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Reunion Highlights

This page is designed for those of you who wish to share your thoughts and feelings about the Whiting family, the Homestead, and the reunion.  If you have things you wish to share, just send an Email to r2d2@byu.net with the word "Share" in the subject line.  If there are things you feel that should have been done differently, we will forward them to Christene Sowby (2010 Reunion President).


My daughter and parents say the reunion was outstanding. Thanks for adding to the legacy and tradition. I wish I could have been there.
Michael R. Brown

What a wonderful reunion that was!  I had an absolutely wonderful time.  I am enjoying reading all about it and the pictures you have posted on the site.
Christy Pethel

I was only able to make it to a portion of the reunion and wished I would have made it to more.  It was a blessing for me and my family to be apart of. We felt pride in our family and it history and wanted to live up to those he preceded us.
Jason E Whiting

The Fife and the Ellsworth posterity have a lot in common. Effie and Norma are two daughters of Anna May , who is daughter of Anna May and Edwin. Effie and Norma both died at the age of 41 and each left 5 little children, many who have no memory of their mother. When their posterity attends the reunions, I believe they they can feel their heritage that was so lovingly bestowed upon them. I was one month old when Effie died. I appreciate the opportunities to come to the reunion and feel of her spirit through my heritage.
Evelyn Nan Ellsworth Gwartney

We enjoyed the reunion so much.  It was an amazing experience.  I wanted to stay longer to enjoy, I didn't want it to end.  All the little extra's that help to reinforce and teach; charming stories, cookbooks, playing cards, etc. will be cherished for years as we learn about our ancestors together as a family.
Kristen Morrison  

I really enjoyed enjoyed the reuion.  It was great.  Karen was in shock as too the numbers and how large the family is.
Steven & Karen Smith

It was truly a fabulous reunion all around, a time that will be remembered by all our children for many years.  There were great things for all ages (ours are 15-5).
Brian and Pam (Tingey) Sharp 

Thank you for the great opportunity you gave our grandchildren to get to know their ancestors, and to be proud of their Whiting Heritage.  It was amazing!
Kriss Gates 

I was not going to attend because of work schedules etc.  One day after receiving one of your emails, I said to myself, I cannot miss the event that has been planned and prepared so diligently and carefully.  Thanks for  good memories and encouragement to be better.
Jeffrey L. Shields 

I wasn't able to be there but five of our children were.  The reunions meant so much to me when I was growing up, that I want my children and grandchildren to want to go.  Now my children are excited to get better acquainted with relatives that live near them. 
Annette Eliason 

Quilting/Treadle:  What a great pleasure it was to see all the excitement over learning a new (old) skill!  We had participants from all ages and sexes but 2 groups stood out from all the rest.  Young women 15-25 yoa and boys age 9-14 represented the majority of our learners!  And these two groups were very serious about learning the skills and getting them right. 

One cousin bought a doll dress kit in the Cash Store and sewed it up on one of the treadles'.  It took 3 visits to complete it but she was determined to get it done at the reunion as a remembrance and keepsake! 

One little cousin, named Sequoia, about 8 years old maybe, took to the treadle like she was born to it.  She came back several times.  She couldn't get enough of it!  At the end we gave her some fabic to take home and "keep sewing!"  I hope she does so.  If you know Sequoia, please help her continue sewing.  That little girl is going places!  I want to see her quilts in 20 years!  Thanks to all who helped make it happen, special thanks to Ellen and Rosemary for their invaluable help!  See you in 2010! 
Candace Simper


WOW, I just can't stop talking about it to anyone I see.  It was such a success and you thought of every little detail and it made all the difference in the world.

Julie Peterson 8/6/08

Thanks for asking me to represent Mary Elizabeth Cox Whiting it was so much fun getting to know her, and I was thrilled to get out the old spinning wheel and get it back into shape again after 30 years.  It got me motivated to clean up the rest of the wool and actually spin more yarn and perhaps make something.
Julie Peterson 

I had not been to the reunion for 14 years. The effort paid off. The organization and quality added to the experience. Another good memory for myself and adult sons of the Homestead. The pass/guide book are great souvenirs.
Mike Bodel 

Thank you so much for planning such a perfect reunion.  It really meant a lot to me, which I didn't fully anticipate.  I knew it would be fantastic, but I didn't realize that I would leave feeling so much closer to my family and to my great-great-grandparents.  It was an overwhelming experience to walk around the Whiting Village and gain a new level of appreciation for the things the Whitings did and the way they lived. Hearing the stories about how hard our ancestors worked made volunteering at the stations such an important part of the experience which I was priveleged to have. 
 
I can't really explain the sense of family that was instilled in me at the reunion, but I feel like I discovered something that I didn't even know I was looking for.  But as I looked around at the hundreds of family members watching a documentary on our common ancestors, I felt the importance of being part of this family.
 
Thank you so much for all you put into planning the reunion.  I loved it!
Becky Middleton