Spring has finally arrived! I hope we have all seen the last of the winter weather and we can now look forward to warm, sunny days and beautiful Spring flowers. As we enter this wonderful season and anticipate our reunion in November, we have much to share with you.
First, the Early Bird Price deadline has been extended through April 30th.
Second, we have received some requests for individual event pricing as some people won’t be able to attend all 3 events due to the Breeders’ Cup and other conflicts. To accommodate these requests, we have included the break-out pricing, as follows:
- $80 – Friday / Saturday (Meet & Greet / German Feast)
- $60 – Sunday (Day at the Races at Churchill Downs)
- $110 – All 3 events
But you’ll be able to take advantage of the Early Bird Price of $85 for all 3 events now through April 30th.
Because of this new pricing option, we thought it only fair to extend this offer. The individual pricing will remain the same. For those of you who have already paid, let me know if this change alters your plans and you will be compensated accordingly.
We have so many things to share! We want as many of you there as possible to experience learning new family discoveries, meeting new cousins and all the wonderful surprises we have in store!
Registration forms – Please fill-out the registration form, even if you will be unable to join us. Click Reunion Registration. These forms will keep the database and Family Tree updated. The Family Tree is a living document that is ever-changing and we need YOUR help to keep it current. (PSST! I’ve heard through the grapevine that there may be a visual Family Tree at the Reunion. But don’t tell anyone….it’s one of the many surprises we have planned).
Volunteers – It takes quite a number of people to organize and bring an event of this size together. We have been blessed to have several volunteers come forward at this early stage to help. We would like to acknowledge them with a great big, heartfelt THANK YOU.
- Scott Nesvold – Website design and maintenance
- Emily Nesvold – T-shirts
- Patti Jako – Roederer Heirloom Cookbook Vol 2. I know we will have many yummy recipes to try out. Please submit your family favorites to patti.jako@gmail.com. Patti still needs help inputting recipes. It’s fun and easy online input.
- Tom/Janet Raderer and Traci Roederer Furness – Catering arrangements for Friday & Saturday events.
- Linda Pennington – My co-organizer, my support system, newsletter editor, genealogist extraordinaire… and so much more! Linda was and IS the driving force behind this reunion!
The Linda Story – The circumstances behind how Linda and I met truly exemplifies why I am so passionate about genealogy and bringing families together! Believe it or not, Linda and I met very briefly for the first time at the 2010 Roederer Reunion. She and I had previously spoken on the phone comparing genealogical information on our Roederer ancestors; hers from Oberschopfheim and mine from Diersburg. It just so happened the timing worked out that she would be passing through Louisville on a drive from St. Louis. I encouraged her to stop by the Reunion and spend a few hours at the family picnic in Jeffersonville.
I no
ticed her sitting quietly by herself with her beautifully-presented family history binder on the Roederers of St. Louis (1830’s Oberschopfheim immigrants). We introduced ourselves and within the first few minutes of meeting, she and I had an immediate bond which has gotten stronger and stronger over these past 8 years. Our best guess at our closest familial relationship is a very distant 14th or 15th cousins! Since 2010, she has been to visit us in New Orleans and my husband, Brian, and I have been to St. Louis 4 times! She is now one of my dearest friends that perfectly fits my definition of what I call “family”! And it all happened because many years ago, I got this crazy idea to bring all of these Roederers together in one place!
Maybe you’ll find YOUR special “Linda” at the reunion too! There’s only one way to find out… see you in November!
Cousin Rhonda