Family Reunions
My mother is a Thiesse originally. Every year for the past 41 years, the Thiesse's have gotten together on the 3rd Sunday of July for a family reunion. The original reunions were sponsored by my grandfather's generation - he was one of 14 children, 11 of whom had children themselves. This past December Luella Thiesse Kramer, child number 13 and the only remaining Thiesse from that generation, passed away. I don't think she ever missed a reunion and for the past many years has been the oldest attendant. Here's a picture of Luella (in the middle) from about 1940. She was always perfectly made up, coiffed and dressed, even at the end when she was essentially blind. How did she do that? This year, the reunion was hosted by her two living daughters, Connie Kramer Schnepf and Cindy Kramer, in Robinson Park in Sibley, Iowa. I drove to Little Rock, Iowa, where my mother lives so I could attend the reunion and help celebrate her 84th birthday. Her birthday is July 19 and alw...