The word “Family” can be either all encompassing as in all your relatives that share the same surname and same set of ancestors, or it can mean the family unit which nurtured you, the people you shared a home with.
I was born and raised overseas. My father was a Civil Service employee and his employment took him from Hawaii, to Guam and eventually the Philippines. Because of this, I never met a cousin until I was in my teens. I had read about them, knew I had them, but had no idea who they really were! . . . and to think my parents had brothers and sisters? What a concept! I did know my grandparents on my mother’s side since they lived in Hawaii and we would visit with them frequently. This was family in my formulative years; the people who all came together at the end of the day, my parents, brother and sister. The picture below was taken on Guam about 1955.
In 1982 we all got together for Easter at my home in Southern California. We had all aged, but Dad seemed to be the only one who looked distinguished with the greying hair.
Easter seemed to be when we had the Gathering of the Clan (we never thought of the word Reunion) and this one found us gathering at my parents place in Fallbrook, California. We have all “matured” but are definitely enjoying the hands that have been dealt us. 
In 1956 we left Guam and settled in California. My parents had decided it was time for the children to get the benefit of all “The States” had to offer, and that included a good education and family! It was a whirlwind of relatives tour! I met four aunts, four uncles and seven cousins!! And one of them was my age! How overwhelming! We all had something in common! We shared grandparents!!
In the years that followed we’d get together for holidays, weekends and on vacations, yet there was never really a family reunion. The closest thing to a family reunion would have been my grandparents 50th anniversary celebration. I was married by that time, as were my siblings and many of my cousins. Aunts and Uncles were there, with the exception of one who lived on the East Coast, but many cousins had lives of their own and did not attend. The cousins that did attend I could probably count on one hand. 
Our family scattered as we married and started our own families. We would get together at holidays in my parents home, and cousins would play and interact. We made sure our children knew their cousins and it was fun watching the next generation getting to know each other. My brother had four children, I had two, and my sister became the favorite aunt when each niece or nephew was born. In 1972 the family gathered at my parents’ home and a picture of the cousins recorded the event. Pictured above, left to right are my brother’s son and daughter, Jeffrey and April, my son, Blaine, my brother’s son and daughter, Brad and Kim and my daughter, Paige.
The closest our family has ever come to a family reunion was in 2008. As a surprise for Mother on Mother’s Day, we had a mini-family reunion at my brother’s home in California. She had no idea that I would fly in from Pennsylvania or that my daughter and granddaughter would drive from Central California for the ocassion. Two cousins were unable to be present, but after many, many years, my daughter and three of her cousins were able to reunite and share laughs and stories of their childhood. It was a day to remember for years to come.
In the picture above are Paige is kneeling in the front in the blue dress, April is on the right with her arms around Kim’s son, Kim is standing next to April, and Brad has his hand on his chest next to Kim. Mother is almost 90 and is in the black, my brother Bud, is on the left with his arm around his wife, and I am kneeling in the front by Paige and her daughter. Missing are my sister, Priscilla, my son Blaine and Bud’s son, Jeff.
Although we missed Priss, Blaine and Jeff, the one we all probably missed the most is Dad who joined his parents in glory in September of 1990.
We drove through this well-designed cemetery and I looked for various people in my database. The computer database at the cemetery had spit out maps with the name and section number for each name, and all we had to do is drive to it! Each section was well manicured with no trash or dead flowers. Throughout the cemetery spots like this are found with benches, trash cans, and a paved walk.
As we were about the leave the cemetery, a funeral was in progress in the area referred to as the Commital Shelter. This is a secluded, covered area where final services are held for the veteran, with military honors and are scheduled at 30 minute intervals throughout the day. When we had entered the cemetery we noticed the flag was at half mast and wondered why. According to the brochure I obtained in the office, I found out that the flag is at half mast “out of respect for all persons buried that day.” The scene below was behind the Commital Shelter on the way to the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Memorial.
What would be off to this man’s right, and up on a small rise is The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Memorial, aforementioned. It is beautifully designed, and was dedicated in 2001 in honor of all veterans from the Commonwealth starting with the Revolutionary War and through the present. Names, rank and dates of service can be added by filling out a form and purchasing a spot on a Cruciform for a small fee.
