Updated on 11 Dec 2006 with Betty's entry.

HOWE FAMILY WESTERN REUNION MEMORIES

JULY 7-14, 1999
WINTER PARK, COLORADO

From the Reunion Book…

Attending: (all week unless noted)

1. Lois Howe (Fri-Sun)
2. Greg and Wilma Howe
3. Theresa Howe
4. Zack and Maya
Amanda Snyder (Wilma's granddaughter)
2. Peggy Howe (Sat-Sun)
3. Heather Howe (Sat-Sun)

1. Betty White
2. Sally White and Hadi Soetrisno
3. Starbuck
2. Paul and Kathy White
3. Megan and Ashley
2. Debbie and Dalen Stevens (Fri on)

2. Lee and Susan Howe
3. David Howe
3. Julie Howe
Rachel Saffer (Susan's niece)

2. Jim Howe
3. Zoey Howe

2. Jean McCasland
3. Sue McCasland

2. Peg & Dick Schockner
3. Rick Schockner
4. Emma and Hannah
3. Linda and Evaristo Vera
4. Simon and Marlena

2. Nan and Bob Haskell
3. Joan Haskell

2. Noni Markle
3. Steve and Patricia Markle
4. Erin
3. Tim and Lisa Markle (Sun on)
4. Corey and Andrea
3. Marj and Mark Spencer
4. Tim, Sara, and Chris (Fri on)

2. Chuck and Carol Lobdell
3. Denise and Frank Hatten (Thurs-Mon)
4. Alexis and Caitlin
3. Chris Lobdell and Emily Hiser (Fri-Sun)

Synopsis of Activities of the Week

Rafting: Led by Paul White, two trips per day on Friday and Saturday.

Fri a.m. Lee, Susan, Rachel, Julie, David, and Sue

Fri p.m. Noni, Nan, Jim, Zoey, Emma, Joan

Sat a.m. Linda, Evaristo, Simon, Rick, Chris, Emily

Sat p.m. Marj, Mark, Chris, Sara, Tim, Steve

Thursday: Mexican dinner by all the Howes; pinata for the kids

Friday: Italian dinner by the Markles

Saturday: Italian dinner and birthday party by the Lobdells; G. Howes to Continental Divide; game night at Lee & Susan's

Sunday: Christmas in July: turkey dinner at the pavilion and party at Greg and Wilma's; Aunt Lois' Christmas cookies; Greg & Dalen flew to Leadville; horseback riding arranged by Lee

Monday: "Formal" group photos in the picnic area, followed by trip to Continental Divide for more group photos, followed by assorted hiking, picnicking; back to pool and hot tubs for many

Tuesday: Dalen and Julie made breakfast at the Schockners, with French toast and apricots, omelettes; Roz Brown performed in late afternoon; production of "My Name is Joe" by the Rocky Mtn. Players… Group circle and farewell comments

Comments, Observations, and Suggestions

7.14.99 from the Schockners

An unforgettable gathering of a dear family who is so treasured by us. It has been a truly wonderful week among the Rocky Mountains:

• The joy of being together
• The sharing of past memories and the making of new ones
• The giggles
• The hugs
• The well-used swimming pool
• The food
• The smell of the trees
• Game night at Lee and Susan's
• Christmas in July with turkey and all the trimmings; the Christmas tree; Lois' great cookies
• Etc., etc., etc., etc.
• Paul winning our last night Scrabble game (I'll get him next time!)
• Most of all, being a part of the love and joy that was obvious in every moment among all the generations
• The children who "found" one another and will probably continue the "reunion tradition" for years to come
• Lois, giving Grandpa Howe's blessing at the Christmas dinner
• Hearing Uncle Art's words from 1933

Thank you, thank you, each dear kin for a super reunion.

Peg Schockner

I think that Peg said it all. There were many other moments of joy. It was just wonderful to see the children enjoying each other.

Dick Schockner

7.15.99 from Sally White

Hadi and I are still marveling this "morning after"--and will, no doubt, for some time to come--over this incredible reunion. What a grand experience! This gathering just keeps getting better! Smoothing over the glitches, everyone pitching in on whatever needed doing. The making of a reunion lies, in large measure, in the small everyday things--and doing them together. I especially want to thank each of you who made the effort to come so far, to set aside your other commitments for an exercise in renewing family ties. That means a lot to us, and makes the effort of putting it together worthwhile. As mom says: "It wouldn't be any fun if we gave this party and nobody came!"

Somehow I missed the stories I would have expected--tapping Lee and Jean and "the twins" for memories of our grandparents and their parents and childhood--and the long serious conversations that didn't quite happen. A week together seems like time enough for such things, but there were walks to take (memorable ones with Pat & Starbuck, Joan & Starbuck), pictures to download and review and print out with David, places to go, and always more to do. And that's as it should be! I'll adopt Peg's format of a little list of memories--and hope others will add theirs soon. Although I don't want to pre-empt anyone, I also don't want moments, special moments together, to be lost-- so here are a few to kick it off.

Making new memories (as Peg says):

• Decorating the Christmas ornaments (pre-reunion) with Kathy and Ashley
• Watching Jim and Zoey make earrings together at the beading workshop; watching the girls teach each other to make macrame friendship bracelets from floss Nan gave them.
• Watching Starbuck enjoy playing with the kids and taking them on walks
• Helping David take LOTS of digital pictures to share with everyone (and web site work that's sure to follow)
• Playing "monkey in the middle" in the pool
• Picnicking with some of the Lobdell clan at Lake Irene after the continental divide photo shoot and abortive trip to the Fall Rive Visitor Center. Carol's "I smell a fiasco" from Denise…
• Greg orchestrating the group photos (it's a dirty job, but hey, someone's got to do it!)
• Hiking Baker Gulch with Hadi, Joan, and Starbuck-- three kinds of orchids, three kinds of paintbrush, lots of lichens dripping from the trees--wow!
• A fast trip to Morrison to get the computer, Starbuck asleep on David's lap, forgot the knives, driving through Red Rocks Park so David could see it
• The pinata and David in a sombrero
• Lee and Jim, their comments at "the circle"
• Wrapping presents with Theresa
• Jim's Star of David for the tree
• And much, much more… but enough, here

And now, here's more!

