UPCOMING REUNIONS

THE HARLAN FAMILY in AMERICA P. O. Box 1654 Independence, Missouri 64055 www.harlanfamily.org 2007 REUNION UPDATE

Date: 11 June 2007
The following workshops will be on Friday, July 13, and 14. There will be sign up sheets available in the hospitality room upon arrival.

Friday, July 13, 9:30 a.m.
1.“Researching your Harlan Heritage” by Junior Harlan
Learn how to go about researching our family history with particular attention on how to use the family genealogy by Alpheus Harlan. Bring your “big book with you.

2.“What Happened to the Donners?” by Chuck Knuthson
The Harlans and the Donners are linked forever in Western lore. Learn why tragedy befell the Donners from a noted expert in the history of the ill-fated wagon train.

3.“The Harlan Heritage Tours” by Marjory Harlan Sgroi
Where did the Harlans come from? Join someone who has visited all the historic sites associated with our family’s history and enjoy her slides of the monuments to our past.

Saturday, July 14, 10 a.m.
1.“The Quaker Influence on the Harlans,” by Dale and Estle Harlan
The first Harlans came to America as Quakers, religious refugees from persecution in the Old Country. How did their religious faith shape the history of our family?

2.“Scrapbooking,” by Judi Harlan Sommarstrom
Come and discover new and creative ways to preserve and display your family memories. Share your own ideas for putting together memorable scrapbooks for your family and friends.

3.“Jacob Wright Harlan: Eyewitness to the Settlement of the West,” Bruce Mowday
Come and hear the editor of the new book about the life and times of a man who came to California by covered wagon, twice! Find our some of the adventures he had as an early settler in the Golden State.

Saturday, July 14, 1:00 p.m.
1.“The Harlan DNA Project,” by Nancy Davenport
Come and find out how DNA testing can become an invaluable tool for compiling a family genealogy. Discover how modern science can determine if two people are related to a common ancestor.

2.“Harlans in Early California: Lombard Street of Genealogy,” by Steve Harrison.
The members of the Harlan Party continued in life’s cycle of birth, marriage, and death after their adventurous trip across the continent. Find out who married whom in the sparsely populated new land that became California, and what monumental events they participated in and witnessed in their new-found home.

3.“Josiah Harlan: The First American in Afghanistan,” by Carlene Crossman & Ann Averill. Learn about the 19th Century adventurer who traveled to the forbidden kingdom of Afghanistan and had a lifetime of adventures. Josiah was the real-life inspiration for Kipling’s famous story, “The Man Who Would Be King.”

Saturday, July 14, 2:30 p.m.
1.“Four Marys and a Jessie: Our Harlan-Lincoln Cousins,” by C.J. King
Come and hear about the fascinating connections between our family and that of our most famous president. The presenter is the author of a book that chronicles these remarkable Harlan women.

2.“The Harlans on the Supreme Court,” by Mike Fluetsch
Two legal scholars, both named John Marshall Harlan, have served on the Supreme Court, but they had very different approaches to the law. Come and learn how our family has helped shape the highest court.

3. Repeat of one of the previous workshops, to be determined.

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To: All who plan to attend the NATIONAL HARLAN REUNION, July 12 - 15, 2007
Subject: REGISTRATION FORM and UPDATE ON REUNION PLANS

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.
Whatever you call it,
whoever you are, you need one.” Jane Howard - “Families”

Please join us as we continue the Harlan Family in the American tradition of coming together to celebrate our family history and connections. Whether you are a descendant of George, Michael or Thomas, or are just interested in learning more about your Harlan heritage, you will renew acquaintances and make new connections with “cousins” from all over America. The first modern day reunion was held in Delaware in 1987 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of George and Michael’s arrival in America in 1687, followed by Celebration 310 in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1997; Celebration 315 in Delaware, 2002; and now we’re ready for Celebration 320! Everyone who attended previous reunions has fond memories to share.

Our Harlan ancestors developed a pattern of moving west to lands affording new opportunities. From England to Ireland to America and then on to the ever-expanding American frontier, Harlans traveled and settled. Join us in Reno as we learn more about our common heritage and explore our family’s part in the history of the trails west into Oregon and California.

