunately we have an unavoidable conflict and will not be
able to attend. We are keeping our calendar open for the 200th Reunion and
expect to attend and celebrate that auspicious event. Please keep us on
the mailing list and thanks again for all of your effort.
Bill Rains
Jacob, Mel, Jeremy, and Emma Osborne
Dear Melanie Osborne,
Thank you for your photo. I'll look forward to seeing you at the reunion.
Cool.
- Brian Wilson
Hey
Kerry,
Will
you add the following address to your
Lavora
Stearns,
At
the reunion in August, I gave you the wrong birth date for Brennan
Enjoyed
your letter.
Dana
Moritz
8-24-06: Christine Unruh reports:
Children: Rachel Grace Unruh born 12/31/1994
Joseph Allen Unruh born 1/19/1998
anniversary 8/22/1992
2006 WILSON REUNION 2005 WILSON REUNION 2004 WILSON REUNION 2003 WILSON REUNION 2002 WILSON REUNION 2001 WILSON REUNION 1999 WILSON REUNION 1998 WILSON REUNION 1996 WILSON REUNION