Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1898 — Yeoman Family Reunion. [ARTICLE]

Yeoman Family Reunion.

On Friday, September 9,1898, a reunion of the Yeoman family was held at the home of Esq. James Yeoman about five miles west of Rensselaer, Indiana, the occasion being the 54tli anniversary of the residence of the Yeoman family at the place where they now reside. There was a large number of people present and we had a very enjoyable time. There was also many happy meetings that in all probability will not recur as many times in the future as in the past. The following is a partial list of those present:

M. B. Halstead and wife, C. C. Halstead and wife, Frank Grant and wife, Lucias Strong: and wife, D. H. Yeomau and wife. Joseph Yeoman and wife, Lewis Sayler and wife, Jonathan Pancoast, Abner C. Pancoast and Wife, Alton Grant and wife, Thomas W. Grant aud wife, Wiliam E. Moore and wife, Geo. W. Burke and wife, Charles Yeoman and wife, Joseph P, Hammond and wife, Charles S. Hammond and wife, M. L. Spitier and wife, Edward Cockeruil, David Cocker-, nil, J. W. Mauk, Kate Mauck. Wm. Yeoman and wife, Ira Sayler and wife, Allen Miller, Mattie Yeoman, Mrs. Jane Martindale, Minerva Hopkins, Harry Wade and wife, John Rush and wife, W. W. Wishnrd, Abe Hardy, Isaac Sayler, James Parkinson and wife, S. O. Duvall, Johu W. Duvall and wife and two sons. Edgar J. Howe and family, Johu Martiudule aud wife, Mrs. Miller, Omar Morlaud aud wife, Mrs. Mamie Gwiu. Mrs. Monroe Carr, B. F. Ferguson aud wife, A. K. Yeoman, Murcus M. Yeoman and wife. Daniel F. Grunt and wife, A. Grant, Grace Grant. Amy Yeoman and two sous, of Kansas, Eva Suyler, Garland Grant, Miss Tracy Blunku of Chicago, D. C. Crow and wife. James Yeoman and wife, Mrs. Abbie Y'eoman and family.

These, together with others present, made the nurrbe" of UO. The young people enjoyed themselves by swinging and jumping the rope in the old fashioned way. which was a minder to the ngec men and women of their younge; days when they, too, jumped the grape vine for a rope, and played hop and skip around the old log school house, in the early days of the settlement of Jasper county. The dinner bell rang and immediately afterwards there was an assembling around two long and heavily loaded tables of. the good things to eat, of which all had free access, and it was truthfully stated ihat Squire James Yeoman ate so nuch and got into such an awkward position at the table that he had to be carried away by four stout men for fear that he would eat so much he could not straighten up, and B. F. Ferguson continued to eat so long and so much that he remained around the table r util all the eatables were cleared away, and then attacked a large watermelon, when four of the stoutest men on the ground attempted to carry him into the house, but they gave up the joo before they had reached half way on account of his ponderous weight and the dinner and watermelon.

The estimate on the weight of the crowd before dinner was placed at 18,C X) pounds. After dinner all were weighed and to the great surprise of the weigh-master, Mr. A. K. Yeoman, the weight was 20,Cv 0 pounds, showing a net gain of 2,CC D pounds dinner, after which Mr. Ferguson called the people to order, and after making a few introductory remarks, introduced Mr. M. L. Spitler, who made a very pleasant speech, also relating a great many incidents of the early days, and being well acquainted with the Yeoman family he could tell some things whifch were, to them, rehearsals of the past. At the close of Mr. Spitler’s address he read a letter from Hinton J. Yeoman, of Colorado, a son of Alva Yeoman, who at one time owned the farm now known as the Micah Sayler farm. We were now about ready to start home when Mr. Franklin Grant, in his very impressive manner, informed the crowd that Mr. Yeoman had received nothing for the use of his scales while weighing the people, and it was ordered that a collection be made, which met with a liberal response, and to the-great gratification of Mr/Grant. Mr. Yeoman then pronounced that the collection would be donated to the Sunday school, and therefore its coffers were enriched by the sum of eighteen cents. With many good wishes and good byes we parted. XX