Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 5, 2010

July 25, 2010 the two dozen or so early arrivees pessimisticlly said "too many other obligations will prevent others being here today." Well, never underestimate the indomitable spirit of the HAIDSIAKS. Soon the doors of the Blockton community hall wer opened again and again and 86 people and one very latecomer from working signed the registry.

Doroth SLEEP won the attendance pool guessing the exact number. Susan CHESTNUT won the door prize, a sentimentally framed picture of Piper and Annie sitting on the running board of a Model A, taken many years ago at a family reunion in Bibbons Park. Amber HANNA came closest to guessing the number of the 269 descendants with Mike WALKUP coming in second which only counts in horseshoes.

Lisa CRATER and Kristi HANNA had gone to great lengths in preparing family posters to be matched with individual family pictures. Vera CARSON gave the table blessing on the bountiful food from home-grown fried chicken to homemade ice cream and gave thanks for family and the great love of our God and Savior.

Present were the families of:

LUCILE - John and Arlene HAMMER of Panora; Jack and Gladys STAUFFER of Castorville, TX.

FRANK - Caroly DYKMAN of Bedford; and Mary LANGE of Lincoln, NE.

NINA - Kenneth and Edna DUKES of Council Bluffs; Dorothy SLEEP and Rodger DUKES of Bedford.

WAYNE - Jean HAIDSIAK and Sherry HAIDSIAK of Clearfield; Jerry and Kay MILES of Bennington, NE; Gary and Carolyn WILLIAMS of Olathe, KS; and Brian and James HUMMER, Gunner and Eli of Indianola.

VERA - Vera CARSON of Redding.

MAX - Lois HAIDSIAK, Lynn and Carole HAIDSIAK and Zoe BUCHER, Susan CHESTNUT, Sarah, Dakota, Tyler, Breanna of Bedford; Wayne and Donna HAIDSIAK, Chris and Barb BROKAW, Piper and Morgan, Buddy and Becky HAIDSIAK and Colton and Christopher HAIDSIAK of Lenox; Max and Susie HAIDSIAK and Bethany, Travis, Caden, Quentin, Bobbie, Cheyenne and Payton JACKSON of Red Oak; Lee and Sheila HAIDSIAK, Ken and Dianne McBRIDE and Kylee, Sean and Tara McCORMICK, Mike McCORMICK, Sam and Jenny RIGGLE, David RIGGLE, Blake HAIDSIAK and Brandon HAIDSIAK of Villisca; Alana HAIDSIAK, Arch ARCHER, LeAnne HAIDSIAK, Gavin ALLEMAN, Trent ALLEMAN, Cole ALLEMAN and Allyson GRASS of Madrid; Gary and Kristi HANNA and Kenneth and Amber HANNA of Maryville, MO; and Lisa CRATER, Taylor CRATER and Adam CRATER of Hopkins, MO.

Annabel WALKUP, Dale and Sharon WALKUP, James WALKUP and John David WALKUP of Redding; Mike and Mary WALKUP and Kelsey McVAY of Winterset; and Joe WALKUP, Madison WALKUP and Isabel WALKUP of Afton.

They will meet again July 24, 2011 at the hometown Blockton community hall.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2010