Reeder Family Heritage Tour

 Tom is the family historian, with extensive files of family genealogy, covering decades and centuries, that he has compiled over many years of studying family history.

He decided it was time to take his two siblings and spouses and any offspring available on a tour of their history.

He had fun planning it. Although there were a few last minute additions and subtractions, most were presented with an itinerary and a "Boarding Pass". 

Our first stop was the Masonic Cemetery in Tumwater, just south of Olympia.

Here they dodged a sprinkler while locating Tom, Jan, and Dave's parents, paternal grandparents and great grandparents.

Siblings

Mother and daughter at Aunt Clessie's grave. Jill is wearing a crocheted dress that belonged to Aunt Clessie and Irene is wearing her baret. 

Jill is showing her California cousin Jason the grave of their grandparents, Grampa Bud and Gramma Bernice.

Two more generations were there, including Tom's great grandparents, with the Civil War marker. The younger generation had to figure out how many greats to add for their generation. 

Bud's sister Wanda, and some of her family were here too.

From here we drove across the prarie to Oakville and the cemetery where the maternal side of the Reeders, the Vandervoorts and the Bowers, are buried. Gertie and her sister Phosie, of the famous Phosie and Gerte Picnic, were Vandervoorts, and their line before that was Bower. Eventually the whole clan came from Nebraska to settle here on the prarie near Oakville. 

Tom explaind the relationships. Again it was up to each generation to figure out how many "greats" to add to these grandparents and aunts and uncles. 

Now it was time for lunch, which Tom and I packed as a picnic to eat at nearby Millersylvania State Park. More history was shared. 

Then it was time to go in search of Reeder Road, which bordered the property in Maytown where Joe and Gertie Reeder took over a homestead and worked at the sawmill there. 

Siblings

added Spouses, Vicki and Linda

with offspring, Jason and Jill,

and with graddaughter Irene. 

We drove up Reeder Road to locate about where the property would have been. Eventually the mill and much of the mill housing burned down. Joe and Gertie bought the East Olympia store nearby. They ran the store, which at that time was a railroad stop on the main line. Gertie was the postmistress. During the depression much of the trade was through the barter systen, and cash was scarce. 

The old country store is more of a museum than a store now but the current owners are keepng it going. We shared who we were and why we were there and they were very pleased to know the story. 

Old stores always have an ice cream case. We all bought dessert and ate it on the front porch of the store. 

Our tour was winding down, but we still had to locate the property where the old cabin on Offiut Lake was, a rustic dwelling that was both a recreation property for family and a dwelling for Joe and Gertie. 

We think we know where it was. Of course there are big, modern homes there now. 

Then we arrived a bit early for our dinner reservations at Offiut Lake Resort, and the Lady of the Lake restaurant.  We had time to sit and relax lakeside. 

We picked up a few more people here, Vicki's cousin Kay and husband Don, who live in the area. Dinner was good, visiting continued, and then we were invited for dessert at Kay and Don's beautiful home. 

It was time to head home, about an hour away for most of us. We were tired when Tom and I arrived home about 9:30, but it had been a great day, a big success for Tom, and a good learning and bonding experience for everyone.