Delta Reunion

The main reason we had our Bruce Stephenson Reunion in Utah this year, was so we could all be in Delta, Utah for the bigger Willard Stephenson Reunion that only happens every 3 years. We definitely filled up our end of the week with more family than the kids thought they ever had!

Wednesday

We were a little early arriving for the reunion, as Mom and Dad had helped organize it and needed to be there to go over some things with Aunt Carol and Uncle Roger. It was perfect timing, as we got a private tour of the family honey warehouse!

Stephenson Honey Warehouse

It has probably been 13 years since we had been in Delta, and it was neat to see how things had changed . . . and others hadn’t.

Bee/Working Coveralls

Bee Boxes

Supers

Separating Machine

Wax

It was the first time the kids had toured the warehouse and it was neat for them to see where the root of part of their family history comes from.

Thursday

Our little Stephenson family continued touring many family history sites throughout the area. We spent Thursday morning driving to the neighboring town of Holden, where Thomas Christian Stephenson settled after coming over from Denmark.

Thomas Christian Stephenson’s Holden Home

Holden’s Historical Landmark

Our favorite part was going to the cemetery there to see Thomas Christian’s grave.

We weren’t sure how the kids would take that, as there were many family members throughout the cemetery that we wanted to look for, so we made it into a game. All the grandkids were put into teams, given names, and armed with paper, pencils, and crayons.

Aunt Haley Laying Out the Game Plan

Whichever team found the most ancestors in the allotted time, providing their death dates and a rubbing for proof, won the prize.

Busy on the Search

The kids completely got into it, more than we had imagined. We all had a great time!

Thomas Christian Stephenson

Sydney Doing the Rubbing

On our way back to Delta, we stopped at the sand dunes.

The kids were a little skeptical at first, but I think the parents were more excited about it than the kids . . .

Chris Atop with the Cousins

. . . until Chris gave them a demonstration . . . .

Up . . . .

. . . Out . . .

. . . and Land!

. . . then they were all over it!

Caleb

Cami

Jack & Haley

The Finale

After being hot, sweaty, and sandy, the hotel pool was just calling our names.

Aunt Becca and Jack Poolside

As we meandered back to the big Stephenson reunion, we were given a tour of the old high school as well as the new high school that is almost completed.

Old High School

Built in 1966

As the high school is just kitty-cornered from where Chris’s dad grew up, this school holds a lot of memories for all the Delta Stephensons.

In the front entry, amongst all the sports trophies, is a plaque for the “Anthony E. Stephenson Manhood Award,” named after Chris’s great-great-grandfather (I think I’m getting that right).

This is quite a prestigious award, and one that Chris’s dad received in 1967. That year, Chris’s dad was actually given a choice, as he was also the class valedictorian. He was told he could only receive one of these awards – Valedictorian or the Manhood Award. It obviously meant a great deal that he gave up his Valedictorian award to receive the Manhood Award instead. Just a few years later, his brother, Roger, also received the award.

1967 – Bruce Stephenson

The new school looked amazing, especially in contrast to the old one that we had just seen. I was also surprised to learn that this school isn’t just for Delta, but for all the surrounding towns. The mines and other industries made Delta a more logical place to have all the surrounding communities bused into.

New Delta H.S. Commons Area

That night we had the opportunity to attend Chris’s cousins’ sons’ (the second generation of cousins) Eagle Court of Honor in Uncle Roger’s back yard.

Matt McIff’s Court of Honor

All the cousins of that generation, who were involved in Boy Scouts, were asked to participate as part of the color guard.

Caleb

When Matt was welcomed into the Eagles’ Nest, it was neat to see most of the cousins or their spouses standing up there to shake hands with him. What an amazing heritage of Scouting!

Just a Corner of the Eagle’s Nest

At the end of the ceremony, was my favorite part of the whole night – a retiring of old flags. Each cousin who had been in the color guard had carried in old flags that would be retired that night. As the flags were taken down, the fathers all stepped in and helped their sons fold their flags.

Chris & Caleb

Then each of the scouts, in turn, came to the fire, and reverently set their flags in. It really was a moving experience.

Caleb Retiring His Flag

The next morning Uncle Roger had his daughter pull out the flag grommets from the ashes and put them in labeled bags for the boys to keep as a memory of that night. What an awesome idea!

Retired Flags

Friday

Our little family went out again on our own Friday morning to do a mini-tour of Delta. We started by visiting the Delta Cemetery where Aunt Cami is buried.

Aunt Cami

It is neat that even though Cami passed away 13 years ago and only knew two of these grandchildren (who don’t have clear memories of her), her memory lives on and they all feel a connection with her.

Roses for Aunt Cami

Visiting Aunt Cami

Chris’s grandparents are close by and we were able to set a rose on their gravestone as well.

Grandma & Grandpa Steve

More Family History

It was neat for the kids to hear about their family history – to see the names, dates, and hear stories. These were real people who lived full lives and left them a legacy.

Leaving the Cemetery

I love that part of their legacy is bringing the grandchildren close – they have ties that bind and link them together forever.

We also had the privilege of seeing Chris’s dad’s first home in Delta, which actually was a home brought in from one of the Japanese internment camps. One day Grandpa Steve was at a hardware store and heard a man asking about any houses for sale, as he wanted to move to Delta. Grandpa Steve offered to sell him his house and went back to work. The man stopped by the house, told Grandma Steve what had transpired at the hardware store, took a tour, and agreed to buy it. They had no plans to move before that time, but for some reason, Grandpa Steve felt like offering his home and they set to work on building a new one.

Old Honey Warehouse

The best part about family reunions is seeing the cousins and their spouses get together and picking up where they left off. Then the 2nd cousins seem to warm up and just take it from there.

A Little Bit of Jamming

Renting Out the Delta Pool

Uncle Chris & Liam

On our last night at the reunion, with most of the family in attendance, we went to the church building for dinner.

Dinner

After dinner, we had a slideshow of past reunions, a short family history fireside, and Aunt Carol read us all a story.

Aunt Carol Reads “The Relatives Came”

And before we knew it, we were all packing up and heading our separate ways. It went by so quickly, but we were so grateful for the time that we had to reconnect and build more memories.

Saturday

As we left Delta Saturday morning it seemed apparent that the kids had played hard and tired themselves out!