Information for our 100th reunion July 9, 2023

Hello, Cousins! It’s FINALLY almost here. This year is incredibly special.

We have a bit of information for you to use in planning to join us. The regular flyer will be out in a few months.

First, ordering T-shirts: T-shirts are available in every size. They are a very soft unisex style t shirt in a beautiful blue. To order, please contact John Riley. $10 each. He will need to know how many to order and in what sizes. He can be reached by phone at 614-595-5101 or by e-mail at jomriley@gmail.com. John will let you know how to pay by check, venmo or cash.

Next, recipes: send heirloom and holiday recipes to Marti Brueggeman at mbruegge@insight.rr.com. You can also call (423) 596-5131 or send in the mail (6328 Waterwood Drive, Westerville OH 43082).

We are asking that each clan make a poster with pictures of all descendants of that cousin. If you’re unsure of your clan, PLEASE just ask! I’d be happy to help.

Finally, hotels! Blocks of rooms are reserved at two hotels. The rates are good for July 7 - July 9 (checkout on the 10th). You can stay all the nights or just one. Just
ask for the Brueggeman Family Reunion block: prices cover July7 to July 9.

Comfort Suites, Hartville (choice brand) is 9 minutes from Wingfoot Lake State Park. The phone number is 330-587-4347. The block’s price is variable, as it’s 10% off the current rate when booked. You must book by June 7 to get the rate. 10 rooms are being held, 5 King and 5 with two queen beds. One is fully handicapped

accessible.

Embassy Suites Akron/Canton is 24 minutes from Wingfoot Lake State Park . The phone number is 330-305-0500. The rooms are $155. 15 suites (all King with a pull out couch in separate rooms, includes breakfast) are in the block. Rooms must be booked by June 16th to get the block rate. You can call or use the

following link: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/brueggemanfamilyreunion2023/ 

Embassy Suites also has a meeting room that can be rented for a full day, should any clan need a dedicated meeting place on Saturday.

Love,

Christina Brueggeman-Blow (brueggemanreunion@gmail.com; 614-704-8094

99th Brueggeman reunion

 Hello, cousins!

Our reunion is July 10, 2022 at Wingfoot Lake State Park (Mogadore, Ohio). We will gather at the Pinetree Lodge at 11:00 am.  We are following our traditional schedule:  fellowship (11:00); service (12:00); potluck style common meal (12:30); meeting (1:30); and games (2:00).

Please spread the word and send any addresses for our family who does not receive the flyer.  We now have just over 300 addresses.  I estimate we should have closer to 1,000!

If you can’t attend, we’d still love to hear from you.  An email to brueggemanreunion@gmail.com can be shared with the family.

Our 100th is next year!  Please help our family make it memorable.  Your ideas and help are needed.  We can also use donations.  Checks can be made payable to John M. Riley with “Brueggeman Reunion” in the note section.  

Please bring your own drinks, place settings, food to share, chairs to watch games, gifts for games, addresses/emails/phone numbers.  FAMILY JOY!

I’m looking forward to seeing my cousins, both those who I know well and cousins I haven’t met.  

Safe travels!

Gathering information -- Ernst August and Emma.

 

This is a photograph of the Ernst August and Emma's mortgage granted January 18, 1924.  As always, I am amazed at our family.  A week or so ago, we had a new member of our Brueggeman Family facebook group.  Joey DiLoreto was a new name to me.  I couldn't find him in my contacts (or anyone with that last name), so I knew he had to be at least the generation below me.  (I am Clamor-Ernst August-Edwin-James).  I think he's TWO or THREE generations below me!  He does hail from Ernst August (Gus, Marie, then I'm not sure).  

A few days after joining the group, Joey sent me a message.  What followed has brought tears to my eyes.  He has this mortgage, as well as letters and envelopes!  He's willing to photograph them and email them to me!  Some of the letters are written in German to Emma (Ernst August's wife) from her mother.  

Joey also gave me his mother's address, so there's another Brueggeman cousin to invite!

98th Annual Brueggeman Reunion

 

Despite having a VERY rainy reunion (no one can remember a reunion quite as rainy), the Brueggeman's gathered and had a great time.

While there was plenty of catching up conversation, there were also some shenanigans that we will remember for years to come.

We were very blessed to have cousins join us, even ones who hadn't been to a reunion since 1958!

Yes!  That long!  We also had quite a few that joined in the fun who hadn't visited in 5, 10, 15, 20+ years.  We had cousins travel from Iowa, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Missouri.

At least 85 Cousins gathered, from 9 clans (covering 3 of Clamor's children).

We are hopeful that next year's reunion will have fantastic weather and more cousins.  (And that I'll learn how to put more than one picture up in a row!

The Original 10

When I started gathering information on the descendants of the original Brueggemans, I thought they all hailed from 10 siblings, the children of Ernst August Brueggeman.  Those 10 were:

Louise Brueggeman Kraussman
Emma Brueggeman Bischoff
Edwin Brueggeman
August Brueggeman
Linda Heil
Selma Riley
Lydia Darkow
Walter Brueggeman
Elmer Brueggeman
Karl Brueggeman

Edwin Brueggeman is my grandfather.  He passed away before my parents met.  Even though I never met him, I feel like I know him through the stories passed down.  Edwin married Esther Grelle had six children:  Edwin (Eddie) , Marjorie (Margie), Lois, William (Bill), Carolyn, and James (Jim).

I was wrong!  The original 10 were NOT the originals!  According to the pamphlet from the First Brueggeman Reunion, Earnst August is only ONE part of the picture.  All of Clamor Victor Ludwig Brueggeman's children were a part of the reunion!  Clamor was born April 12, 1816.  He passed away March 14, 1909.  He had two wives:  Anna Marie Catherine Fricken (1823-4/5/1859) and Marie Anna Scheips (10/9/1828 - 2/18/1889).  Between his 2 wives, he had 9 children:

Gerhart Henry Brueggeman
Marie Louise Bennhoff
John Fred Brueggeman
Mary Elizabeth Barlog
Anna Hueseman
Louis Henry Brueggeman
Ernst August Brueggeman
Sophie Reinhardt
Martin Brueggeman

Amazingly, in the address list Sue Usner-Miller provided me, we have addresses from the descendants of Ernst August, Sophie and Louis!

Little did I know, when I became the secretary of our family, I would also become a historian of sorts.