Der Familie Schultz

Hard to know where to start when it comes to a four-generation family reunion.  So let it be said that out of the large crowd of 50-70 people I am pretty sure I am 3rd oldest!  Mavis the Matriarch will turn 80 next year and is my Dad's first cousin (two Wolff Sisters married two Schultz brothers).  Below is the day's end photo of "water softball" old against young with OLD being over 30!  Deep breath, deep breath:)

 Alex getting instruction on the game of Hammerschlagen

HammerSchlagen (the "Striking Hammer" or "Hammer-Striking") is a brand of the German game Nailspielen (the "Nail Game" or "Playing With Nails"), which reportedly dates to the first Oktoberfest in 1810. 

I have now found it is a drinking game first played in the US in Minnesota - where else!  Pretty cheap entertainment - hammer and a few nails and a dead tree log - great fun it was.   Just have to find that big log for our backyard.

My cousins are such fun - Arlyce and little ones singing the national anthem using the shirt as a flag - thrifty yes!  I grew up with Arlyce and her sisters and brothers.  Her brother now owns the farm where I was raised.  Arlyce and I had a great visit out alone on the paddleboat where she was the  one with a life jacket of the two of us - her words:  "If we go down you will not get the life jacket" - laugh laugh!!!!

Arley Schultz - lives on the 120 year homesteaded Schultz farm -  with my brother Kent and another couple generations looking at his old family photos - more will be posted later on those.  Arley says he remembers when he was 16 and mom, dad and me at about 1 year old took a day trip to Canada and he thought it was the greatest thing!!!  He had a picture of my Grandma Schultz with her sisters a short time before she died on my 11th birthday in 1958; she was 68.  She died in the "little house" on our farm and I was not allowed to see her in the last months of life.  She suffered with cancer at least two years and started out having cobalt and radiation treatments at Mayo Clinic.  I remember my mom and dad making small monthly payments to them many years after she died.  It was a sad day for me when she died and Arlyce's dad, Richard, was the one to comfort me at the "wake" at the funeral home when he found me crying in a corner.

So - yes it must be a very strong dock on Blanche Lake to hold all these people all day long.

The "yard" - about a dozen tents, a few RVs, a cabin and tons of "events" - "German" golf also known as Testicle Toss, hammerschlagen, water softball, jet ski, paddleboat, cooking, eating, talking, laughing, drinking beer - life is indeed good and I am blessed to have been born into this wonderful family.  My brother Kent called last night and said it was nice that there is no "conflict" and only warm and nice feelings.  This is our first of these reunions.  When my mom died in 2010 Mavis said "you guys should come sometime".   Kent says he was told we are now "on the list".

Cousin Mark.  He doesn't live too far from us and when my mom and his mom Mavis would drive to Minneapolis together I would pick her up at their house.  His dad, Roger, was my science, biology and chemistry teacher in high school.  Oh - and my driver's training instructor.

My brother Kent, wife Karen and my Dad's first cousin Arley looking at more family pictures.  Not too surprising that I was the one of my generation who knew the most people in the pictures.

The house, the lake which is shallow far out and accommodated very well all the little kids.  Alex loved it and made new friends right away and wants to go back there again.  On the way home he totaled up the "water time" and with hotel and lake from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning he spent 15 hours in the water.

My cousin Gary Weiss - of my generation  and owner of "my" farm- took Alex for two jetski rides and they are certainly buddies for life.  He is a Vietnam vet and was injured and in military hospitals for a long time!

Mavis in the middle - she will turn 80 next year and looks wonderful - but I think we all do.

Within the first hour two of the fourth generation met and fell in love; Alex and little Morgan.  She loved him at first sight and is very hard to resist.  My cousin's grandchild and cute as a button.

My girl cousins Sherry, Arlyce and me - we grew up on adjoining farms, got into lots of things as kids and I babysat for all of us while our parents went out on Saturday nights.  Sometimes I would have 7 or 8 kids to babysit and noone seemed to worry about it.  All of our parents were pretty good party people.

Did I mention the food?  At least a dozen pans of bars - since I don't like to bake Alex and I were often found sneaking into the house for another bar.  Our Saturday night dinner was provided by my "team" - 80 burgers, 28 brats, salads and of course more bars!  Lucky to have a Woodmaster pellet grill big enough that it arrived being pulled behind someone's vehicle.  They are made in my hometown and was a free loaner for the weekend because someone has an "in".

How can I top all this?  Just trying to stay cool in our 90-100 degree weather resulted in the Alex and Grammy day today with inside activities.  Tomorrow Bloomington celebrates the Bloomington Fete (yes, a French word for feast).  We haven't missed very many and will again go as a family and suffer through the heat and thousands expected to attend.  It's always on the 3rd of July and now just about a mile from our house.