BARNHART Reunion -- 2012

BARNHART, SWIHART, WILSON, SHIELDS, BEYER, SHANK, MOONEY, HOLS, AMASON, HARKNESS, ROUSH, BOLINGER, CADE, RUPP, CARPENTER, JACKSON, PERKINS

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 8/3/2012 at 12:35:00

"The Fairfield Ledger"
Monday, July 30, 2012
Page 2

Reunions
BARNHART

The BARNHART reunion was held July 15 in Batavia in honor of Clara Agnes BARNHART SWIHART, age 92, who resides there.

For 42 years, SWIHART and her children in the Batavia area, across the state and out of state made the pilgrimage to Mount Ayr to either Poe Hollow Park and later to Fife's Grove Park. Each time, they arrived the night before and camped. In earlier years, Park Ranger Hawkins always welcomed them with a visit on Saturday night. They said it was a treat to be in these beautiful Iowa parks sleeping under the stars. A few times, the campers had to place a tarp around the shelter so they were not completely drenched from a summer storm. However, they always had dry weather for their picnics the next day.

Of the 42 in attendance, from Batavia were Clara SWIHART, Larry and Donna WILSON with neighbor Brooklyn.

Chris and Tina SHIELDS, Bill SHIELDS, Tony SHIELDS and Bruce WILSON came from Fairfield.

Denise BEYER came from Pella, while nephew Aaron WILSON and Roxi SHANK came from Oskaloosa.

Those from Ottumwa were: Paul and Dixie MOONEY; Jerry Lynn HOLS and Ashly, David and sons Draven, Sklyer, Tristen AMASON and Ashley's siblings Zac and Morgan from Oregon.

Ashley WILSON, daughter Shelby and friend Curtis HARKNESS came from Beacon.

Teena ROUSH came from Newton.

From Sharpsburg were: Elaine BARNHART BOLINGER, Mark CADE and granddaughters Summer and Skye.

Patty and Bud BARNHART and John RUPP came from Essex, while Sarah BARNHART and Josh CARPENTER with sons Preston and Garrett came from Riverton.

Evelyn BARNHART JACKSON came from Grand River. Her brother Gary and wife Joy BARNHART came from Garden Grove, home of the first BARNHART reunion.

Due to the flood of 1993 and the passing of Clarence Edward BARNHART, brother to Clara SWIHART, the family did not hold a reunion that year. Clarence and his wife Crystal lived in Garden Grove for most of their life.

Released from the hospital the day of the reunion, Joyce PERKINS from Batavia stopped by to say "hello" with her husband Bob. She received many get-well wishes.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.