Left to right, seated: Suzanne Spencer, Bernice Piper, Gordon Piper, Hildy Benjamin, Art "Larry" Benjamin, Margaret Moran, Anne Grant; 2nd row: Jim O'Toole, Lana O'Toole, Jean Denton, Vivian Piper, Judith Denton Komline, Russell Komline, Phil West; back rows: Jim Roberts, Chris Caiafa, Derreth Roberts, Doug Grant, Cathy Grant, Elaine Denton, Bob M. Denton, Daniel Komline. (Other attendees missing from this photo: John Fallon, Meredith Fallon, Charles Folger, Janet Denton Folger, Go-fer, Paul Mastrangelo, Bill Whittaker, Flo Whittaker, Maureen Whittaker)
This is such an exciting family that even those who are not descendants are happy to be related! To wit . . .
Phil West runs around taking all these fabulous photos. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)
Jim Roberts rustles up scrambled eggs and sausage created from his secret recipe.
Jim O'Toole sets up the techies' turf.
Bill Whittaker hauls tables.
Margaret Moran makes superb lasagna for lunch.
Russ Komline shows us around his website at http://www.easterhi.com (Actually, Russ is also a Denton descendant going back eight generations.)
Hildy Benjamin unpacks a suitcase of treasures.
Photos arrive from everywhere. Descendants dig in!
Found it!
When Bob R. Denton sent this photo of great grandmother Anna Marie Catherine ("Mary") Rathjen Denton, Lana recognized the Victorian necklace she wore as the same one Lana had found in the attic.
Anne plays school marm.
The class is generally well behaved
except for a few troublemakers
who infect the whole room.
No! I REALLY mean it: There IS a resemblance! (Yup: two ears, two eyes, a nose, a mouth . . . )
Florabel Case & Clarence Gordon, Rock Hill, 1904
Their grandchild, Gordon Piper
Their great grandchild, Vivian Piper, keeps a family website at http://thecasefiles.com
Leverett Case and Laura Estella Denton
Their baby, Dorothy
Her baby, Arthur "Larry" Benjamin
Anna Marie Rathjen and William Henry Denton's children include John Henry (back row, right). His siblings are Dorothea (Dolly), Frederick (Fred), Wilhelmina (Minnie), Jacob (Jake), Mary (May), and Estella.
John Henry and Cornelia Manwaring Denton should win a prize for having eight descendants at our reunion!
Bob Manwaring Denton, Jean Denton, Janet Denton Folger, Judith Denton Komline
John and Cornelia's great grandson Daniel Komline also resembles his great uncle Jake. Genes have a pleasant way of reminding us we are connected.
John and Cornelia Denton's granddaughter, Lana O'Toole, and great granddaughters, Suzanne Spencer and Meredith Fallon, wear very modern smiles.
Lana's second cousin, Derreth Roberts, is granddaughter of Minnie Denton and Andrew Case.
Andrew sits between his parents, "Em" and "Wall" Case. (Click on the photo to see how much Andrew wants to go to school.)
"Em" (Mary Emma Hopkins Case) passed her looks along to her great granddaughter, Derreth Case Roberts, and her great grandson, Douglas Denton Grant, who are double cousins once removed (since a brother and sister, Andrew and Maud Case, married a sister and brother, Minnie and Jake Denton). Go figure.
Go-fer, granddaughter of Jake and Maud, found some of her kin rather strange.
What a remarkable resemblance!
Suzanne Spencer, Meredith and John Fallon (who arrived after the group picture).
Our ancestors could not record their voices and stories as easily as we can.
Chris Caiafa recalls how happy Flossie Gordon was to see the old Case Homestead returning to life and getting repaired.
Douglas and Chris at the Case Homestead that was restored by Cases, Dentons, and Gordons working together, then by Grants, and now by Caiafas. Chris says he wants to get the house painted in time for our next reunion (drumroll: mark your calendars NOW) on Saturday, October 8, 2011.
(That will be quite an accomplishment, Chris. Dad Grant was happy if he could paint one side a year.)
Phil, Anne, Doug, and Cathy at the well.
Cathy and Douglas at the well with the little house that reminds Doug of the log cabin he always wanted to build in the woods. (It now stands about 34 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska).
Our Native American matriarch was Deborah Griffen Case. She and her husband Henry Case brought this home into the family. They are great grandparents of Larry; great great grandparents of Gordon, Derreth, Doug, Anne, Go-fer; and great, great, great grandparents of Vivian. (Those who attended this reunion are only a small fraction of their descendants.)
Vivian made history mints with family photos.
Recalling the history that brings us together is sweet.
Watch for the next installment coming soon: historic photos telling how the Dentons conducted a friendly takeover of the old Case Homestead!
Anne welcomes additions and corrections: anne.grant@verizon.net
