SIDNEY — As families are gathering around their tables tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day 2015, the Knoop family will meet in Plattsville for its 125th annual reunion.
“Yep, Thanksgiving lunch, every year since 1890!,” said Robin Heintz, of Sidney.
It all started when Samuel Marrs Knoop, of Salem Township, married Laura Amanda Fergus, of Orange Township, on Thanksgiving Day that year. In 1891, their families met to commemorate their first anniversary and they’ve been honoring that wedding ever since.
“It’s always been a celebration of their marriage by their children and their children’s children,” said Helen Ward, of rural Sidney. She is a great-grandchild of the couple.
Samuel was the oldest of five children. Laura was the youngest of 11. They hosted the annual holiday gathering as their family grew. Together, they raised four boys and four girls: Ralph Ward, Clifford Franklin, Grace Evora, Lloyd Herschel, Arvesta Dean, Mary Edith, Edna Ivalon and John Joseph. Of the 23 children who were born to those eight and their spouses, seven were still living and attended the 2014 reunion. Among them were Herschel Knoop, of rural Sidney, and Ruth Evalyn Heins, of Houston, who, along with members of the next generation, shared memories recently with the Sidney Daily News.
“Sons and daughters continued the tradition after (Sam and Laura’s) deaths,” Heins said. “Two children and their families would host the occasion in their homes.” Others would assist by providing side dishes and desserts.
The men went hunting in the morning while the women prepared the meal, which has always been served promptly at noon. The menu includes turkey with oyster dressing (Heins will make the dressing this year.), ham, sweet potato balls, date pudding, hickory nut cake, and tapioca pudding, which must be made with the milk of Jersey cows.
“It’s richer, has more butterfat,” Heins said.
“My mom always made the tapioca pudding with the big stuff, not that little tapioca,” said Lori Knupp, of rural Sidney, a great-grandchild.
“My dad could tell who was there and who wasn’t according to the food layout. All the cousins had signature things they made,” said Dan Knoop, another great-grandchild, of Port Jefferson.
The meal always starts with a prayer. Originally, it was Ralph who led it. Then Uncle Clifford. Then John C. who passed the duties on to Dan’s father. Now it’s Dan’s responsibility.
By the 1950s, the group had grown too large for anyone’s house. Ralph had become a preacher and welcomed the reunions in the fellowship halls of his churches. But for almost the last 50 years, the Knoops have got together in the Center, a former grange hall in Plattsville, except for the year there had been a fire at the Center. The celebration moved to the New Hope Grange hall in Hardin that year.
Knupp has taken on coordination duties, but, she said, “It all falls into place.” The tables are dressed with handmade decorations. No formal invitations are sent. Everyone just “knows” that at noon on Thanksgiving Day, if it’s possible to get there at all, the Center is where he should be.
“In my 85 years, I probably haven’t missed more than 15,” Herschel said.
“When we were kids, we didn’t know any better,” said Linda Hague, a great-granddaughter now living in Covington.
“My husband started going when we were dating and he’s never missed one,” Ward added. About 80 people attended in 2014. This year, 125 are expected. They’ll come from all over west central Ohio, Cincinnati, Florida, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Alabama. Facebook now helps to get the word out.
“It was a time to recall special happenings in school life, church life and commmunity and occupational activities,” Heins said. “As many were farmers, it was a time for discussing the harvest.” Most of the families farmed, but ideas about agriculture varied widely.
“We all had our opinions. But on Thanksgiving Day, we forgot about them,” Heins said. “We still catch up on all the occupations excitingly happening in the families.”
It has also always been a time to have fun. The children play in the back room of the hall, banging on the piano and singing. A group takes a walk every year to a creek that is about a quarter of a mile away, to skip stones in the water.
Amy Stemen, a great-granddaughter, of Sidney, said a snowball fight of 40 years ago is fondly remembered by many of the cousins.
“It was boys against the girls,” she said. “Our parents weren’t very happy with us. Back then, you wore your Sunday best.” The half-hour game got everyone pretty snowy and wet.
“My sister Kathy (Bercot, now of Piqua) got it worst and she got it from my cousin, Jerry (Robbins, of Fletcher),” Stemen said. “We all still laugh about it.”
Dan remembers the year, possibly also 1974, when he fell through the ice into the creek.
“We all were sliding on the ice. I was one of the little bigger kids. I got out there and it cracked and I went in. The water was only 18 inches deep. Went up to my knee. I had to climb out and had a heck of a time getting out. They had to pull me out,” he said. In the years following, the kids were a little more cautious about going out on the ice.
“And everyone grew up a little and was a little wiser, too,” Dan laughed.
A memory from an earlier time wasn’t such a happy one. Mary, one of the original four daughters, and her husband, Herman Baker, were driving to sister Edna’s house for the holiday.
“A truck came around the corner in Pasco. It was carrying a load of steel,” Herschel said. The truck hit the Baker car, injuring both passengers.
“They pulled the car to where I lived,” Herschel said. “Her cake was in the car. The dog ate the cake. It had shards of glass in it. The dog died.”
The non-alcoholic feast this year will feature a date roll that has been missing for awhile. Someone finally found a recipe for it on Facebook. There will also be chicken and noodles, corn frozen from the field, mashed potatoes, cranberry salad, gooseberry pie, pumpkin pie and graham cracker pudding.
“My kids only go for the graham cracker pudding,” laughed Hague.
“There will be four big tables of more food than you’d ever want to see,” added Herschel.
And while food is definitely a major attraction of the event, connecting and reconnecting with people is biggest draw. Kids come back from college, servicemen from the military and relatives from near and far.
“We’re seeing people we haven’t seen all year,” said Hague. “We all respect each other.”
“It was a really close family,” Knupp said. It has remained one.
The youngest of tomorrow’s attendees are the sixth generation of Knoops. They’re still in diapers. But it won’t take them long to catch on that on Thanksgiving at noon, the Knoop reunion is the only place to be. And with a family this close, with such strong ties, it will surprise no one if their grandchildren aren’t sharing the tale of Sam and Laura in another 125 years.