We had an overwhelming response to our mailing regarding interest in attending Celebration 320 in Reno, Nevada, this coming July. In this mailing you will read general information about daily activities we have planned. The enclosed Registration Form gives you information on costs of various activities and a place to sign up for what you want to attend. Please complete the Registration Form and return it to Liz Harlan Sly by May 30 so that we can finalize our plans.

SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 12
Registration will begin in the Nugget Hotel Convention Center on the second floor at 12:00 noon. You may pick up your information packets, name tags and begin to visit with each other. An exact schedule of events, workshop names and the location of each activity will be in your program packet.

Our first scheduled event at the Nugget is a reception hosted by The Harlan Family Association from 6:00-8:00 in the evening. Light refreshments and soft drinks will be served, and a cash bar will be available. This is the perfect time to renew/make friendships. A children’s activity will be held at this time, the first of several taking place throughout the reunion. From 4:00–9:00, outside the hotel, the Sparks Farmers Market takes place. We understand there will be entertainment and food booths, so it will be a fun place to take a stroll and have dinner before or after the reception.

Friday, July 13
Friday morning there will be two guided bus tours beginning at 8:30 a.m., and returning prior to the afternoon picnic:
• Donner Summit Tour - You’ll visit the Donner camp site north of Truckee, CA, where some of the Donner Party were trapped in the high snows in the winter of 1846. The Harlan Wagon Train made it over the summit just prior to the Donners and the heavy snowfall. You will then visit Donner Memorial Museum, monument and camp site of the other portion of the Donner Party at Donner Lake, west of Truckee. The return trip will take you over Donner Summit via old Highway 40, west to the small village of Soda Springs and return east by I-80 to Reno. You’ll see the rugged terrain experienced by the Harlans on their way to California. Tour lasts about 5 hours. Donuts, soft drinks and water will be provided. ($25 per person) www.parks.ca.gov

• Virginia City Tour - In this colorful mining town, a Harlan ancestor opened one of the first hotels and took part in the great Silver Rush of the 1860s. When you arrive at Virginia City, you will board a trolley to tour the town, then visit historic sites and take a train ride. This tour takes about 5 hours, and donuts, soft drinks and water will be provided. ($25 per person) www.virginiacity-nv.org

• A variety of workshops will be held in the morning in the second floor Nugget meeting rooms. Workshops planned at this time for Friday and Saturday are Jacob Wright Harlan – Adventurer and Author; Genealogical Research; Creating a Family Scrapbook; Harlans on the Supreme Court; Harlan Women and the Lincoln Family; Josiah Harlan – American King of Afghanistan; Quaker Influence on Harlan History; and The Donner Tragedy.

Do you have a workshop you would like to present? If so, please contact William K. Harlan at orsinox@comcast.net or (925) 932-8298.

• The big event on Friday, in keeping with past reunions, is the family picnic. It will be held from 12:00-5:00 in the Peavine Pavilion at Rancho San Rafael Park. The park is about a 20-minute drive from the Nugget. You may car pool or use a shuttle bus which will be provided by The Harlan Association. A delicious meal of barbecued chicken, pasta primavera, beans, coleslaw and cornbread will be served between 1:00-2:00. There are tables in a pavilion. We will need additional seating under the shade trees. If you drive, please bring lawn chairs, blankets and pop-up sun shades. There will be time to visit and/or play. Volleyball and horseshoes will be set up, or bring your own football, soccer ball, Frisbee, etc. The park has hiking trails and an exercise course. Children’s playground equipment is close to the pavilion. The Association will provide children’s admission to Great Basin Adventure, a fun park, which includes a log ride, gold panning, petting zoo and other activities. The Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a nice place to stroll. The May Museum is also located in the park. Visit www.maycenter.com.

• A general Harlan Family meeting will be held at the Nugget Convention Center from 7:00-8:00 in the evening.

Saturday, July 14
• You may attend a variety of workshops in both the morning and afternoon.

• Tours to the same locations as Friday will also be offered, except box lunches will be provided. The Donner Summit Tour and the Virginia City Tour are $25 per person.

• There are many opportunities for fun in the Reno area. Here are a few suggestions: National Automobile Museum, Nevada State Railroad Museum, Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, Nevada Historical Society, Nevada State Museum and the Nevada Museum of Art. Artown, a variety of cultural activities, takes place all over town in July. Visit the following Web sites to plan activities or wait to get your packet of information at the reunion: www.RenoLakeTahoe.com or www.renotahoe.com or www.travelnevada.com.

