Decades ago a local family held their first family reunion, and now, 100 years later, the Taulbee family will celebrate their 100th reunion Aug. 14 at Weston Bend State Park in Weston.
Elijah Thomas and Malinda Agnes Taulbee were the parents of seven children; William Dudley, Henry Laben, Elijah Tipton, Mary Alma, Clara Worth, Clarence Wilburn, Nora Belle.
Elijah Thomas and Malinda moved to Weston around 1912 and Elijah Thomas bought and sold several farms in the Weston area. In addition to the farm he owned a home and lots 5, 6, 11, and 12 in the James Moore addition to the City of Weston.
In July, 1922, Elijah Thomas and Malinda were living at their home at the end of Summit Street in Weston with their daughter Clara. They all became seriously ill, possibly as a result of food poisoning. Malinda passed away on July 10 and Elijah followed her in death five days later on July 15. Their daughter Clara survived the illness.
Following the death of their parents, all seven of their children established a family reunion to honor the memory of their parents. It was decided the reunion would be held each year on the Second Sunday of August. The first Taulbee reunion was held on the second Sunday of August in 1922, at the home of their oldest child. The reunion has been held on that same date, continuously to the present time.
Family member Larry Lintner whose mother was a Taulbee said Elijah Thomas (E.T.} and Malinda Agnes Tipton Taulbee and their seven children and spouses migrated from Bath County, Ky. around 1910 to 1912.
“They came to the Weston area because of the very favorable environment for raising tobacco,” Lintner said. “The Taulbees were tobacco growers in Kentucky and descend from a long line of tobacco growers dating back to the 1790s, when an ancestor leased land from the Lord Baltimore family in Maryland to grow tobacco. Since that time every generation of Taulbees had members who raised tobacco until the late 1990s.”
The first reunion in 1922 was hosted by Dudley, the oldest child of E.T. And Malinda, in honor of his parents. Until the passing of all seven members of the original Taulbee family, each sibling took their turn hosting according to birth order. After that, the children of the original siblings represented their parents in hosting. In 2008, a Reunion Committee was formed to manage the hosting of the reunion.
In 100 years, no reunions have been skipped.
The events are popular, with anywhere from 35 to 110 attendees. Music is provided by a Taulbee family member and there is Bingo with prizes, which is one of the more popular events. Along with the picnic there are yard games and old family photos and genealogy reports on display. Copies of 32 newspaper articles on past reunions, including the first reunion will be on display. These articles include family members and guests attending.
“There are genealogy reports for every generation of the Taulbee family from the first Taulbee, immigrant ancestor, John ‘Talby’ who immigrated from London, England in the year 1636 and settled in Salem, Mass,” Lintner said. “It traces the family from London to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky to Platte County, Mo. This report will also include information about a Kentucky Taulbee cousin who was a U.S. Congressman. His name was Prescott Taulbee and he was shot and killed on the steps leading to the House Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington. Stains of his blood are still visible on the marble steps. Pictures will be available. There will be announcements recognizing and honoring any family members that have passed on, or the birth of new members over the past year.”
Most family members attending the reunion held in Platte County are life-long residents from this area.
While most attendees will be from the local area, they will also come from St. Louis, Tipton, Stover, Springdale Ark., Lansing Kan., and Atchison Kan.
Lintner’s favorite memory of past reunions was the anticipation of going to ‘The Reunion.’ “It was a consistent event in your life; you did not need to put it on the calendar because you knew where you would be on the second Sunday of August.” Before the internet and Facebook you did not have the opportunity to connect with cousins, aunts, uncles, great aunts and great uncles by clicking a button on a computer or actually see their face on a phone and talk to them whenever you wanted.”
His fond memories also include the bountiful dinners that were served, and he and his cousins playing baseball, tag, and hide and seek, while the adult men played horse shoes and the women sat and visited.
“As a kid, the reunion signaled the end of summer because school would be starting in a few weeks,” Lintner said. “The reunion was the only time throughout the year that you were able to see those cousins who did not live in the area. It was especially interesting to listen to the older generations reminisce about their younger lives and those of their parents and grandparents. Many good history lessons were learned while sitting in on their conversations.”
For Lintner, the reunions gave a sense of belonging to a much bigger family than just his immediate family and always left him with anticipation for the next year’s event.
“Technology is great but in a way, it is sad that to many, a reunion is a thing of the past,” Lintner said. Digital messaging will never replace the face-to-face interaction with others. There is still room for both and I encourage anyone to connect with your expanded families and suggest something radical ... establish a family reunion to be held on a certain day in a certain month and see how long you can keep it going.”
With genealogy information being more easily attained, reunions provide a good way for family members to look back at their history and gain a real sense of understanding of how families grew, developed and contributed to the communities in which they grew up.
For Lintner and his relatives, family is the foundation of society and it gives them pride in who they are and creates a greater bond with others who love and care about them.
He is most looking forward to celebrating 100 years of his family coming together to renew bonds with one another while encouraging future generations to continue to connect with family and pass on the rich history of the Taulbee family.
“In today’s fast-paced world it can be easy to become isolated from those who are most important to us,” Lintner said. “A strong connection and bond to family helps us to stay focused on what is really important in our lives. Renewing those connections for a short time at a family reunion, strengthens our assurance that we are not alone in this world and that family is something we are a part of that can bring love, support, happiness, and a sense of belonging.”