Thursday, September 9, 2010

Brenchley Reunion

At the end of my Utah visit, was the Brenchley Family Reunion. It was a three day event filled with aunts & uncles and cousins I hadn't see for 10 years or more. We had fun catching up, eating and hearing fun stories about my grandparents, Preston & Alta Brenchley, who have both passed away.

The hight-light of the reunion, for me, was the guided tour by my Uncle Paul of some of the historical sites where my grandparents and my very own dad grew up and played and worked. It was a sweet reminder of the wonderful heritage that I come from and the legacy that my grandparents started and left in each of us.


This was the house my Grandma Brenchley grew up in in Mt. Sterling.

Here we all are, in the fields where my Grandma Brenchley's family, the Coopers, farmed. One of my favorite stories was about the dinner tree, where the family sat and ate all of their lunches and dinners brought up to them from the house.

My nephews and cousins catching grasshoppers in the fields.

My sister-in-law, Rachel, and my sister Lezlee! You girls are gorgeous!

My dad and his brothers and sister.
J. Paul, Mark, Deonne, my Dad, and Richard
The blacksmith shop and hardware store my Grandpa owned and operated. He was the best horse shoer in the valley & had a reputation for being able to shoe even the wildest horses. I remember going to visit my Grandpa in this store when I was little. There use to be a sign above the store that read "Brenchley's Hardware." I use to think it was so cool that my last name was on a store.


The house my Grandpa Brenchley grew up in in Wellsville.

My dad milked cows in this barn every morning as a child.

My dad with Macy in front of the barn. This brought back a lot of memories for my him.

Pictures inside the barn.

We found these initials engraven on the silo of the barn. P.B. stands for Preston Brenchley, my Grandpa.

The house my dad grew up in just down the street from where my Grandpa was born. I remember the raspberry bushes, the tire swing, Grandma's roses and eating ice cream cones on the front porch.

Me, my sister, Lezlee and brothers, Greg and Jon. My oldest brother Ryan wasn't there this day. I love these guys!

1 comment:

Malinovka said...

What a great reunion! I think the ones where you learn more about heritage are the best. So fun to see you with your siblings!