Dispersed
about this page are a few photos. They are small to keep the page from taking
too long to load. If you click on the small photos, a larger photograph will
load for you. After you view the larger photo, use your browser's back button to
return to this page.
Also, subsequent reunions
for 2003 and 2004 are on separate pages and can be reached by the links above. I
left them both as separate pages rather than incorporating 2003 onto this page
as has been my practice because we have lost a few members of our family and I
wanted to maximize the photos for the rest of the family.
September
22, 2002
I was not able to attend
the 2002 Reunion which was held in Dixon, Illinois at the
Best Western Ronald Reagan Inn. (Formerly: The Best Western Brandywine Lodge)
The family champions, Ray and Helen Adams, were there and provided the pictures
that you see here.
The
reunion weekend began with the usual Saturday tour led by Lyle Schryver, a
family member and Librarian of the Ogle County
Genealogical Society. These trips always include a trip to The Old Brick Church
just west of Polo, Illinois. This church was home to our branch of the O'Kanes
and is now a United Methodist Church, but was originally a United Brethren
Church. The church cemetery on the adjacent grounds is the hallowed, final
resting place to many of the original O'Kane family including my
Great-great-great-great Grandfather, Michael.
One
of the new attendees this year was Fran Olson who is Daniel and Lucinda's
great-great-grand-daughter. Here she is in the cemetery adjoining the Old Brick
Church with Lyle Schryver. They are standing by the headstone of her
great-great-grandparents. Fran spend extra days with the Ogle County
Genealogical Society to research her already proficient records of her branch of
the family.
The
Saturday activities ended with the traditional get-together of Michael's
descendents at a Sterling restaurant. Newly back this year for the reunion were
Judy and Russell Grogan from Holly, Colorado (on the far right).
Then,
the Sunday Reunion Luncheon was held at the Ronald Regan Inn. Kenneth O'Kane is
on the far left and then on the other side of the table are Dick O'Kane, Russell
and Judy Grogan, Lyle and Jan Schryver and Fran Olson.
Robert
and Thelma Hedrick were here again. These O'Kane descendents are still residents
of the Polo area where they have their farm and beautiful home. One of my
favorite Polo memories is a visit to enjoy their extensive hospitality.
Helen
Adams and Helen O'Kane (Kenneth's wife) caught up on all the news. Helen Adams
and her husband Ray are the most loyal attendees at the reunion and nobody could
think of how the reunion could happen without them.
Maxine
and Jim O'Kane are shown here with Dick O'Kane. Dick's wife, Nell, was not up to
attending. We hope she's feeling better now.
Kenneth
O'Kane, Maxine and Jim O'Kane are shown here with Dorothy O'Kane Hutton who we
have lost since the reunion. She was 92 years old at the time of this reunion
and a retired kindergarten teacher, She was loved and will remain in our hearts
forever.
Jan
and Lyle Schryver are always welcome as the leading authorities on the O'Kane
family. Here, they are with Fran Olson, the newest O'Kane Reunion attendee.
Ray
and Helen journeyed from Tennessee to Colorado and then back to Illinois for the
reunion.
The
visit in the lobby that traditionally follows the reunion luncheon is one of the
things we miss the most. Here is the opportunity to continue on with the visits
and the news of loved ones for as long as you can hold up.
We wish we could have
been there. You family members that wish may feel free to capture these photos
for your use as you see fit.
As all can see, the
attendance at the reunions is falling from year to year. Maybe we can get some
of the younger generation to slow down and recognize what a treasure a family
like this really is. It would be nice to see some of them attending the reunion
next year.
September
17, 2000
The
2000 Millennium Reunion
celebration
was held at Polo, Illinois. This was a particularly important
event for us. We missed the last one and were so glad to see these members of a
wonderful family again. The setting of the reunion at the Brandywine Lodge did
not lend itself to a group photo. But we did have new O'Kanes at the reunion.
Bob and Kay (O'Kane) Stearns (1st of the left and 1st on the right in the photo) drove in
from Nebraska. They are descendents of Joseph O'Kane. We look forward to seeing
them again in the future.
September
19, 1999
The reunion
attendance was down to 12 last year. The author was unable to attend.
September
20, 1998
We were 18 in number this year. Notably Carol Riker passed
on. We miss her happy heart that showed through her face so transparently.
Cynthia Kreder was in therapy with the goal being getting well enough to attend
the 1999 reunion. She didn't. Judy Grogan couldn’t get away from work.
Eddie and Kristen Nelson also missed. Joyce and Lyle Burt were overseeing the
construction of their new home. We understand, but missed all of them
nonetheless.
September
21, 1997
This was the first reunion that Donna
and I attended. What a wonderful thing to meet your family and find out they are
nice people. There are only 5 of 25 people in this photo that we knew before we
arrived for the reunion. We are two of them.
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