The Fredrickson families of six original siblings didn’t stay in one location. They spread out over the states. We had some in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, etc. By the time my father died, cousins hardy knew one another. My brother Paul and Uncle Bob, the youngest of the six siblings, decided that had to stop, and they began planning a family reunion.
The first Fredrickson Family Reunion took place in Estes Park, Colorado. Family came from all over. We even discovered relatives we hadn’t even known we had. Our children were young then. Over the years, our reunions every two, three years became destination reunions from Napa Valley to Northern Minnesota, from Eureka Springs/Branson Arkansas to Manitou Springs, Colorado. The year after 9/11 we headed to the Black Hills and found Mount Rushmore guarded by the military.
For several years, we haven’t really planned a big family reunion, though some families still got together now and again. The original six siblings and their mates were now gone with the passing this summer of Uncle Dick, my aunt Edie’s husband. My niece and my cousin’s daughter, good friends, decided it was time to put something together again. But we are aging and travel isn’t quite as exciting.
They chose something more centrally located for most–right here in Kearney. After all, Keith and I live here and my brother and wife also live here. Makes getting information fairly easy.
The first weekend in August turned out to be a wonderful family reunion. Close to 40 of us gathered Friday night at the home of our dear friends Jeff and Gloria Geiselman. We had planned the first night at our house, but then I fell and broke my arm. Gloria offered their grill, back deck, home and more. It turned out to be a great solution and we got re-acquainted with cousins, while the younger ones got to meet cousins for the first time.
The rest of the weekend we had Mitzi’s Pavilion at Yanney Park, which turned out to be a great place for food, fellowship and fun–board games, guessing games, even a scavenger hunt on the grounds. My nephew’s oldest, in high school, noticed my sling and related how he recently had a similar situation. When I went through a food line the next day, he stepped into line, took my plate and helped me fill my plate. I got better acquainted with both he and his younger sister during the weekend. It was good to have our kids and grandkids around for the weekend–minus Dane who stayed home sick.
No one knew if the reunion would turn out, but it became a touch point for new and the deepening of relationships. Instead of seeing this as the end of the journey for our reunions, we were pumped up. The question became, “Where are we having the next one?”
This time the answer was simple. We found our destination. Kearney makes a great location for the family that plans to stay connected. Two years? Three? Watch out Kearney, the Fredricksons are coming back to town!
Published in Kearney Hub 8/27/18 as Kearney great spot for Family Reunion
By Carolyn R Scheidies
Read my life story The Day Secretariat Won the Triple Crown