Thursday, July 20th Activities:
7:15 AM – 4:30 PM –
Optional Berks County - Mastof Tour
of the Smucker/Stolzfuss, Hochstetter, and Hertzler Homesteads (and others). Hosted by the Mastof Press and
Bookstore. Cost is $36.00 and
includes a box lunch. For
additional information call: 610-286-0258 before June 1, 2006 to register for
this tour or e-mail mast@Mastof.com. Checks can be made payable to Mastof,
219 Mill Road, Morgantown, PA 19543.
Meet at Stumptown Mennonite Church.
12 Noon - 9:00 PM -
Registration open at Stumptown
Mennonite Church
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM -
Reception and Greeting of Family Members
– Finger Foods and Beverages will be provided. A fee of $4.50 per person is required with registration.
7:30 PM – 9:00PM – SSS Family
Genealogy Computer Center(Room
010 –LowerLevel)
open. Art Smucker and D. Richard
Miller will assist family members in tracing their S-S-S family lineage and add
new family data you provide into the SSS database.
Friday, July 21st Program
and Activities:
7:15 AM – 9:00 AM Registration at
Stumptown Mennonite Church
8:00 AM-5:00 PM - Full Day Heritage Bus Tour of S-S-S Family
Sites of interest in Lancaster and Berks Counties. Experience the setting of
Christian Schmucker’s plantation plus his Ellmaker and Diller neighbors from
the middle 18th Century.
Explore the vestiges from his children’s lives at the Leacock
Presbyterian Cemetery, the Trinity Lutheran Church in New Holland and the Blank
(Plank) plantation and cemetery.
After stopping at the popular Smucker Harness Shop, the tour travels
northward to Berks County to see the homes of Christian’s son, John, at the
Stoltzfus-Smucker House, the Heister Property, and the Stone House in
Wyomissing. After visiting the
Trinity Lutheran Church in New Holland to see some of the church records of
Christian’s son, Peter, we close the day with a stop at the Myers cemetery
where many of our ancestors are buried.
(This trip requires
separate registration of $25 per person – includes box lunch and
beverages). Meet at the Stumptown
Mennonite Church.
8:00 AM-12:00 Noon
– Half Day Lancaster County Tour
on Lancaster County’s 18th Century cartways to absorb our unique
heritage. See the Molasses Hill
One- Room Schoolhouse where two David R. Smuckers attended school, the
plantations of Christian Schmucker and his Ellmaker and Diller neighbors. Learn about Old Peters Road and the
warrants, surveys, and land patents through the Penn Land Grants system. Stop at the Smucker Harness Shop to see
leather crafting at its best and close the tour at the Myers Cemetery. We will
also make a brief stop at the
Trinity Lutheran Church in New Holland to view old church records of
Peter, son of Christian. (This
trip requires a separate registration of $20 per person). Meet at the Stumptown Mennonite Church.
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM -Amish andMennonite Cultural Heritage Bus Trip– Meet
at the Mennonite Informtion Center located at 2209 Mill Stream Road (at US
Route 30), Lancaster, PA 17602, to tour the Anabaptist exhibit. We will view “Postcards from a Heritage
of Faith” and “Who are the Amish?”
Then go next door to the Mennonite Historical Society to view tour their
”Decorated and Plain” exhibit. Proceed to the Stumptown Mennonite Church by no later than
12:30PM for a box lunch and to and board the coach for a country side
tour. A retired Mennonite pastor,
Lester Hoover, will be the guide.
Stops will be at a Mennonite Church and local Amish craftsmen and their
shops. A separate registration fee
of $25.00 per person for this optional trip is required. A box lunch is
included.