On our last visit a year or so ago, Daniel’s headstone was growing into the tree. The tree won. Daniel’s headstone is now broken into several pieces. If you follow the dark line up the tree and then see the black hole to the right of that line. That black hole once had the corner of the headstone imbedded in it.
In the far corner is a group of headstones belonging to the Wolf family. My fifth great grandfather, Peter Wolf, is in this group, so I visited him as well. Peter Wolf was Mary Lemon’s father and rests with a few of his children in this shady spot under an old tree. His wife, Elizabeth Grove Wolf, may rest here as well, but if she does, her headstone has been either buried or missing for a number of years.
There were several headstones just like this one ~ well, the names and dates were different, of course ~ but they were all cast iron with a minimal amount of rust. You could read each one easily. I was amazed, since in all the cemeteries I’ve been in, I’d never seen any quite like these. It was the first I’d taken time to walk thru this cemetery, so of course, it was the first time I’d seen these. There were several sites that had wonderful surrounds and one of them was spectacular. It must be maintained by the family.
One of the residents of this site is William Everhart, who’s monument is still very readable even though he died in 1881. Perhaps the fact that this cemetery is surrounded by trees and hedges contributes to it’s protection from the elements.
Since I stopped and saw her mother and grandfather, it was only right that I stop and say Hello to my great-great-great-great-grandmother Ann Eliza Troup Ziegler. She is buried next to her husband, Philip and in front of my great-great-grandmother, Mary Jane Ziegler Gantt Carvell and her first husband, Joseph Don L. Gantt. 
Mary Jane married my great-great grandfather, Jeremiah Mark Carvell, after the death of Joseph Gantt, bringing a young daughter to the marriage. She and Jeremiah only had one daughter who survived infancy, and it was my great-grandmother, Carrie whom I had visited last month in Shippensburg along with my grandmother, Nellie, and Carrie’s father, Jeremiah.
Next to Mary Jane Carvell and Joseph Gantt’s site are his parents. Somebody had requested, and probably paid for Perpetual Care, and there was, at one time, a plate that indicated so. The plate is still there . . . sort of! 
The facade of the old Watt and Shand department store was saved and is now part of the Marriott Hotel. It helps to retain the historical look of Penn Square and is a handsome building.
The views from the rooms are spectacular! Looking to the n/w is wonderful view of Penn Square with the Griest Building (Lancaster’s first and only skyscraper built in 1925!) Central Market to it’s left and the old 1790′s City Hall (now the Heritage Center) next to Central Market. You may remember seeing the Griest Building in the movie “Witness” as the Philadelphia Police Station.
The view to the southwest has the old Southern Market in the foreground. It was built in the late 1800′s and was designed by 
Two of other buildings saved on this block were our next stop and perhaps the most exciting part of the day to me. The Kleiss Saloon and Thaddeus Stevens home are on the corner of Vine and Queen Streets and this cistern was found between the two buildings. This piece of history saved the destruction of my ancestor’s Saloon and the plans are to make the area with these two buildings and cistern into an education center.
Some of the artifacts found during excavation of this area are on display on these cement pillars. It was exciting for me to see something that may have belonged to my ancestors.
My dream used to be just to have a piece of one broken brick from the excavation of his saloon. It is still my dream, but I’m sure one that will never be realized. It still is exciting to think one of my ancestors properties played such an integral part in the history of our country!
Yes, this post card was mailed 100 years ago! It was sent from Lancaster to Middletown, Pennsylvania, a drive today of perhaps 45 minutes. We would never dream of sending a postcard to somebody in Middletown today ~ we’d call them, text them, e-mail them or even drive to see them ~ but send a post card? Not in a blue moon!
This is a view of it today. The street is paved, there is a hedge separating the sidewalk from the lawn and a brick walk in a herringbone pattern that goes from the main entrance on West James Street to the front of the building. Today it has a needed parking lot, fully mature trees and plantings. It is a beautiful structure in a city full of beautiful structures.