• Saturday evening will be the traditional banquet and program. William K. Harlan, great-great-grandson of George (#852), will speak to us about the California/Oregon Trail and the Hastings Cutoff route taken by the Harlan Party.

Sunday, July 15
We plan to hold a nondenominational worship service at 9:00 in the morning in one of our Nugget meeting rooms.

Our final activity will be a breakfast buffet which will be open from 9:30-11:00. The menu will be fruit, pastries, muffins, coffee cakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, chicken apple sausage, juices, coffee and tea.

HOSPITALITY CENTER
Throughout the reunion our Hospitality Center will be open in the Nugget Convention Center. It will be an area where there will be various displays, and tables will be set up where you may sit and talk with family members. Tables will also be provided for those who wish to display family items such as albums, pictures, books, etc., and in keeping with the tradition of previous reunions, we invite you to make and bring your favorite HOMEMADE cookies to be set out as treats each day.

LODGING
There is a wide variety of lodging available in the Sparks/Reno area. John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks has set aside a block of rooms at a special rate for our reunion participants. If you choose to engage a room at the Nugget, call 1-800-648-1177 or log on to www.janugget.com. Go to “Hotel;” go to “Reservations;” then enter Special Offer/Group Code: GHARLAN. The discounted group rates are from July 11-16 and may be extended from July 9-19 based on availability.

HARLAN FAMILY REUNION PATRONS
Some event fees have been lowered because of donations already received, but additional contri-butions are needed to help for other expenses. See the other side of this page for an opportunity to become a reunion patron.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!
Copy the registration form and send it to your relatives or contact Ruth Harlan Lamb who will be happy to mail one. E-mail: < harlamb@aol.com >. Mailing address: The Harlan Family In America,
P. O. Box 1654, Independence, MO 64055. Phone: (816) 373-1001

We look forward to meeting each of you in Reno.

Pat Fluetsch and William K. Harlan
Co-chairpersons of the 2007 Reunion

Help sponsor the 2007 Harlan Family Reunion by becoming a Reunion Patron.

The Harlan Family in America is most grateful for the financial support given by many members of the Family. Contributions help finance the printing and mailing of and other organizational expenses. When planning a national gathering, additional donations are needed for underwriting some of the many reunion costs.

Contributions of any size are most welcome for the reunion fund. Names of donors who contribute $25 or more will be listed in the commemorative 2007 Reunion Program as Reunion Patrons.

If you would like to help, please send your donation, designated for the 2007 Reunion, to:

The Harlan Family in America
P. O. Box 1654
Independence, MO 64055.

Your support will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

You might want to order some Harlan Family shirts, sweatshirts and caps before the reunion.

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PAST REUNIONS

55th ANNUAL HARLAN FAMILY in TEXAS REUNION
Learn about the early Harlan settlers in Texas. Visist historic sites in Central Texas.
Share your family stories with other Harlan descendants.

WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, October 1st & 2nd & 3rd, 2005
WHERE: Blue Ridge Baptist Church, on FM-1771 About 10 miles east-southeast of Marlin, TX.

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, October 1st - 2-5 pm- Tour of gravesites of Harlan descendants buried in the Blue Ridge Cemetery. Harlan Family Stories, etc.
6:30 pm - Dutch treat dinner at Los Pepes Cafe, Marlin (next to Relax Inn, phone 254-883-2581)

Sunday, October 2nd-
11:00 am Church Founders' Day
All are welcome to attend.
Noon Sunday Dinner $7.50 each
2:00 pm Harlan Reunion business meeting- President M. F. Turner presiding
3:00 pm Blue Ridge Cemetery Association meeting

Immediately after the Sunday Church services, there will be a catered buffet dinner with two meats, 3 vegetables, a salad, bread, iced tea and dessert.

$7.50 per plate. RSVP is required. RSPV with $7.50 per plate not later than September 30th, 2005.