• Pat & Carol's steadfast support-and constant hosting and erranding-throughout the week. What would we have done without them?
• Playing Boggle for the first time ever and losing (of course)!
• The final production of "Joe" by the Rocky Mountain Players (we never did get to the clap games tho!)
• Watching a new generation of cousins have the opportunity to get a little less "removed;" seeing the girls gather to exchange addresses the last morning...
• The hugs (thank you all!)... They will last me a long time... maybe even until 2002...
• Aunt Lois' cookies, especially the graham cracker ones, and Hadi lugging her suitcase full of them up the stairs to her condo... (How did she drag them through the airports?)
• The perfect topping for our Christmas tree... handmade by Jim!
• Dalen's breakfast-a western reunion tradition-with Betty's homegrown apricots
• Early morning walks in the woods with Starbuck; the wildflower walk that never quite happened... next time?
• Carol's deliciously different chicken tetrazini (soon to appear on the family recipe web page, we hope)-and eating her great sweet potatoes again at our Christmas dinner (leftovers the next morning with Dalen)
• Watching the kids unwrap their Christmas presents
• Hadi and Jim becoming "earring brothers"
• George and the tee shirt design... (by the way, George is the one who told us about High Country Haus); Great decision-making by the "next gen" committee!
• Susan's deviled eggs-yum!
• Brainstorming sessions on future reunions and crazy certificates
• Roz singing "The Orphan Train," reminding us how fortunate we are to have this wonderful family!
• Sue's great candid photos... soon to appear on a family website near you! [okay, already appearing on a website near you-- see cousinnet@homepage.com]
• Betty handing out little bags of cookies with each family's name on them
• Seeing the bull moose on our hike with Joan
• Wondering how many of the Christmas balls will make it home intact
• Theresa wearing my vintage tie-dyed shirts--a good home for them at last!
• Jim's bright melon reunion tee shirt, outstanding in a crowd
• Jim's delicious gazpacho on first attempt; averting a fiasco (how many onions? EGGS?); a quart or two of it in the cooler when I got home
• The ultimate comfort food--macaroni & cheese--by the gallon, and finding some (lots!) in the cooler when I got home (did I get the right cooler?)
• Mac & cheese for lunch at homecoming; mac & cheese for breakfast the next morning; the growing realization that Hadi isn't going to help me with this... :)
• Seeing the chickens enjoy the leftover beans & rice (no, Greg, I did NOT reheat them again!) and wishing some of them had been with us as cleanup crew...
• Schockners' visit on the way to the airport; introducing the girls to the museum; a last goodbye in Morrison
• Holding hands in a circle on our final evening; Uncle Art's poem; Lee's and Jim's comments...
• Playing this game of memory retrieval... it goes on! Things keep popping up... moments, events, remarks... what a week!!

7.25.99 from David Howe

• Driving up into the cool mountain air (and scenery) after the long, hot drive through Colorado.
• The Alpine Slide with Lee, Susan, Jim, Rachel, Sue, Zoey, Emma and more... Jim actually went down at full speed!
• The Human Maze, watching the kids get bewildered because they changed it around from last time! Trying, with futility, to direct them to the letter 'Z'.
• Zoey wall climbing... almost to the top!
• Mountain biking with Julie, and discovering exactly how out of shape I am.
• Hiking on a trail in Rocky Mountain Natl Park with Dalen, Debbie, Sue, Kathy and Julie, and discovering, again, exactly how out of shape I am.
• Seeing Sally and Hadi's house and the beautiful area in which they live. And the dinosaur eggs at the museum.
• That's all for now -- more later...

7.25.99 from Naomi

• Making Billie Ann happy that the healthy, green evergreen tree took her place instead of a garbage can.
• Sally and Betty choosing me (Noni) to be the next owner of their camera. What a total surprise!
• The tremendous organization and planning and hard work by the committee, putting so much into every event planned--Christmas in July was a beautiful time, all meals were great, the Christmas ornaments are lovely-such a unique souvenier--the bead work shop for all--the beginners bag for everyone's first breakfast. How very thoughtful and foresighted.
• Having my three children and families there and watching the interactions with cousins, Aunts and Uncles, second cousins, Great Aunts, etc. etc.
• Hiking to the top of the mountain with Pat, Joan and Starbuck-yes, I even went to the meadow of wild flowers, the day before, by myself.
• Just wandering on the trails.
• And a wonderful bicycle ride with my daughter, Marj along the river and also through the woods going East away from the traffic, but along side the road.
• All the love that was shone from everyone there-how happy people were to be together. It's great to be a part of such a loving, giving family-even though we don't see each other often enough, we are still a part and important to each other.
• The rafting trip with Paul and the fun of getting soaked.
• Swimming with the girls-they all beat me underwater
• The generous gifts from Debbie and Dalen with the blue dishes and the incense burners.
• Greg's turkeys coming out of the oven--so nice and brown.

The week was just WONDERFUL and I THANK YOU for all your thought and love that went into making it such a success for everyone.

Much Love, Naomi

From Betty

Can’t help but think how Lee and Cora would have felt to have seen their offspring enjoying each other after long periods of time between visits—I can almost see Mom’s smile! Know how it affects me! Incredible!

So! Let’s do it again…and again…and again.

Love you all a WHOLE BUNCH

Betty