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Family Reunion

June 18, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 8 Comments

Original Johnsons + Grandpa Johnson

Last weekend I attended the Johnson family reunion. My Nana was one of twelve Johnson children who grew up at the turn of the century in rural Arkansas surrounded by a God-loving family  The original twelve still attend in spirit as our huge group gathers each year for delicious food, lots of laughter and great storytelling. 

We have over fifty 1st cousins in the family.

Fifty 1st cousins equals lots of 2nd and 3rd cousins.

with a few of my 2nd cousins…

How long will these reunions continue?

When the 1st cousins can no longer travel, will the 2nd cousins continue the tradition? We are spread around the South, busy with kids and careers and life. Some cousins I only know through Facebook. Some are complete strangers. Even so, that one weekend a year we realize our special bond is worth the effort. Plus, the original twelve would miss these family celebrations if we stopped.

talya
(Johnson 2nd cousin)

Musical Pairing:

In the Sweet By and By, Dolly Parton

Filed Under: Family, Life Tagged With: Johnson Family

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Comments

  1. Corinne Rodrigues says

    June 18, 2013 at 6:01 am

    How lovely, Talya. This reminded me of my Dad’s family – 15 siblings!! Family reunions are rare because folks are spread over three continents, but when we do gather, chaos reigns! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      June 18, 2013 at 11:43 am

      Thank you Corinne! Three continents – wow. That would be difficult to pull off.

      Reply
  2. danneromero says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:34 am

    committing to seeing each other on a regular basis isn’t always easy… like you say, everyone is spread out, with their own lives…. my whole family still lives in california, yet i hardly see any of them…. i love the idea of farm life… so open, carefree, and quiet… ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      June 18, 2013 at 11:43 am

      Thank you! I love the idea of California – LOL

      Reply
  3. Bryan Jones says

    June 18, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    Family can get on your nerves, but almost always worth the effort! Have fun!

    Reply
  4. Mary Hill says

    June 18, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    My mom’s folks are from Pennsylvania as I have said in a post last month. I went home and met her cousins for the first time. I didn’t know many people, but I was grateful to see where my mom grew up. Her cousins were farms kids while she lived in town. It was fun visiting their family farm. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  5. Dorothy Latimer Johnson says

    June 20, 2013 at 6:21 am

    Love the thought of cousins getting together. One of my favorites is visiting me this weekend. Can’t wait!

    Reply
  6. Tim Hardin says

    June 20, 2013 at 8:59 am

    I feel the same way about our family reunions. We have family scattered between North Carolina and California, and we usually try to find as central a location as possible for our family get-togethers. I hate to admit it, but over the years I’ve missed several reunions due to my sons playing for all-star baseball teams. It’s a tough decision whether to go to the reunion or allow my sons to play ball. They’d worked hard to get the honor of making the all-star team, yet it is very important that they get to know their family. Looking back, I wish I’d insisted we go to the reunions. I’ve been to the last two reunions, and it’s quite a shock to see how much my family has grown, as well as disheartening that I only know about half the people there. But it’s great to see everyone, especially the ones I grew up with. And I sometimes wonder how long we’ll keep the family reunions going after the matriarchs are unable to make the trips, or gone on to their Heavenly rewards. However, Facebook is a great tool in helping us stay in touch with our family, so there may still be hope for the future of our family get-togethers.=)

    Reply

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Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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