Family Reunion I

For as long as I can remember, July has been Family Reunion time for me. So this year just as sure as July arrived my wife Jane and I headed to Walburg, Texas. There I had attended my first Doering Family Reunion some 82 years ago. I was just 2 years old at the time so my memories probably begin somewhat later. Yet the memories flood. We wend ourselves down to “Grandma Doering’s  Place’ on the San Gabriel River. Three things stand out: 1. “Watch out for the deep places in the water. There is quick sand down there. Teacher Winters died when he got sucked down by that.” 2. The fresh glistening and pure water coming our of that free flowing pipe comes directly from that hillside fresh water spring. It is always cool. That’s why we have those watermelons in the trough right where that water comes out.” 3. This is to remember all the Doerings, but don’t forget: it is also Uncle Carl’s birthday today and the 4^th of July “

When we gathered again on the 4^th this year it was at the Walburg Community Center just down the road from Walburg Mercantile that my grandfather Doering established as the first real store in the area ,way back in the19th Century. It is just 50 yards from the Bank his family started, and a mile from Zion Lutheran Church where five generations of Doerings have been baptized, married and buried.

This year’s ceremony for the 150 of us who gathered was simple. We began with an imaginary parade of all of our ancestors, trying to picture at what point we entered the parade and the circumstances of us being included. We imaged the ancient ship arriving in America from Germany, the trip across the uninhabited countryside. Of course, we prayed, we sang and we ate and even had a few beers! And when we finished eating it seems there was as much food left as when we had started.

We paused to remember those who had left us in the last year, the most recently born and married and even the relative who came the farthest, from Philadelphia. We recalled shared hard times and good times, dedication to family, God, country, hard work, Lutheran schools and the German language which used to unite us, but is now only a memory for most of us.

Of course, it was like any family reunion, yet it wasn’t; for this is where I remembered MY roots and those who sacrificed, loved, taught, encouraged and supported me all along the way and are a part of me yet!