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The Peters reunion story by Oliver Peters, Jr.
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his is a story about my father, who started a tradition of Pennsylvania, Florida, gathering together all his brothers and sisters and their Maryland and Virginia. We rent families once a year, which turned into a “must-do” event eight townhomes/condos. for everyone in the Peters family. Back in the mid-1960s, A lot has evolved since that my father listened to a neighbor tell of their once-a-year first reunion. Evening meals are get-togethers, and how special they were. He carefully still shared, but now are divided considered how to “suggest” the concept to his four among five groups. Each group siblings, who were close but lived far apart. It might be a is responsible for providing one hard sell when you add everyone’s kids (some quite small) evening meal for everyone. We Oliver Peters, Jr., as Alex Trebek playing Peters Family traveling to an unknown vacation destination for a whole provide the hors d’oeuvers, Reunion Jeopardy. To see the games in action, see videos week and sharing the week with 20 to 35 nieces, nephews, main meal and dessert. You at reunionsmag.com/familyreunions/family_games_tv.html. girlfriends, boyfriends, and even pets. bring your beverage. My father spent two years Each year we rent a ski boat coaxing everyone to “just try it from the local marina. “Heads of households” once.” So in August 1970 we set divvy up the cost of the boat while the younger, out for a spot along the Delaware third generation (late teens, early 20s) pay for gas. River in New Jersey. That year One family member brings water skis and tow about 20 came from Florida, ropes, another brings sports equipment (football, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, bocce ball, frisbee, volleyball), while still another and Virginia. We rented four brings the past year’s memories in four large photo “bungalows” along the river and books. There is written reunion history: who spent the next week getting attended, what was served for meals, as well as reacquainted. Of the five pictures from each year, including 39 years of “original” Peters siblings only group pictures. A chronological DVD was created one couldn’t attend. He was from reunion pictures and movies (super 8 up to nearing the end of a long, digital). All the original pictures, videos, letters, distinguished career as a naval and newspaper articles have been scanned and officer and was out at sea. uploaded to a website (https://skydrive.live. I was 16. I had never met and com/?cid=72912E728AC8E00E) to show how our knew very little about some of family and reunions have evolved. my cousins. During the week we We play “Peters Reunion Jeopardy.” My wife, Revel and Kendal Robertson compete at Pickleball. shared everything, though we Linda, created a “Jeopardy” board with four were in separate quarters. We shared evening meals as one huge categories each year. (See videos at reunionsmag.com.) We also family. Each family served various dishes so there was plenty to have some sports tournaments. The most recent was a eat. We ate outdoors, on several rows of picnic tables. “PickelBall” tourney. During the day we swam, floated in the river in big black We’ve grown to a large group to be sure, but one that never truck tire inner tubes, and played baseball, basketball and would have known each other, or gotten to know the Peters family whiffleball. Rules were made-up-on-the-spot to accommodate history, if not for the dream my father had more than 40 years ago. 15 or 20 participants. Reported by Oliver Peters, Jr., Leesburg, Virginia. Thus started this tradition for our family. Since then there have been 39 Peters Family Reunions. We missed four due to events out of our control – a family move, a job transfer. 2013 will be our 40th reunion. Since 1970, we have held our reunions on the Delaware, at Lake Bomoseen, Vermont; Lake Gaston on the Virginia/ North Carolina border; Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland; and now on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. Forty people travel to the reunion from California, The Peters Family Reunion Oregon, Washington, Alaska,
18 Reunions v reunionsmag.com