Reunions in the spirit of Minnie and Dewey, Dutch settlers in Wisconsin

I remember Grandma Minnie's red cabbage, Aunt Ann's pickles and now in the same legendary spirit, Cousin Doris's pickle. A complete meal can be made from home-canned pickles, Wisconsin cheese slices on freshly baked rolls, and beer.

As a child, my most memorable family reunion with Grandpa and Grandma Braaksma was near a lake or pond in Wisconsin. Grandpa was fishing and hollered out that he needed us to catch grasshoppers for bait. The fun began. We were hopping all over, on a grasshopper safari, catching grasshoppers as fast as we could. I felt like I was doing something of utmost importance for my beloved grandfather.

Suddenly, there was a great commotion - lots of laughing. Uncle Don and his friends had arrived with a watermelon in tow. They were quite pleased with themselves. They explained how they had drilled holes in the watermelon and soaked it in rum the night before. Now the golden moment had arrived when they would stick straws through the holes and sip the rum from the watermelon. Nothing for us youngsters, but it was fun being part of a family who knew how to make the most of their time together.

In 2008, cousins Dorris and Steve re-lit the family reunion torch and hosted a reunion in Nashville.
Click for photos of the 2008 Dewey-Minnie Braaksma Reunion in Nashville.

In 2010, a second reunion was held in Wisconsin at Doris's home.

Click for photos from the 2010 reunion.

Our third reunion has come and gone. In 2013, we hosted a family reunion in Branson, Mo. It was as much fun being with everyone as ever.
Click for photos from the 2013 reunion.