Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, June 30, 2005

The SHEUMAKER family reunion was held over the weekend in Redding. The Methodist Action Club served the Saturday noon meal to the SHEUMAKER family at their reunion.

Charles and Becky ABARR'S weekend guests attending the reunion were Weldon and Pam ABARR from Boone and Quinn ABARR from South Bend, IN. Jariah and Chris WALKER were guests of Charles and Beck ABARR on Sunday.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2012

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 04, 2005

A reunion of the descendants of Roy Berry SHEUMAKER, Sr. and Goldia Belle SPENCER SHEUMAKER was held in Redding at the Frontier Hall on June 25 and 26, 2005. There were 86 people in attendance.

The Methodist Action Club of Redding served the delicious Saturday noon meal. After the meal and picture taking, a short show of skits was presented by Indira and Paden SHEUMAKER, 11 and eight-year-old daughters of Roni DIXON and Randy SHEUMAKER. Indira and Paden led the family in singing "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" before the meal and grace was offered by Julia KLANG. Several large group photos were taken of everyone in attendance.

A program was presented and coordinated by Eunice JONES on memories of military service in World War II and how it impacted the lives of those familiy members who lived during that time. She prefaced the program with a welcome and some background about her growing-up years, the great depression and the time leading up to World War II.

The first veteran to speak was Richard SALTZMAN who was in a medical battalion and who had typed his own story a few weeks before, entirely by himself. He had not typed in 70 years. He showed Souvenirs and baskets which he wove from a variety of colored electrical wiring during the war. Clinton SHEUMAKER spoke on both Saturday and Sunday of his joining the Air Corps, his early years and attending his bomber crew reunions.

The late Roy SHEUMAKER, Junior's story was told by his eldest son, Orin SHEUMAKER. He shared a tin-type picture of his and our great-grandfather, Enos M. SHEUMAKER, in his Civil War uniform and Enos' official army discharge papers. A story written by Lloyd WOOD, who could not attend, was read by Weldon ABARR. The wartime story by WOODY was read by Stefanie JONES. Martha HICKERSON, Helm HUNTER related stories of her late brother, Russell HICKERSON, who was a pilot during the war. Martha and Russell are niece and nephew, respectively, of Goldia.

The 17 SHEUMAKER first cousins, who were in attendance out of a possible 32 living, had a group picture taken on Saturday. THree more cousins arrived on Sunday. Group photos were taken of the seven sons and daughters of Roy and Goldia in attendance. Their only living sibling unable to attend was Margaret WOOD.

A pizza supper was enjoyed Saturday evening with Elizabeth THOMAS offering grace.

Frances SALTZMAN gave grave before the Sunday meal. The Sunday noon meal, including a tasty variety of barbecued meats, was prepared by the Lake Quivira Smokers with Mike JONES in charge. Mike JONES showed off his restored antique fire truck.

Most of the children, who are great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren of Roy and Goldia, had their photos taken next to the Civil War Memorial rock in the Redding town park because they learned Roy's father, Enos M. SHEUMAKER, was a Civil War veteran, as was J.W. ABARR, ancestor of the ABARR family. These two Redding area veterans' names are among those inscribed on the memorial.

Part two of the World War II memoirs program resumed Sunday afternoon. A viedotape and audiotape of the two-day program was made for prosterity. John SHEUMAKER spoke about his military service in Germany in 1955 to 1957. Elizabeth THOMAS spoke about when she found out that Pearl Harbor had been attacked and her experiences living in Des Moines during the war. Bernice ABARR asked her daughter, Jeanette INGRAM, to read her story which included her years working for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, and how her future husband, Barton, vetoed her plans to apply for a secretarial job in wartime Washington. He wanted her home in Iowa where she would be safe.

