Not really an update update

 Hi, Cousins!

I love the excitement so many of you have for next year.  T shirts are being designed, key chain made, cookbooks planned, hotels explored and so much more.

We will inform you all when we have our information together.  The plan is to make things easy for you, and that takes a bit of background work.

If you are providing something we'll need to reimburse you for (we'll pass on the cost to those who want whatever you have), please email Brueggemanreunion@gmail.com before August 1.  

If you have pictures of ANY reunion, please also e-mail those!  If you know when the picture was taken and who is in it, that's wonderful, but even if you don't, that's ok!

c

The First Generation

 Clamor had nine children.  I’ve named that generation “The first generation “ because their children are our clan names.  Only 3 of the nine were alive in 1924 when the reunion began.  Cousins and siblings had moved to various parts of the country.  My best guess is that those cousins felt a deep bond and knew that our parents hold our family together.  By gathering once a year, they would stay in touch and their children would know each other.  I wonder if they hoped their great-great-great grandchildren would continue the family bond and the tradition.

About half of the original 9 were born in Germany.  They all came with Clamor to America.  

Gerhart H. Brueggemann (1841-1867)

Marie Louise Brueggemann Bennhoff (1842-1919)

Johann F. Brueggemann (1850-1909)

Anna Mary Ilsbien Brueggemann Barlag (1846-1924)

Anna Louise Brueggemann Hueseman (1859-1915)

Louis Henry Brueggemann (1861-1922)

Ernst August Brueggemann (1846-1937)

Sophie Brueggemann Reinhardt (1864-1925)

Rev. Johann Brueggemann  (1870-1927)

These 9 children bore more than 50 children, 45 of whom survived and bore children.

This photograph has all of the nine except Gerhart.  

Wonderful!

 The 99th annual Brueggeman Family reunion is one of my favorite reunions (I’ve been to at least 40 of them).  While we missed many of our cousins, the more than 80 Brueggemans who gathered were excited for next year.  So many offered their skills, time and talent to help make next year’s a huge success.

You could FEEL the joy and family bonds growing, feel the gratitude, the respect and deepening understanding on how exceptional our family is.  We, my dear cousins, have an incredible legacy.

Jerry Smith took whole reunion and clan pictures.  Snag them!  I will add more in another post.