John Wilbur Hershey
11 November 1913 - 2 January 2003
21 April 1918 - 26 Feb 2005
Hershey Family Reunions
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John Wilbur Hershey |
Donald Hershey 21 April 1918 - 26 Feb 2005 |
Every first weekend of August, the campground of
little Earl Park, Indiana, is
home to a great reunion of Hershey families. This annual family reunion started in
1942 at the farm of one of the family members, and moved to Earl Park in 1975. At
that time, one of the family members (Charlotte) was a resident of Earl Park. The
Earl Park campground turned out to be an ideal place for the annual reunion long after no
relatives lived in the area. Attendees from as far as the states of Florida, Texas, and
Washington were present this year.
The reunion is primarily the descendents of George Daniel Hershey
and Wife Maude Permelia Humphrey. George, 1877-1932, and Maude, 1881-1962, had 12
Children, Charlotte, Charles, Cloyd, Mary, Ruth, Paul, Louise, John, Robert (Bob), Donald,
Jeanne, and Betty. My wife and I attended first in 1994, and now
attend regularly.
| This was the 12 in about 1975. |  |
| Four of the 12 children of George and Maude are still alive. Three, Betty, John, and Jeanne, pictured here in 1998, are at all these reunions. The other survivor of the 12, Donald, does not make it to this reunion, so many members of the family meet near his home in Florida in January each year in a mini-reunion. |  |
| At the 1999 reunion in Earl Park, over a hundred relatives were present. As always, several townspeople stopped by to say hello. On Sunday morning, the local church where Charlotte had attended holds their morning service in the park so it is convenient for the reunion. |  |
While the "official" days of the reunion are from Friday
evening through Sunday afternoon, the reunion actually starts on the preceding Monday or
Tuesday, and extends through breakfast on Monday. About half of the attendees camp,
and the others spend their nights at motels in Kentland, about 7 miles from Earl Park.
Campers typically arrive as early as possible to get the shady spots near the
center of the activities. Some who stay at a motel bring screen rooms and folding
chairs, along with cooking gear, and set them up at the campground to have a place to call
"home" while there. Electricity and water are available throughout the camping
areas. Most campers also bring screen rooms for cooking, eating, and game playing
out of the sun and insects. Games are usually with cards or dominoes, with Mexican Train probably the
most popular.
Unlike the family reunions of my childhood, this one has endured
because it is organized. Officers of President and of Secretary/treasurer are
elected at a Sunday afternoon business meeting. Invitations with activity schedules are
mailed in June to all families. Scheduled activities include several group meals, bingo, a
money raising auction of crafts and memorabilia, games and contests. Several games
and contests are for adults and older children, and others are just for the
youngsters. Adult games scheduled include softball, horse shoes, and volley
ball. An adult water balloon tossing/catching contest is followed by a water balloon
and water gun fight by the youngsters. This year the record heat had adults asking
to join in the water fight as targets. Some even paid as much as a quarter a squirt
to be cooled off. Whatever your age, this reunion is for you if you are a Hershey.
The Hershey Reunion When I get there, I see the playground, Tara Hershey |
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One youngster's opinion. |
Tara, brother Ryan, parents Joanne & Tom |
One of the 1942 reunion participants, Jeanne, wrote a poem
describing that first reunion. Husband Bill read this to the group at the 1999
business meeting.
1999 Reunion Pictures.
More 1999 reunion Pictures.
Group Picture of
2000.
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