Paul Family Reunion ~ 1930

 Paul Family Reunion ~ 1930

The Second Annual Reunion was held at Pfenninger's home 4328 Dodge Street, Duluth, Minn. July 29-30-31, 1930. 

Those present being Arthur, Lillian, Clara, Arnold, Bertha, Philip, Grace, George, Paul, Ernest, Evelyn, Betty, Bessie, Eugene, Walter, Maud, Ralph, Bernice, Alice, Kenneth, Frances, and as a guest of honor, Cousin Frances Place. She came from her home in New Jersey, having taken the boat trip from Buffalo to Duluth, arriving in Duluth the evening before the reunion. the Pfenningers, Watsons, and Arthur and Lillian were at the dock to meet her. Maud and Walter and children arrived by auto about 7 PM Sunday, they being the last ones to arrive.

Sunday evening was mostly given to a general visiting and perfecting of arrangements to accommodate everyone during their stay. In the back yard, Arthur's large tent and Walter's small one were put up. Clara found a surprising amount of floor space for improvised beds.

In the serving of Sunday evening lunch, Ernest gave us a foretaste of his culinary arts, which were fully exemplified, with Paul's able assistance during the following two days.

Since our last reunion, George had suffered an automobile accident which had nearly cost him his life, and at this time he was still suffering from the effects of it. There was a general spirit of thankfulness among us, and was so far on the road to recovery.

About 10 PM the crowd began to thin out as first the little folks, then the older ones prepared for bed, some upstairs, some in tents and some on the floor, until finally about midnight the women chased the men out of the dining room, while they draped the chairs, table, piano and bird cages with all manner of garments and made more beds on the dining room floor. If it were possible for canaries to blush, the one in that cage would doubtless have been a rosy pink by morning.

Next morning, as the sounds of the awakening household increased, each one arose when sleep was no longer possible. Ernest and Paul began to make things fly in the kitchen with savory odors of breakfast filling the house, and everybody else taking turns dodging into the kitchen, expressing their wish to be of some help and then dodging out again with nothing done only to get in the way. Presently a stream of flapjacks, cereal, toast and coffee commenced to flow from the kitchen to the dining room table which had by now been cleared of feminine appurtances.

When the morning work had been done, a picnic lunch was made up and everyone started for Two Harbors; four cars in all, with all extra space inside and out occupied with picnic material.

Finding a beautiful spot in the park,-

"By the shores of Gitchie Gummie,

By the shining Big Sea Water."

We pulled two large tables together, deposited our belongings thereon, then went exploring, some down to the rocky shore, some to the high side where they could watch an incoming ore boat. This park is situated on a rocky wooded point east of Two Harbors, commanding a wonderful view of the lake and the rocky, island fringed shoreline to the north.

About Twelve o'clock we packed up and drove about a while to see the town, stopping at the D & IR depot to inspect the old locomotive the R. R. Co. has on display there. Next we went down to one of the docks to watch a large ore boat taking on cargo. This kept the mamas and dads of the little tots busy to see that no one stepped off the dock into the water. On the way home, Walter's car ran over a cat. As it was not a black cat, just an ordinary gray cat, they did not stop, but kept on in the procession hoping that pussy would have at least one of her nine lives left, like a spare tire to get home on.

Ye humble scribe hopes that the frequent reference to meals, lunches, picnics, etc. will not give the impression that the party consisted of gluttons, but the fact is, soon as we had returned to Clara's place, plans were made for our picnic supper, which eventually resulted in our driving out on Park Point where we built an open fire on the sandy beach and roasted wieners and made coffee. It was a rather cool evening with a cool breeze off the lake, but we enjoyed ourselves until dark, when we returned to the house for the remainder of our days program.

About nine PM we had a short program consisting mainly of a violin solo by Bertha, some feats of magic and sedgermain by our family Magician, Paul Watson, piano solo by Lillian, and various readings, jokes and stories by other members of the party.

The following day--Tuesday afternoon--Arnold arranged for the Duluth Herald to send a photographer to take our picture. This was done, the picture appearing in that paper the following day. Each family present secured at least one of the photos.

After lunch the party commenced to break up, Walter and Maud and children leaving about 2 PM. the folks from Northome at 3 PM, while Watsons stayed until the following morning, taking Frances Place with them as a part of her tour of the state visiting relatives. Arthur and Lillian left about the same time.