Reunions

Although Mary Frances had always tried to find a few days when all of her children could visit Windhaven each year to reconnect, it was not until 1922, when the family gathered to celebrate her 76th birthday belatedly in October, that the family decided to start meeting the Sunday closest to July 18. Seldon, Gertrude, Carl, Roy, Harry, Blanche and Bertha were all in attendance along with their spouses, children and other friends for a total of forty one on that day.

July 18, 1923 and all seven children joined a total of forty people to celebrate the day.
July 18, 1924 forty two gathered on for the third reunion.
July 17, 1925 fifty two gathered for the fourth reunion
July 17, 1926 forty gathered for the fifth reunion to celebrate Mary’s 80th birthday.
July 18, 1927 fifty gathered.
July 18, 1928 was the last reunion Mary attended. Sixty three signed the register. Harry was the only one of her children not in attendance. She died in January of 1929.
July 18, 1929 Seldon, Emma, two month old Jean and a family friend were the only ones at Windhaven.
July 18, 1930 Seldon, Carl and Gertrude brought their families to celebrate the day.
1931, Seldon and his family, Gertrude and her family and Bertha and her family gathered for reunion.
1932, Seldon and his family, Bertha and her family and Carl’s family gathered for reunion.
1933 only Seldon and his family and Carl’s family attended.
1934, Seldon and his family as well as members of both Blanche’s and Bertha’s families attended.
1935, Seldon and his family, Blanche and her family and Bertha and her family attended.
1936, Seldon and his family, Roy and his family, Harry and his family and Bertha and her family attended.
1937, on what would have been Mary’s 91st birthday, all of her surviving children and their families attended.
1938 and 1939, Seldon and his family, Roy and his family, Harry and his family and Bertha and her family attended.
July 18, 1940 saw seventy-one attending reunion including Seldon and his family, Gertrude’s family, Roy and his family, Harry and his family and Bertha and her family.
1941 sixty six gathered for reunion including Seldon and his family, Carl’s family, Blanche and her family, Harry and his family and Bertha and her family.
1942-1945 no reunions were held in due to the gas rationing imposed during the war. Various family members continued to visit Windhaven sporadically and typically a few would return for Wilmot’s Old Home Day in August during these years.
1946 on the occasion of Mary’s 100th birthday ninety five people gathered for reunion including Seldon and his family, Gertrude’s family, Carl’s family, Roy and his family, Blanche and her family, Harry’s family, and Bertha and her family.

Since that date, the family has continued to meet each year on the Sunday closest to July 18, Mary’s birthday and wedding anniversary. Only in the 2000’s has the date occasionally been altered due to NASCAR racing in NH. Many families try to make it a weekend activity. Some sleep in the house, some camp in the fields and others stay in nearby lodging. On Saturday there is typically an informal cookout dinner and in recent years an ice cream social. Some of us are lucky enough to remember the homemade ice cream Aunt Bertha’s family would bring from Hyannis when they had the ice cream shop. Saturday night the teenagers used to stay up late and play Hearts awaiting the time to leave for the early morning hike up Mt. Kearsarge to watch the sunrise. (This hike has since been changed to Saturday.) When hikers arrived back at Windhaven on Sunday morning, Mary Fullam would be making her famous blueberry pancakes and waffles for everyone to enjoy. Some family members on the hill would go down to the meeting house for church while others would set up for the association meeting and lunch.