Stefanie JONES, Eunice JONES' granddaughter and daughter of Barry Biff JONES, read a synopsis of a research paper she completed for a college assignment regarding the impact of the war in Vietnam on her family. Barry Biff JONES spoke briefly about his experiences as a soldier there. He also showed shrapnel from the iron eagle which came from the top of Adolf Hitler's mountain home, which had been bombed. Barry JONES' father, Gerald JONES, was in the 82nd Airborne Division serving as an honor guard in the city of Berlin, Germany.

Several copies of a booklet of all the stories and a synopsis of the years from 1938 - 1989 was edited, printed and assembled by Isabelle ABARR, entitled "I'll Be Seeing You - Memoirs of World War II and Its Era by the Sheumaker Family."

Those attending were:

Nieces of Goldia: Martha HUNTER and Ernest ENGEBRETSON of Silver Bay, MN; Gerry CANNON of Calera, AL; Joe CULLEN of Mount Vernon;

Great-niece of Roy, Senior: Amah Lou and Dean SCHREIBER of Revere, MO;

Berniece ABARR, the eldest SHEUMAKER descendant attending, as age 89, Mount Ayr;

Andy ABARR, Oklahoma City, OK;

David McBRIDE and Ion of Yukon, OK;

Isabelle ABARR of Des Moines;

Ronald TAYLOR of Chicago, ILL;

Weldon and Pam ABARR of Boone;P>Charles and Rebecca ABARR, Ian and Jasper of Redding;

Jariah and Chris WALKER of Perry;

Jeanette INGRAM of Carrollton, TX;

Russ and Sally ABARR, Julia and Quin of South Bend, IN;

Richard and Frances SALTZMAN of Mount Ayr;

Diane SALTZMAN of Adel;

Orin and Nancy SHEUMAKER, Isaac SHEUMAKER, Kyra FULTON of Columbus, OH;

Anita (SHEUMAKER) COX of Redmond, WA;

Keith SHEUMAKER of Columbus, OH;

Greg SHEUMAKER, Westerville, OH;

Clintonand LaVon SHEUMAKER of Kansas City;

Gary and Sally SHEUMAKER of Grandview, MO;

Eunce JONES of Grant City, MO;

Mike and Susan JONES of Lake Quivira, KS;

Carey (JONES) and Bryan LORFING and Ella of Lake Quivira, KS;

Scott and Krissy JONES;

Ryan JONES and Alexis McKINLEY;

Barry and Linda JONES of Bethany, MO;

Greg and Sarah JONES, Madeline and Grayson of Carroll;

Stefanie JONES and Cole LEAZENBY, Tim JONES and Olivia of Grant City, MO;

Patrice REGNIER and Colby of Platte City, MO;

Liz THOMAS; Bev THOMAS; Nicky and Ronnie CURRY, Collin, and Macy; Wendi and B.J. ANDERSON and Brylee; Joan VARNER; MElissa and Tim SPEED, Sydney and Tanner, all of Des Moines;

Julia KLANG of Kearney, MO;

Don and Marie SUMMERS of Liberty, MO;

Annika SUMMERS of Clemson, SD;

John and Sharon SHEUMAKER;

Roni DIXON and Randy SHEUMAKER;

Indira and Paden Brian SHUEMAKER, all of Des Moines;

Anita (SHEUMAKER) COX, Jeanette INGRAM, Annika SUMMERS, Greg, Keith and Orin SHEUMAKER and his family, Gerry CANNON.

Martha NUNTER and Ernie ENGEBRETSON, traveled the greatest distance to attend this reunion. The youngest in attendance were Brylee ANDERSON at age one month and Macy CURRY at age four months. The oldest person in attendance was Richard SALTZMAN at age 89.

Families with the 100 percent attendance among the first cousins were the children of Bernice ABARR, with all six of her children: the children of Roy, Junior, all four of his and the children of John SHEUMAKER with both of his sons.

The SHEUMAKER-SPENCER family enjoyed the peaceful atmospherre of "up-town" Redding in which to hold our reunion!

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2012