She caught up with her very funny retired electrician brother Ren who lives nearby, her brother David, who spent six months in Cambodia before returning to his CPA job in Pennsylvania, and her retired graphic designer sister Julie, who now lives in Massachusetts and was the primary organizer and researcher for the reunion. Jeff and Peggy Meisenhelder (who hosted us and our dogs at their home not too far from Austin, Texas when we passed through in late December, as was reported in this blog) attended. Of course various cousins, nieces, and nephews and their offspring were there. The reunion was held at the beautiful home of Nancy's niece Melissa and her husband Drew.
Julie put up a world map onto which attendees could put colored pins on the countries they had visited. Nancy had a good showing but was topped by her cousin Sally and her cousin Jeff. Sally has had an amazing life and career working as a nurse and English teacher all over the world, from China to Cambodia to Nigeria to India to Mexico and various other nations. Jeff was a petroleum engineer and lived and worked in many of the oil-producing countries in the world, including exotic places like Mongolia.
Julie also established a pet corner consisting of photos of the attendees' pets - dogs, cats, goats, and birds, as well as photos of Meisenhelder ancestors, and yearbook and baby pictures of the attendees for guessing who was who.
And Julie assembled a Meisenhelder history book, a copy of which went to each of the attendees. It contained family genealogy details dating back to the 17th century, newsclippings featuring Meisenhelders of days gone by, a list of Meisenhelder generations, and perhaps the most fascinating component, the extensive writings by Nancy's grandfather, Ren Senior, including his rides with Pancho Villa. She handed a copy of that book to each attendee. Unfortunately, the fine Meisenhelder name is in danger of disappearing from this branch of the tree, unless a couple of male millennials - you know who you are - step up to the plate.
Amazing job organizing this Meisenhelder reunion, Julie!
Meanwhile, back at the trailer park, on the day after Nancy left, I came down with some vague early symptoms of a viral respiratory syndrome, including loss of appetite (an affliction from which I'd never suffered before). Then on the evening Nancy returned, my lips puffed up, and the next morning so did my eyelids. (There are no known photos of that grotesquerie.)
This saga to be continued ......
How are you feeling Craig?
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