The Christoph and Sophia Hilker Bollhoefer family reunion met at the rural Baxter Bethany United Church of Christ Sunday, July 27. Everyone attending enjoyed a potluck dinner and fellowship. Thirty-one people from Buckingham, Haverhill, Marshalltown, Melbourne, Mt. Vernon, Nevada, Newton and Windsor Heights; Brainerd and Granite Falls, Minn.
Families attending the reunion were the descendants of three of their 10 children, Henry and Chris Bollhoefer, and Minnie (Bollhoefer) Osten.
Lynette Talbot Birkenholz, president, opened the business meeting by welcoming everyone and expressed thanks to the Bethany Church for the use of their facilities. Secretary Marlys White Mitchell read the minutes of the last meeting and the treasurer’s report was given by Genevieve Buckles Langmaid. Updated family information was collected for births, marriages and deaths. Historian Norma Bollhoefer Reynolds and Bonita Harrington Paige had updated family information handouts from the past few years for anyone interested. John Harrington reported on two births in his family in July and Paul Harrington reported on a June birth in his family. A new category of information has been started for family veterans. The information compiled about their military service will be added in an ‘Honor Roll’ album.
Genevieve Buckles Langmaid presented prizes of homemade baked goods to Norma Bollhoefer Reynolds and Lucile White for the two oldest in attendance; Mason Whaley, was the youngest child, born July 1; smallest shoe size went to Orrell Mae Sietmann Veren; July birthday award went to Beth Talbot Larson; birthday closest to Sophia Hilker Bollhoefer’s December birthday went to Michael Harrington; Jim and Beth Larson from Brainerd, Minn., traveled the farthest.
The slate of officers elected to serve this coming year are: president, Lynette Talbot Birkenholz; vice-president, John Harrington; secretary, Marlys White Mitchell; treasurer, Genevieve Buckles Langmaid; historian, Beth Talbot Larson and Norma Bollhoefer Reynolds, emeritus.
The next reunion will be held at the Bethany United Church of Christ July 26, 2015.