Only 27 people gathered for the 8th reunion on July 19, 1931 in South Euclid, Ohio. Otis Brugge is the first of Martin’s descendants to appear in the big book. The notes from that meeting say that Otis F. Brugge (from Cleveland Mississippi) was guest of honor and was given an autographed souvenir.
Three of the 27 were not descendants (or married into) of Clamor, leaving 24 relatives gathered). Edwin and Esther Grelle Brueggeman’s niece, Helen Brand (Alma Grelle Brand’s daughter from Seymour, Indiana) and Ernst August and Emma Long Brueggeman’s niece and nephew, Edwin and Margaret Miller (Emma’s side) were in attendance. All others were from the Akron/Cleveland area.
In 1931, the Great Depression was affecting americans. Herbert Hoover was president and the Empire State Building was completed just months before our reunion. Albert Einstein was doing research, Edison applied for his last patent. The Star Spangled Banner was accepted as our national anthem. Prohibition was still in force. There was a huge drought. The polio epidemic was growing, the Iron Lung was developed in 1931.
The only children present were the Krausman Children (Russell, Ernst and Marie). In many cases, only the husband/father of families was present. There is nothing in the meeting notes to explain the attendance. Rudolph did not, as he has in the past, add names to the sign in.
Edwin and Esther Brueggeman had 3 young children at the time, who did not attend. According to Joyce Vaseliv, Marjorie Brueggeman’s daughter in law, either Marjorie or Lois told her that the three children (Edwin, Marjorie and Lois) were sent to Seymour, Indiana where Esther’s family was during the polio epidemic. Susan Young, Lois’ daughter does not remember Lois telling her that, nor does James, their younger brother who was not born yet. Neither Susan nor James discounted the potential. I am still waiting to hear from Carolyn (their sister who is still living, Donna (Lois’ daughter) and Marjorie’s children. I do know Marjorie told Joyce many stories of her childhood. Lois also talked to Joyce, and to me (her niece) about her childhood often. Someone MUST have been watching the three children, though and I am assuming it was Alma Grelle Brand, Helen’s mother and Esther’s sister. With so few children there, I am assuming that the family was concerned about the spread of polio and were protecting their children. It would make sense, given Joyce’s account, that Alma and Helen took Edwin, Marjorie and Lois back to Seymour with them and Alma watched the children so Edwin and Esther could gather with family.
James thought the polio epidemic would not be in play because he remembers it. He had once told me of a neighbor who was paralyzed from polio and that they weren't allowed to swim locally because of polio. I’m writing this in January of 2024, just after the Covid pandemic. The first two years of Covid were definitely long and draining. Covid is not as deadly as it was at first. I can’t imagine a disease that cripples children lasting so long. I do understand wanting to protect your loved ones from the disease so much that you isolate as our whole country did that for years.
As attendance patterns are emerging (I haven't looked past the 8th reunion yet, so this is based on a very small sample), which relatives attended and did not attend. Families with small children who were at the past three reunions and lived locally did not attend. Older members of the family who had not previously attended were present. I imagine many conversations about how to safely gather given the polio epidemic.
It is interesting, too, that Otis appears alone from Cleveland, Mississippi. At this point I have no idea if he traveled alone or with his family. At the time, he had a wife and young children. Linda’s son from a previous marriage, Edward Bond (1917), Peggy (1924), Otis (1926), and Martin (April 30, 1931, so he would have been less than 3 months old). It’s hard to imagine traveling such a distance at the time with young children. Perhaps another artifact will shed light (we do have many letters).
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