Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 01, 2002

The sixth Solomon BEAR family reunion (SBFR) was held the weekend of June 8, 2002 primarily in Ellston. The reunion started Friday evening with a fried chicken dinner at the All Seasons Cafe in Mount Ayr. It was the first chance to get acquainted with five members of the family living in California. Kermit Bear GILES at age 91 decided it was time to attend his first SBFR although he has been in touch by letter for years. He convinced two daughters, a son and a granddaughter to fly with him halfway across the United States to visit relatives primarily living in the Midwest. He and his family enjoyed their visit and left Sunday thanking us for their warm welcome.

NOTE: Kermit Bear GILES, son of James Walter GILES (1873-1964) and Elizabeth Agnes (BEAR) GILES (1883-1973), was born in Selma, California on May 16, 1911, and died in May of 2005 in Sacramento, California. He married on June 6, 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado Springs, Evelyn Dorothy HAMMOND (1915-1991).
Elizabeth Agnes (BEAR) GILES was the daughter of Solomon and Amanda BEAR.
~ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/e/a/Ramon-L-Bear-MO/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0306.html

On Saturday morning the BEAR relatives started gathering at the community center in Ellston. The adults enjoyed the air-conditioned building while drinking coffee. The young people had fun playing ball games and getting acquainted outdoors. The children enjoyed the playground equipment. Before the weekend was over, many toured the early home and farm equipment museums next door. After a delicious lunch catered by the Hy-Vee grocery store in Osceola, a brief meeting was held which included updating the family genealogy. The family tree and ancestor pictures are not available to everyone on the Internet at htt://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/e/a/Ramon-L-Bear-MO/index.html.

Two families were inducted by vote into the SBFR Hall of Fame for actively and effective promoting this reunion. They are Bryce and Ted BEAR of Ellston, presidents of the SBFR and Janet and Ron STACY of Florissant, MO, historians of the SBFR.

Also approved by vote was authorization for the officers to select the type and purchase markers for unmarked family graves at the BEAR Cemetery, which is located about a mile southeast of the Oliver Cemetery. The money would be from the Theola BEAR BARBOUR Memorial Fund as requested by her daughter, Betty WILSON and approved by SBFR vote.

The Pioneer Cemetery Commission of Ringgold County, with Angie HYNEK as the District 2 Commissioner, erected a much-needed new fence around the cemetery with the work being done by Darrell ADAMS. A pedestrian gate in the shape of an iron wagon wheel with the BEAR name above it in metal was designed and constructed by David WEEDA. The headstones were restored, probing was conducted for unmarked graves and low brush was removed so the tree canopy could maintain the natural low growing woodland plant floor with thework being done by Joe HYNEK. Angie HYNEK summarized these contributions by the Commission and provided forms for requesting headstones for our two Civil War veterans [Adam and John BEAR] buried in the BEAR Cemetery. She also indicated there are improvements that can be made to the access path for the cemetery.

The SBFR approved a donation to the Ellston Community Center to help in thenear term replacement of the roof.

On Sunday, lunch was again served at the Ellston Community Center. After much fun visiting and lots of picture taking, it was time for the good-byes for another two years.

Of the 66 BEAR family members from five states who attended the reunion, all were descendants, related by marriage, or friends of Solomon and Amanda BEAR. Descendants of Solomon and his first wife, Sarah WALKER BEAR who died in 1871, were not able to attend this year. Solomon broke out his 180 acre farm along Lotts Creek starting in 1858. He farmed it for 55 years before passing away in 1913. Solomon and wives had six children who succeeded them. Listed below are the attendees whoare descendants of four of these children:

William Franklin BEAR - Shirley and Lawrence CHASE, David CHASE, Justin and Kenneth CHASE, all of Drexel, MO; Sarah CHASE, John CORDELL, Jr. and Andrea CORDELL of Creighton, MO; Darlene and Don BEAR of Redding; Jacque and Art DAVIS of Weeping Water, NE; Jodi, Luke and Jennifer ANGUS of Mount Ayr; Beverly and Charles PETERMAN of Nevada, MO; Mary Ellen and Ian SCHEIB, Jenny KEBBLE and Bryan SCHEIB, Cathy PETERMAN and Jason KING of Grandview, MO; Nancy and Mark EILENBERGER of Denver, CO; Karen and Lisa BAKER of Roland; Dion, Bradley and Melissa BAKER of Colo; Lorrie, Eric and Abby HANSON of Nevada; Jean SCHRIEVER of Farmington, MN; Betty LONG of Tingley; Valerie HARDY, Tina LONG, Mike LONG and Andy HARDY of Osceola; Bryce and Ted BEAR of Ellston; Nixie POTTORFF of Des Moines; Donna BEAR of Mount Ayr; Deloris and Ray BEAR of Lake St. Louis, MO; Marilyn and Gary BEAR of Diagonal; Glee TONEY and Gene TRULLINGER of Union Star, MO; Janet and Ron STACY of Florissant, MO; Anna Mae ROLSTON and Gladys REYNA of Redding, CA; Carmen VELLA and John BEAR of Half Moon Bay, CA; Doris CAMPBELL of Indianola; and Janet PROUDFOOT of New Virginia.

During the brief meeting it was decided to hold the next reunion at the same place on the second Saturday of June in 2004. The officers who are continuing for another term are: presidents Bryce and Ted BEAR, vice-presidents Beverly and Charles PETERMAN, treasurers Marilyn and Gary BEAR, secretaries/historians Deloris and Ray BEAR and historians Janet and Ron STACY.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2012

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