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM S-S-S Store(Adjacent the Registration Area)–
Family member-artists, authors, and crafts persons are encouraged to bring
their art and works to sell to interested parties. A 10% commission on sales will be assessed and designated to
continue the work of the genealogic computer record of our family. The Mastof Press will be present with a selection of texts and
publications of interest. The 2006
Commemorative Quilt-Wall hanging and Commemorative Fraktur will also be
available for sale. Contact Joanne
G. Smoker at 717-292-4709 or via jjsmoker@verizon.net
to arrange for the display of your work and to assist with staffing the S-S-S
Store.
11:30AM – until? Registration Desk open at the Stumptown
Mennonite Church
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Heritage Room
(Room 001-Lower Level)
– Individuals who wish to display heirlooms such as frakturs, samplers,
old photos, or other items of interest are encouraged to bring such items for
display. Please contact James M.
Smoker at 717-292-4709 or at jjsmoker@verizon.net
if you are interested in displaying and/or serving as a docent to oversee the
exhibit.
1:00PM – 5:00PM - S-S-S Genealogy Computer Center (Room
010 – Lower Level) is open and staffed by a group of
volunteers, including Art Smucker and D. Richard Miller who will be gathering
genealogical and historic information to expand our knowledge of the S-S-S
Family. Computer printouts of the
different family lines will be available.
Bring information or updates on your family line to add to the database.
5:30PM-7:00PM Family Gathering and Evening Meal.
(Fellowship Hall – Upper Level) A separate fee of $14.75 per adult and $9.75 per child is
required with registration. Opening Remarks by Joe Smucker, President of the
S-S-S Family Association.
7:30PM-9:00PM - S-S-S Music Fest& Hymn Sing (Fellowship Hall) Featuring
our Talented Family Members and a range of instrumental and vocal performances.
Saturday, July 22nd
Program and Activities
7:30 AM COFFEE AND
DONUTS CARING FRIENDS FOOD STAND
8:00 AM– Registration opens at the Stumptown
Mennonite Church
8:00 AM – 12 Noon- Children’s Activities (Room 003 – Lower Level) for
children ages 5-10 years of age at Stumptown Mennonite Church (separate
registration required). Age
appropriate activities and demonstrations will be provided for two age
groups. Kathryn Aschliman will
engage the children in making a paper patch work “Bear Claw Quilt”.
8:45 AM-9:15 AM S-S-S Family Business Meeting(Sanctuary) led by Joe Smucker,
President S-S-S Family Association
9:00 AM-4:00 PM S-S-S Store Family
Arts, Crafts, and Heritage Fair – Family members who wish to display and make
available for sale original arts and crafts may exhibit from 9AM-4PM. The Mastof Press collection of
texts and publications will be available for sale along with the 2006
Reunion Commemorative Quilt and Wall hanging and the 2006 Commemorative Fraktur
will be available for sale.
Contact Joanne G. Smoker at 717-292-4709 or at jjsmoker@verizon.net. for additional
information.
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM – Heritage Room
(Room 001 – Lower Level)
– Individuals who wish to display heirlooms such as fracturs, samplers,
old photos, or other items of interest are encouraged to bring such items for
display. Please contact James M.
Smoker at 717-292-4709 or at jjsmoker@verizon.net
if you are interested in displaying and/or serving as a docent to oversee the
exhibit.
9:30 AM-4:30 PM S-S-S Computer Genealogy Center (Room
010 – Lower Level) will be open intermittently. Please note posted hours. Help complete the “missing links” and
add new family member information.
9:15 AM – Open Remarks and Invocation
by Rev. Stanley Smucker (Sanctuary)
9:30 AM-10:30 AM -
Program Keynote Address: John A.
Lapp
“What
Stories Do We Tell Our Grandchildren?
“The
shape of your life includes the past”
John A. Lapp and his wife Alice (Weber) Lapp, Akron, PA, have been
married for more than fifty years.
They have three children and six grandchildren. John was trained as an
historian at Eastern Mennonite University and the University of
Pennsylvania. He taught at Eastern
Mennonite University, Goshen College (Dean and Provost from 1972 to1984), and
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
From 1985 to 1996 he served as Executive Secretary of the Mennonite
Central Committee, an international relief and development organization
headquartered in Akron. He now
serves as coordinator of the Global Mennonite History Project for Mennonite
World Conference.