M. F. Turner
3904 Runge Court West
Irving, TX 75038-6654
Phone: 972-252-1194

Robert & Lyn Powers
7100 Canterbury Drive
Waco, TX 76712-3964
Phone: 254-399-9564

Special Note: Blue Ridge Baptist Church has graciously given us use of their facitities. Please do not bring food or drinks into the church. Weather permitting, all Harlan Reunion functions will be held under the new metal pavilion between the church and the cemetery.

Address corrections and Additions Requested: Please send any corrections and Harlan descendant additions to Robert Powers at address shown above.

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Harlan-Allen Reunion

The 78th annual Harlan-Allen Reunion will be held July 24, 2005 at the American Legion Post in Dumont, Iowa. Everyone is welcome. We start arriving Sunday morning, have a pot-luck lunch and business meeting along with lots of visiting, picture sharing and genealogy updating.

This reunion was started in 1927 with 120 persons present. They were descendants of Jehu Harlan (#2865 in A.H. Harlan's book). Jehu and his wife Susannah emigrated to Iowa in 1855. The nearest neighbors were the family of David and Nancy Allen. Four marriages occurred between these two families, and the reunion was started by the resulting "double cousins". It has expanded to include members of the complete Harlan and Allen families. For more information contact reunion secretary Neilla Harlan Banse at gnbanse@midlands.net.

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Hark! Hark!
Mark your calendars! Plan to attend the First Ryan Family Reunion!

Descendants of:
Joseph Patrick & Olia Elgin Bryant Ryan
Parents of Joseph: Jerry Patrick & Fortunee Roussel Ryan
Parents of Elgin: Thaddeus Sylvester & Frances Cordelia Bryant Bryant

When? August 14, 2004 All Day Picnic at 1: 00 (barbecued hot dogs & hamburgers)

Where? Wappapello State Park, MO – Picnic shelter

Where to stay? Cabins and campsites are reserved. Please let us know of your plans by June1.
Joy reserved and placed a deposit on seven cabins, each for August 13 and 14. Contact Joy to make reservations. Basic charge for a cabin is $63.14 per night; each cabin is two bedroom, will sleep six, $6 per person per night fee for over two people, (fee does not apply to children under 5).

Rosemary reserved five campsites for August 13, 14, and 15. Contact Rosemary for a campsite reservation. Campsites are basic tent sites at Ridge Campground with water and restrooms nearby. These are reserved for three nights, with four people each $32.50 total ($8.50 reservation fee and $8.00 per night).

Electric campsites or bare camp cabins can be reserved by calling 573-422-6766 (need to hurry).

What to bring? Table service, a dish or two for noon Saturday, a game, a ball, a musical instrument, and that Ryan gift for gab.

Activities? A float trip is planned for Sunday (more later). Swimming, hiking, and boating are nearby. Our Uncle Carl is in charge of a horseshoe tournament.

Puxico Homecoming is ongoing.

Genealogy & Research: For those who attend the reunion, we are compiling a booklet of charts and photos depicting the history of the Ryans and everything we know about it. Also will have a family directory of the young, old, and very talented members of the Ryan family.

Bring to share: Photos, family artifacts, plants to share, and family news.

Note: A hat will be passed to cover costs of the reunion.
Contacts: Rosemary Noel 417-922-350 noelnr@centurytel.net
Joy Ryan 202-537-1371 joyryan@aol.com

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THE BLUE RIDGE BAPTIST CHURCH WILL HOLD THEIR ANNUAL MAY DAY SINGING
ON SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2004. THE ANNUAL SINGING HAS BEEN HELD FOR OVER 115 YEARS.

THE CHURCH WAS FOUNDED BY DESCENDANT OF AARON HARLAN ON LAND BOUGHT FROM MEXICO BEFORE THE TEXAS REVOLUTION.

THE CHURCH WAS FOUNDED IN 1857 BY THE EARLY HARLAN SETTLERS IN THE YOUNG STATE OF TEXAS.

THE SINGING BEGINS ABOUT 10 AM. A SHORT SERMONETTE WILL BE DELIVERED BEFORE 12 AM. LUNCH WILL BE SERVED AT NOON. SINGING BEGIN AGAIN ABOUT 1:30 PM UNTIL ALL HAVE LEFT.

THE CHURCH IS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MARLIN, TX.

CONTACT HARLAN DESCENDANT ROBERT POWERS AT 254-399-9564

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INDIANA STATE HARLAN REUNION

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