BARNHART Family Reunion -- 2013

BARNHART, SWIHART, PERKINS, WILSON, WHITE, SHIELDS, ROUSH, MOONEY, CAVIN, HARTMAN, BEYER, SHANK, BOLINGER, WHITE, MCALEXANDER, RADACHOWSKY, WALKER, MCCRACKEN, CLARK, WEDGWORTH, TUCKER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 8/10/2013 at 16:55:09

"The Fairfield Ledger"
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Page 2

Reunions

BARNHART

The BARNHART family reunion was July 21 at Larry's Barn in Batavia, where senior elder Clara Agnes BARNHART SWIHART resides.

In SWIHART's reunion notice to family members she wrote, "Today we'll be meeting & greeting our kin folk just as we did 'forty-five' years ago at the park in Garden Grove, Iowa (and later Mt Ayr, Iowa). I'm so pleased that I can still be here to join all of you in a blessed reunion, sitting and sharing our noon day meal together. We have always had such a bountiful mixture of wonderful food. Please enjoy your day with the BARNHART Clan, Love & Prayers --Clara Agnes (BARNHART) SWIHART."

The family said this year's reunion was exceptional because, in addition to the 54 in attendance, there also were seven dogs of various shapes and sizes.

Another extraordinary event was a downpour of much-needed rain that everyone was happy to see. The children splashed in mud puddles and played on riding toys provided by Larry WILSON. In 45 years of gathering, primarily on the third Sunday in July, this was the first rainfall recalled in the afternoon. However, there was plenty of time for the meal before the rain arrived.

Robert BARNHART, grandson of Clarence Edward, oldest brother of Clara SWIHART, provided the noonday prayer.

Those in attendance were: Clara Agnes SWIHART, SWIHART's daughter Joyce PERKINS and son Larry SWIHART, Donna WILSON and Nelson WHITE, all of Batavia.

From Fairfield, were Clara SWIHART's sons Bill and Tony SHIELDS who brought granddaughter Sesalie SHIELDS and friend Brandon Cristofferson.

Teena ROUSH, daughter of Clara SWIHART, came from Newton.

From Ottumwa, were Paul and Dixie MOONEY and Fred and Mark CAVIN. Larry WILSON Jr., Mary HARTMAN, son Daniel HARTMAN and friend Brittany Harris came from Barnes City.

From Pella, were Dave, Denise and son Brandon BEYER while Robert BARNHART, wife Shari, sons Bailey and Boston, Ashley WILSON and daughter Shelby Jade, Aaron WILSON, Roxi and father John SHANK came from Oskaloosa.

From southwest Iowa, Elaine BARNHART BOLINGER, the daughter of Clara SWIHART's brother Cliff, and friend Mark Cade came from Sharpsburg, while Sandy WHITE, the daughter of Clara SWIHART's younger brother Ralph, daughter Becky McALEXANDER, and grandchildren Braxton Dean and Kenzington Marie came from Deep Water and Ellston.

Derric and Alayna WILSON and children Airallynn, Kehtyn, Eastynn, Emmalynn came from Las Vegas, Nev.

Theresa BARNHART RADACHOWSKY, daughter of Clara SWIHART's brother Ralph, and husband John traveled the longest distance coming from Danbury, Conn. Theresa RADACHOWSKY's daughter Jillian WALKER and son Ryder McCRACKEN came from Lincoln, Neb.

Sue CLARK, the granddaughter of Clarence, and husband Cecil came from New Hampton, Mo., while Suzanne WEDGWORTH and children Joshua, Casey, Rowdey and Tryton TUCKER came from Kansas City, Kan.

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