I came from a really large family. My mother had 3 sisters and 7 brothers. When the boys began having children of their own, they produced large families. My Grandfather, John Hanks, married my Grandmother, Flossie Garvey. That meant I had plenty of Aunts and Uncles but even more cousins. At one point I think there were 52 of us first cousins. Through the years I have lost track of some of my cousins, which is disheartening. I use to love to watch my Mom put her hands up and use her fingers to tell the birth order of her brothers and sisters. It was something she could do until her last days on earth. 
Every year there is a fantastic family reunion that is called the Hanks/Garvey Reunion. While my Mom’s family was large, there was an added bonus to our family. My Grandfather’s sister, Margaret, married my Grandmother’s brother, Earl. They also had several children who grew up and had several children. I wish I could remember the count of that part of the family. Their children were what we all called “Double Cousins”. That was how the reunion began. The reunion began in 1928. When I was a child I looked forward to reunion day every year. Who could forget the endless tables of food, the games of horseshoes played by the Uncles, the trips into the lake, the excitement of the day? My sister, Lisa, was only two and a half weeks old when she attended her first reunion. One of my Mom’s brothers, Bill (John), lived in Boston and he would even bring his two girls, Sharon and Jill. Aunt Madge, another sister of my Grandfather, was a retired missionary living in Pennsylvania and she NEVER missed a reunion.
Since I moved to Florida, I have only been to the reunion 7 or 8 times in 30 years. About 10 years ago I went to the reunion with my mother. It was held at a park on Mona Lake in Muskegon, Michigan – the same lake the reunion was held at in 1928. While there use to be hundreds (at least it felt that way when I was a child) at the reunion, there were only about 40-45 people. In 2009 my entire family returned to Muskegon for the reunion. My Mom passed away in December 2008 and her brother Bill (John) passed away on Easter 2009. Bill’s daughter Sharon passed away the week of the reunion in 2008 so none of us went in 2008. My husband, our daughters and our grandchildren along with Jane, Ron and Lisa went that year. My niece, D’Ann, joined us along with my sister Ranae. I took CDs of the entire lot of family photo’s my Mom had saved throughout her 91 years. I scanned them and made them available to all of the family. There were about 30-35 people in addition to our part of the family that came that year. Last year I returned to the reunion in Muskegon. My cousin, Robin, plus her husband, son and daughter-in-law were there from Florida. I flew in on Friday and out on Monday. It was worth it but very few people attend anymore. At the reunion last year I found out one of my cousins lives about an hour south of my Tampa home. We visited on the phone after I returned to Tampa and we met for the first time since we were teenagers. The reunion is really worth our time. My cousin, Penny, has given so many of us information about our roots. Penny has traced our family on the Hanks side all of the way back and beyond Abraham Lincoln. Yes, we are related to Abraham Lincoln through his Mother.
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| Uncles Harold and Laurence - July 2011 |
My cousin, Jo Ellen, works so hard to make a great day for everyone. She sends out invitations to families month’s ahead so everyone can put it on their calendar for the last Sunday in July. Still, the numbers dwindle. Out of 11 children my Grandparents had, there are only 2 living. It is so sad. There is only one aunt still alive, my Aunt Joan. She was married to Mom’s youngest brother, Milburn. That is on the Hanks side. I didn’t see anyone from the Garvey side. I know there are still family members on that side but they must not have been able to attend.
My family won’t be able to attend the reunion this year because we are increasing our family. We have a granddaughter due at the same time of the reunion. I will miss it this year. My husband, Mike and our grandson, Holden, have been the last 3 or 4 years in a row. We all would love to be there. When we went to the reunion in 2009 we rented a house in Muskegon for a week. Our family has said it is the best vacation ever. They loved seeing Lake Michigan. They enjoyed seeing all of the homes their parents had lived in while growing up and the schools we attended. We were only 4 houses away from the school Holly and Missy went to before they moved to Florida. Even they had memories of Muskegon.
If you are part of my family as a cousin or a double cousin, please consider taking the last Sunday of July and returning to your roots. There are several others who would like to get reacquainted and you will be welcomed with open arms. Remember to bring a dish to pass and your own table service. Every year there is an auction of white elephant items. I think that is Holden’s favorite part of the reunion. He loves to bid on items.
Look for us to be back in 2013 for the family reunion. If you need more information, please post a comment below and I will answer you.
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