— • — • —
by Frances Milder
(2001)
Last year
some of the second generation asked me when our reunions started. I (Frances),
wife of Will Milder, married into the family in 1905, At that time we
heard little about reunions as we know them today.
The
three Milder boys and Will Wieskamp liked to fish as they were raised
and lived at that time by a little creek near West Liberty, One time in
the summer of 1906 Mother Milder said "Why not take our dinners some Sunday
and all go with the Men folks?" We did and went to Joe Lanets timber southeast
of West Liberty.
We
went under the railroad and to Wapsi Creek, where the men folks said the
fishing was good. I don't think that we were over loaded with fish going
home. We had a very nice dinner and all enjoyed the day. At that first
get-to-gether there were 16 of us (nine grown-ups and six Wieskamp children
and Louis Milder,)
After
Anne Brugman married, she and Lizzie Wieskamp alternated having all of
us in their homes on Mother's birthday on Feb. 25th, She died in 1918
and I guess that we did not all get together until 1928, Believe it or
not in that year we met twice, On July 1st at Will Wieskamp's and on Sept.
9th at Will Milder'', In July the John Milders were visiting here and
Sept. John and Minnie Van Driel were here, therefore the two meetings.
I
have no pictures of the 1929 meeting but we met at the West Liberty Fairgrounds,
in 1930 and one of the few times the six Milders were together-Lizzie,
Will, Harry, Anne, Minnie, and John. We have no pictures of reunions in
1931, 1932, or 1933.
We
met at John Milders in 1934, Anne Brugmans in 1935, John Milders in 1936,
Will Milders in 1937, Anne Brugmans in 1938 and 1939, Ray Wieskamp's in
1940 and Lyle Frantz' in 1941.
Then
came the war and we didn't have gas until 1946 for cars.
updated 4/2006 - Copyright© 2000-2005 Milder.org