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM – Concurrent
Sessions
1.A. Jane
Smoker Davidson
“The
Life and Times of Christian Smucker”
Jane Smoker Davidson serves as the Chester County
Historic Preservation Officer and as a member of the 2006 S-S-S Family Gathering
Planning Committee. Jane has
written two texts on
S-S-S family members. She has been and continues to be a key S-S-S family
historian. (Christian, John, Daniel, Joshua, David R., Joshua S., David R.)
1.B. Beth Hostetler Mark
Meet the
author of “Our Flesh and Blood”
Beth Hostetler Mark is a librarian at Messiah College
and is the author of Our Flesh and Blood: A Documentary History of the Jacob
Hochstetler Family during the French & Indian War Period, 1757-1765.
Beth enjoys doing historical research, especially on family-related
topics.
1.C.
Kathryn Aschliman – “Will Our Children Seek Peace? Passing Our Heritage on to Our Children” “Blessed are the peacemakers
for they will be called the children of God.” How are we passing on our heritage of peaceful living? How does it involve attitudes, words,
and actions? Kathryn is Goshen
College Emerita Professor of Education – Early Childhood.. (Christian, John, Christian, Joel,
Amos, Pearl Aschliman, Kathryn)
11:45AM - 12:45 PM
Lunch on your own – “The
Caring Friends” will provide a food tent with an assortment of local foods and
delicacies. Proceeds will benefit
the charitable works of “The Caring
Friends” and John Bieler
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM – Concurrent
Sessions
2A, Amy E. (Smoker) Sipe (Room 002 Lower Level)
“Our
Pietist and Annabaptist Heritage”
Amy Sipe is a doctoral candidate in the Department of
Anthropology at Syracuse University.
She is also an adjunct faculty member in Anthropology and the Public
Archeology Lab at Elizabethtown College.
Amy was recently the Doctoral Fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist
and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. She will provide us with insights into our Anabaptist and
Pietist roots and noted participants of these religious movements. (Christian, John, Daniel, Joshua, David
R., Joshua S., John M., James.)
2.B. Dorothy Ryan (Room 005
Lower Level)
“Samuel
L. Smucker, The Discovery of His Lost Art”.
Dorothy Ryan researched the works of Samuel L. Smucker
who was a noted post card artist and illustrator of the late 19th
and early 20th centuries.
Through her discussion, we will learn about this notable relative and
become acquainted with his work.
2.C. Jane
Smoker Davidson (Room 007 Lower Level)
“Tracing
Your Family Tree” – This presentation will provide
participants with an introduction to genealogy and provide the basics fro you
to begin your journey in tracing your family tree.
Jane L. Smoker Davidson serves as the Chester County
Historic Preservation Officer and is a founding member of the Chester County
Historic Preservation Network that united and invigorated various communities
and persons in Chester County communities to preserve historic structures. Jane has been a driving force in
developing our SSS Family Tree, the SSS Family
Reunions and has written several books on our family
history. Jane was appointed by
President George H.W. Bush to serve on the President’s Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
3.A. John
(“Jack”) L. Loose (Room 002 Lower Level)
“Lancaster
County in the Early 18th Century”
Jack Loose is a noted Lancaster County historian who
is a past-president of the Lancaster County Historical Society and serves as
the Editor of “The Journal of the
Lancaster County Historical Society”.
Through his presentation we will glimpse into the past to understand the
societal, religious, cultural, political, and economic issues our early family
members found upon their arrival in Penn’s Woods.
3.B. Richard
Beam (Room 005 Lower Level)
“Sprechen Sie Deutsche/Kannst Du
Deitsch Spreche?”
We are losing our “native tongue”. Richard Beam will
reacquaint us with a basic
introduction to our heritage language.
