May Reunion Update

The Elmquist family and extended family member reunion is on schedule and looking good! However, we need your help so that we can better plan for our food needs for the Saturday afternoon “picnic”. I have enclosed with the May update letter (mailed today, May, 10th) a return addressed, postage paid envelope and response card. Please indicate your plan to be part of the reunion and the Saturday picnic in particular on the response card, tell me how many will be in your family group, and drop it into the mail early enough so that I will receive it not later than June 1st! Your help here is greatly appreciated!

Some have asked if there is a fee charged to attend the reunion. No, there is no official fee charged to attend the reunion. I have deliberately worked to keep the cost of the reunion down so that I could cover costs myself as I do not want an attendance fee to be a factor in your decision to come to the reunion. However, if you are willing to make a donation for the “cause” your help well be appreciated. Any contribution you make will be used to defray expenses of food purchases for the Saturday picnic, the church custodial service fee, and the church social hall rental fee; any balance remaining after all bills are paid will be gifted to Zion Lutheran Church in our family name.

Rocky, the proprietor of Americas Best Value Inn located on HWY 8 between Chisago City and Lindstrom is providing lodging for our family members at special lower rates ($56.00 double, $46.00 single, plus tax, with a continental breakfast included). Tell Rocky that you are part of the Elmquist family reunion to get these special room rates when making your reservation. Call Rocky at 651-257-8088.

In review then, the festivities begin with a ‘Dutch Treat’ dinner, Friday evening, June 11, at Trapper’s Family Restaurant in the heart of Chisago City, located at 10356 South Avenue just west of the old creamery building and the intersection of HWY 8 and Bennet Road (Co. Rd. 77). If you are unable to attend any other part of the reunion, please join us for the kick-off dinner. We will look for you beginning at 5:00 PM and will close out the restaurant that evening so come early, come late, but come on out; we will be there!

On Saturday morning, June 12th, at 9:30 AM we will gather at the front steps of Zion Church on Old Town Road for our featured events that include tours of the John William Elmquist and Ida Amanda Hult farm and the Carl August Johansson Hult farm, and a walk-about at the nearby old South Green Lake Cemetery where the remains of many of our ancestors now rest. We will return to Zion Church for our Saturday afternoon picnic. We have reserved the church social hall for the afternoon just in case of bad weather. Join us on Saturday even if you miss the kick-off dinner, or the tours!

Work is in progress to gather baptismal and confirmation historical information of our family members from the Zion church record books. Copies from the church records books will be available on Saturday afternoon for those of you who would like to investigate your Chisago City and Zion Lutheran church heritage. The church archivist, however, will not be able to be present after Sunday services (June 13th as previously planned. And the condition of the old record books is such that the Zion Council requested that the record books be NOT available for direct personal view. We respect their wishes to preserve the condition of the old record books!

Pastor Jeff Elmquist continues his work on the exhaustive family genealogical history. We are still looking for pictures of family members---historical and current---to include in his finished publication. So, if you have not already provided pictures of your parents, of yourself, your kids, and your grand kids please consider loaning to us any pictures you may have so that we can scan them for use in the family genealogical history. And, there is still time too for you to provide us with j-peg picture scans at 300 ppi, best quality, of any pictures that you do not want to leave your possession; we clearly understand the value of historic family photographs! Anything that you can provide is greatly appreciated. Copies of the genealogical history will be available at the cost of production. A sign-up sheet will be available during our Saturday picnic for those wishing to have a personal copy of the exhaustive family history.

Sunday, June 13th opens with 9:30 AM services at Zion Lutheran Church (for those who wish to attend these services) followed with a tour of this historic church building. Zion was founded in part by our Hult and Leaf ancestors, and many of our parents were members of and were confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church. After church services we will tour the grounds of the Ojiketa Girl Scout Camp on the shores of Big Green Lake. The camp grounds are just a few blocks from Zion making access to the park easy and convenient. The property, given to the Girl Scouts by our Elmquist ancestors, is now the Ojiketa Regional Park, the newest addition to the greater Chisago City public park system. The park is under development and will have many point of interest when completed including a museum to house historical items and artifact found on the property. The family reunion event will close with a lunch at Trapper’s.

Again, please invite your sons and daughters, and grand kids too to attend. And, Please DO Let Me Know if you and your family members are planning to attend using the postage paid and return addressed envelope. Knowing how many to plan for will be of great help indeed! I look forward to your positive response!

Late changes (if any) to our reunion plan and/or itinerary will be posted here on the reunion blog so check out the Elmquist Family Reunion Blog frequently.

Come for all or part of the family reunion event, but do come on out! This event is the only one of its kind for the Elmquist clan (though local family members may gather privately for other occasions at other times). This family reunion well be worth your time and your efforts!

Sincerely,
Dave