1937

MERRILL FAMILY HOLD SEVENTH ANNUAL REUNION
Bogenriefs From Four States Assemble At Peal of Century Old Bell
A special from Merrill says:  One hundred nine members of the Bogenrief family from four states gathered at the B. A. Bogenrief farm home Sunday, June 13, [1937] for their seventh annual reunion.  Officers elected for the coming year are George Bogenrief, DesMoines, president; B. A. Bogenrief, Merrill, vice-president; Walter Bogenrief, Sioux City, secretary.  Next year’s meeting will be in Sioux Falls, S.D., in June.
Features of the afternoon following a bountiful  dinner were the appearance of a dozen members of the family, who together form a band, the ringing of the 102 year old dinner bell on the home place and reminiscing by the six brothers, Aaron Gerling, J. O., J. E., S. A., D. O., and W. O. Bogenrief.
The name Bogenrief is synonymous with music and has been for several generations.  The old time dinner bell was brought from Lancaster, Pa., having been given to Sam Bogenrief in 1835, and is a family heirloom.
LARGE NUMBER PRESENT
Those attending were Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Hausauer, Lester Bogenrief, Robert Bogenrief, all of Ortonville, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Klungness, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Julson, Virginia Klungness, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Hoagland and family, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Edmundson and family, all of Garretson, S.D.; Miss Orla Bogenrief, of Elgin, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Bogenrief and family, Misses Ola and Fern Allison, Leroy Stouffer, of Winnebago, Minn.; Lloyd Vickery, Granada, S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Schmuck, Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Lavin and family, of Clear Lake, S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Conrad and son, of Jasper, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dennison and family, of Westfield; Mr. and Mrs. Allen Hansen, Granville; Mr. and Mrs. D. O. Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bogenrief, Jack Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Bogenrief, jr., and family, Bob Bogenrief and Miss Lilas Bogenrief, all of Sioux City; Mr. and Mrs. Murl Bogenrief and family, Kingsley; Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Bogenrief, Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Gerling and family, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Remer and son, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Laughton, Mrs. H. H. Dickman, all of LeMars; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bogenrief, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Bogenrief and family, of Hinton; Miss Doris Glsin, Whiting; Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Julch and family, Misses Nellie Sheets and Ruby Woolworth, of James; Geo. Bogenrief, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Bogenrief, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Bogenrief, all of Merrill.
AT THE OLD HOMESTEAD
This year’s gathering was held at the farm home where Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Bogenrief spent the first forty years of their married life until they retired to town about ten years ago.  Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Bogenrief celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last year with a large group of the relatives in attendance.

Source: the LeMars Sentinel, 18 Jun 1937