Richard
Beam is Professor Emeritus (German) from Millersville
University. He directs the Center
for Pennsylvania German Studies. He is currently editing a twelve volume
comprehensive dictionary of Pennsylvania German. Richard is a columnist for “The Budget” and hosts a weekly
Deitsch radio broadcast on WLBR (Lebanon, PA).
3. C. John R. Smucker (Room 007 Lower Level)
“The Dispersion of the Schmuckers, Smokers, and
Smuckers”
The
pattern of the spelling of the name and the geographical movement of some of
the descendents will be explained.
There are stories that go with some of these moves. John R. has been involved with the
creation and development of the SSS reunions and Family Association from the
beginning. He currently edits the
Newsletter and as the family historian is collecting genealogical data. (Christian
III, David, Jonas, John,J.Mervin)
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
4.A.
Janneken Smucker
(Room 002 – Lower Level)
“Family
Quiltmaking Traditions: An Introduction to Amish and Mennonite Quilts”
Janneken
Smucker is a PhD student in the History of American Civilization at the
University of Delaware. She holds a Master of Textile History and Quilt Studies
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
She is co-author of “Amish Crib Quilts from the Midwest: The Sara Miller
Collection”. Janneken lives in
Philadelphia with her husband Rick Sieber.
4.B. Jennafer
(Smoker) Seeley and other Family Members
(Room
005 - Lower Level)
A Visual Tour of Switzerland and
S-S-S Related Areas”
Jennafer and her husband Edgar traveled to Switzerland
this spring with a goal of visiting the SSS “Homeland”. While there they visited Luzerne,
Grindelwald, Beatenberg, and Schmocken. Their photos will bring our “homeland”
to life. Jennafer graduated from
the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelors degree in Russian, Economics and
Political Philosophy and from Georgetown University with a Doctorate in
Jurisprudence. Jenna is employed
by Accenture in Reston, Maryland where she and her husband reside.
(Jennafer: Christian,
John, Daniel, Joshua, David R., Joshua S., John M., James M.)
4.C. Susan
Kindt (Room 007 Lower Level)
“The
History of Pies” – This presentationwill focus on the history of
pies as it relates to our ancestors. When did they originate? Susan’s
research indicates that pies date back to the 17th century and were
a way our ancestors fed their families using little or next to little. Pies
progressed to become more appealing and delicious. This program is designed for adults and
children and will include pie sampling and a special prize for one lucky child.
Susan Kindt is employed
as a legal secretary and attended SSS reunions with her mother. She and her husband reside on farm in
Michigan. (Christian III, Joseph Smoker (Nancy), Emma Smoker Zook (John), Purl
Zook, Helen Zook Lawrence (Richard)
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Closing Remarks – Joe Smucker,
President, S-S-S Family Association
Dinner on your own or visit “The Caring Friends” food tent
6:30 PM -7:30 PM Quilt Auction
and auction of any remaining SSS Family Store items. Also to be auctioned will be the last of the original order
of 2001 SSS Family Swiss Bells complete with a special commemorative strap
crafted by the Smucker Harness Shop.
Mose Smucker will serve as our auctioneer.
7:30PM-9:00 PM Join us for an Amish Hymn Sing
in the Sanctuary at the Stumptown
Mennonite Church..
Bus Tour Notice
The bus tours have been coordinated by the 2006 SSS Family Reunion
Planning committee members. Many
sites are private homes on private property. The owners of
the properties have been contacted in advance to gain permission to
access their properties for our visits on Friday, July 21st
ONLY. Please be mindful and be
respectful of this opportunity they have extended to us.
Insurance Disclaimer
Due to our insurance
underwriters policies and regulations, reunion attendees are not permitted to
follow any of the organized buses .
Attendees who travel heritage tour
sites on their own or who participate in unscheduled or unauthorized reunion
activities to so at their own risk and peril.
The SSS Family Reunion assumes no
liability for any accidents or injuries that occur outside of officially
organized activities or escorted bus tours.
