Sunday was a beautiful day and was especially appreciated by our family, the Moodys.
We haven’t had a family reunion since 2015, if I remember correctly.
Our father, Lee Jr., passed away in 2016 and two of his other brothers died in 2017; Uncle Jim in March and Uncle Harry in October and there had been no reunions since.
I don’t want to fail to mention that our uncle and baby of the family, Dan Moody, and his wife, Becky, died as the result of a traffic accident on July 4, 2005, in Indiana, and, they too, will always be remembered.
My mother, Bea Moody, died in 2019 and Aunt June Moody in March this year, leaving Aunt D’Arleen (Moody) Waymire and Aunt Gail Moody the only two left in that generation on the family tree.
It was my understanding that Aunt Gail wanted to have a reunion this year. So, her son Rick offered his pond, and what I’d call a party house, for the venue.
of the family reunion..They are, from foreground to back, Kaley Wagner, Frank Shapiro, Dan Norton and Dennis Beasley. (Linda Moody photo)
Of course, it’s not the same without our elders with us any longer, but it was great just talking with the other relatives. I don’t know if this will become an annual event again or not, but was just pleased to have the opportunity this year to get with these family members.
Driving the farthest to this rural Ansonia reunion were Myron “Bud” Caupp, Grandma Moody’s nephew, which would make him our second cousin. He is from Middletown as are his son and his wife, Boyd and Susan Caupp, who were there. Also accompanying them were Boyd and Susan’s son and daughter-in-law, Thomas and Rebecca Caupp of Hillsboro.
The remainder of the guests are mostly from the Darke County area.
From our family were my brother, Ron; my son Jamie and myself; sister Bev Brumbaugh, her son Justin and granddaughter Maddicyn Brumbaugh and her friend, Gage Seals; and sister, Brenda Norton and husband Dan, and their daughter Nikki Phillips and sons, Anson and Kasen.
Attending from Uncle Harry’s family were Connie and David Starline and her granddaughter Becca (Riffell) Brinley, husband Phil and son Brinley; and daughter Kathy Wagner, husband Bob and son Craig, his wife Kaley and sons Brinley and Hudson.
From Aunt D’Arleen’s: Daughter Deb Rose and husband Rick, and their daughter, Angie Drees, husband Ron and their children, Dalton, Alexa and Brayden; and D’Arleen’s other daughter, Sandy and husband Dan Garber, their daughter Jessica Cannady and her daughter Layna Best, and the Garbers’ other daughter, Kim Garber-Bloom and children, Haylee, Skylar, Xavier, Ryker, Logan and Little Sir Bloom.
From Uncle Jim’s family, of course, is his wife Gail and her friend, Frank Shapiro; Greg, the oldest son, and wife Cindy Brown-Moody; Rick, who hosted the reunion with wife Nancy; and Dennis and wife Paula Moody and their children: daughter Ashley and husband David Gilpin and son Robby and his daughters, Atalie, Aven and Renley.
Dennis Beasley, a good friend of the family, was also in attendance.
In addition to hamburgers and hot dogs, there was a carry-in meal, not to mention some swimming, some other activity around the pond; having the family history book to look over thanks to Boyd Caupp; and best of all, a good time to converse and catch up with the goings-on of one another.
I had fun and hope everyone else did too.
We counted there were 62 in attendance.
We truly missed those who are no longer with us in life and those who were unable to attend, whether it be due to sickness, vacation or having some other event to attend.
The favorable weather was also a plus.
I personally want to thank all of the cousins, who took time out of their busy lives to make this happen.
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Ruth (Osterloh) Beasley Dunn, Jase Blocher, Patricia Grieshop, Louis Schlater, Betty Liddy, Tracee Peters Lundeen, Bonnie Koesters, Chester Burns and Galen Purnell Jr.
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Please pray for these people: Jamie Knick, Dan Lockhart, Vanna Hannam, Doyel Daniels, Steve Waymire, Jenny Pitman, Nikole Baldridge, Melinda (Batten) Stacy, Michelle Young, Tommy Farmer, Margaret Hoening, Manual Macias, Kathy McNutt Dapore, Lester Beisner, Delores Beisner, Kermit Foureman, Chuck “C.W.” Cruze, Mark Lovejoy, Connie Buemi Hodson, Michelle Grottle Wright, Cheryl Slonaker Gilmore, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Marie Schlechty, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, Bev Brumbaugh, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Linda Lore, Ralph Byrd, Doug Winger, Rusty Maloy, Debbie Mayse, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Jeanie Francis, Harvey Hinshaw, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Gary Francis, Anthony and Theresa Grillot, Lee Everhart, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Tracy Pratt, Kinley Bernard, D’Arleen Waymire, Tish Hodson Shepherd, Zach Urbancic.
Also, Sharon Gamster, John Rimmer, Joan Keen, Carol Hemmerich, Sharon Hummel, Dave Hinshaw, Larry P. Fitzwater, Jim Thomas, Neal Gray, Michael Mowery, Kenny Edwards, Judie Hathaway, Della Burch, Ned and Brenda Wallace, Rick Marker, Randy Garrison, Warren Menchhofer, Jannie Barrow, Kathy Gragorace, Danny Foster, Noella Combs, Becky Everhart, Becky Oliver, Jayden Martin, Stefani Priest, Steve Neff, James Enicks, Joann Freeman, Cathy Collins Peters, Donna Bixler, Linda Subler, Roger McEowen, Sally Burnett Ganger, Gloria Hodge, Jeff Baltes, Judy Hoffman and daughter Shelly, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all of those who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
July 13 to Larry Walters, Gage Daniels, Chloe Heck, Stephanie Adkins, Kathy Gasson, Laura Shafer, Sherry Deubner, Shirley Gariety, Eric Fee and Larry Riley Jr.
July 14 to Jerrod Teegarden, Robert Helm, Dana Higgins Melling, Eugene Hoening Jr., Lois VanScoyk Gibboney, Kathy Leeper, Tom Fox, Mary Barga, Rob Curtis, Eric Newman, Rev. Gary Oser, Michael Berger, Nikki Ford Hill and Kathy Beam.
July 15 to Steve Baker of Troy, Tonda Wentworth, Teresa Clymer Fleckenstein, John Middleton Sr., Elaine Amspaugh, Carla Smith Bubp, Dennis Leeper, Paul Klingshirn, Troy Foster and Sandy Marcum.
July 16 to Mike Hammontree and Zachary Bartram.
July 17 to Janie Pepple Hammelrath, Brad Hiestand, Pam Hartzell, Missy Schmitz, Mike Osterloh, Phil Shiverdecker, Gloria Hahn and Tonia Poth.
July 18 to Mark Emrick, Dan Studabaker, Naomi Hathaway, Tonya Keller and Rod Anthony.
July 19 to Randy Heck, Judy Barga Pierron and Patty DeMange.
Happy anniversary to Chris and Kim Barnhardt on July 14.
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