2012 Bear Family Reunion

BEAR, WALKER, DULY, ARMSTRONG, MAGGARD, LEWIS, CHASE, RUBY, ANGUS, SCHEIB, HUBER, EILENBERGER, SMITH, HANSON, SCHRIEVER, BAKER, SABRE, POTTORFF, BARBOUR, WILSON, BALES, ESCH, SHEREK, TONEY, STACY, BEAL, ROLTON, ISRAEL, CAMPBELL, PROUDFOOT, PETERMAN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 7/8/2012 at 05:52:14

Mount Ayr Record News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, July 05, 2012

Bear Reunion

The Solomon BEAR family reunion (SBFR) is always fun and tasty! Those features were in abundance on the first day, Friday, June 8, 2012, when everyone enjoyed another evening meal at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Tingley.

Part of the fun was hearing first hand what was happening in the lives of family and friends rather than getting tidbits from the usual social media.

Many more were in attendance on Saturday, the primary day of the SBFR. The tales really flowed then and you learned a lot about current lives and reviewed memories of the recent and distant past.

After the meal at noon on Saturday, it was time to take a group photo and a photo of each family. That required moving the many dining tables and chairs in the Ellston community center. Of course, other photos were being taken all the time.

Then it was time for Ted BEAR to use his tractor and trailer to carry some to the BEAR Cemetery. That is located a little southeast of the Oliver Cemetery.

The BEAR Cemetery was started in 1864 when Solomon and Sarah (WALKER) BEAR'S second son, Lincoln, passed away. The BEAR home place was located about a quarter mile west. The last person to be interred was Amanda Elvina (DULY) BEAR Bear, second wife of Solomon.

Ted and the Ringgold Pioneer Cemetery Commission maintain the BEAR Cemetery.

Bryce BEAR welcomed all to the SBFR. She organized the daily events, food and reservations.

The other officers and attendees assisted with family history, mailing information and additional food.

On Sunday, the last day, there was plenty of time for more visiting and family stories. It was also a great time to visit the museums next door in Ellston.

The home museum brings back many memories, the farm equipment museum has so much, and the one-room schoolhouse was interesting for all ages.

Of the 50 BEAR family members from nine states who attended this 11th biennial reunion, all were descendants, related by marriage, or friends of Solomon and Amanda BEAR who farmed in Ringgold county for many years.

Listed below are the attendees who are descendants of three of their children:

Dollie Ann (BEAR) ARMSTRONG MAGGARD (* - deceased) - Gloria and Jim LEWIS of Denair, CA.

Nellie G. (BEAR) MAGGARD* - Ron MAGGARD and Michele MAGGARD of Des Moines.

William Franklin BEAR*.

Glenn Franklin BEAR* - David CHASE and Donna RUBY of Drexel, MO; Don and Darlene BEAR of Mount Ayr; Jodi and Austin ANGUS of Mount Ayr; Mary and Ian SCHEIB of Grandview, MO; Amy, Stephen, Sydney, Darcy and Grady HUBER of Leawood, KS; Nancy EILENBERGER of Aurora, CO; Cathy GOOLD and Jaden SMITH of Belton, MO; Lorrie, Abby and Sam HANSON of Nevada; Lisa BAKER of Roland; Jean SCHRIEVER of Farmington, MN; Flint and Logan SABRE of Lakeville, MN; Bryce and Ted BEAR of Ellston, and Angie and Nixie POTTORFF of Des Moines.

Theola Mae (BEAR) BARBOUR* - Betty and Roger WILSON of Tulsa, OK.

Orville Nelson BEAR* - Nadine BALES and Shannon ESCH of Vida, OR; Deloris and Ray BEAR of Lake Saint Louis, MO; Wanda, Nathaniel Solomon and Allen BEAR of Defiance, MO; Marilyn BEAR of Creston, and Glee TONEY and Clem SHEREK of Donna, TX.

Edna Marie (BEAR) STACY* - Janet and Ron STACY of Kirkwood, MO.

Gladys Laverne (BEAR) BEAL* - Ann ROLSTON, and Gladys ISRAEL of Redding, CA.

Reuben Ugene BEAR* - Carmen and John BEAR of Half Moon Bay, CA.

Doris Lavon (BEAR) CAMPBELL - Janet PROUDFOOT of New Virginia.

The SBFR officers who are continuing for another term are:
Presidents/treasurers Bryce and Ted BEAR, vice presidents Beverly and Charles PETERMAN, secretaries/historians Deloris and Ray BEAR and historians Janet and Ron STACY plus Maxine BEAR.

Submission by The BEAR Family, July of 2012
Photographs courtesy of the BEAR Family.

2012 BEAR Family Reunion
 

Ringgold Documents maintained by Tony Mercer.
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