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KOKENGE
FAMILY REUNION
April
14, 2001
Alton, Iowa
(4/26/01
This page is currently under construction.)
The Kokenge
Family Reunion took place on Saturday, April 14, 2001, in Alton, Iowa.
Verna (Klein) Bunkers, Mary (McCarthy) Schomer, and Suzanne Bunkers
hosted the gathering. Approximately 80 descendants
from various branches of the family
dined together, got to know one another, exchanged family stories, looked at
family photographs and ancestral records, and had fun!
Later in the day, we visited the old
Kokenge farm east of Alton and went to the cemeteries where Kokenge ancestors
are buried. (Click on "Back" and then on "Kokenge Farm" to see photographs of
this visit.) On Easter Sunday
morning, several cousins attended Mass together at St. Mary's Church in Alton.
VISIT
FROM OUR GERMAN COUSINS:
Two of our Kokenge cousins from Germany,
Barbara Kokenge Pasternak and her son Nils, arrived in Minneapolis on April 7,
2001, to the U.S. to meet some of their American cousins.
During the week that followed, they
visited New Vienna and Mount Carmel, and Carroll, Iowa, before arriving in Alton
for the family reunion on April 14, 2001. If you'd like to contact Barbara
Kokenge Pasternak, you can send her an e-mail message at this address: H.u.B.Pasternak@t-online.de
If
you have photographs and/or stories that you'd like to have me post on this
page, please send them to me via e-mail: suzanne.bunkers@mnsu.edu
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The
youngest (and only surviving) child of the Henry Kokenge family, Maureen
Kokenge Van Bergen, greets Larry Kokenge (Vince's son), as Pat McCarthy
Martin and Verna Klein Bunkers look on. |
Maureen
Kokenge Van Bergen and Vince Kokenge (son of Joseph and Kate Kokenge) get
re-acquainted. |
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Several
cousins (among them John and Shirley Hiddleston, Martha and Mary Ann
Kokenge, Mary McCarthy Schomer, Roberta and Gordon Kokenge) enjoy the fine luncheon served
at the O.K. Cafe. |
Nils
Pasternak enjoys a chat with his Kokenge cousins from Mount Carmel/Carroll, Iowa.
They're probably comparing notes on who came the longest distance for the
Kokenge Family Reunion. |
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Cecelia
KokengeVonnahme, her daughterKathy Gorman (left), Jerry Kokenge and his
mother, Florence Steffes Kokenge (right), prepare to sign the guest
book. All are descendants of Anton Kokenge, the older brother of
Henry Kokenge. Anton and his family settled at Mount Carmel (near
Carroll), Iowa. They came all the way to Alton to meet the
"Henry Kokenge" cousins. |
Gene
and Martie Ebner came from Sioux City to share photos and genealogical information with Ray
and Eunice Ebner of Olivia, MN, and Barbara Kokenge Pasternak of Meschede,
Germany. The Ebners are also descended from the Anton
Kokenge line and came to the reunion to meet the "Henry" cousins. |
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Kokenge
cousins with Maureen Kokenge Van Bergen: Kay McCarthy Reimers, Carol
McCarthy Holles, Mary McCarthy Shomer, Bev Van Bergen, Maureen Van Bergen,
Lana Van Bergen, Pat McCarthy Martin, Darlene Van Bergen, Clarice Klein
Roder, Suzanne Bunkers, Verna Klein Bunkers. |
Three
cousins (Suzy Bunkers, Bev Van Bergen, Mary McCarthy Schomer), who were
once childhood playmates, had a chance to re-connect and reminisce about
the good old days they spent on the St. Joseph Grade School playground in
Granville, Iowa. |
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Kokenge
cousins gather for Easter Sunday Mass at St. Mary's Church in Alton, Iowa.
Front: Mary and Kristina Schomer, Mary Ann and Martha Kokenge, Nils
Pasternak, Jerel Schomer, Barbara Pasternak. Back: Suzy, Rachel,
Verna and Dale Bunkers. |
The
Kokenge Family Reunion cake--just before it was cut and devoured by 80
hungry cousins! It was gone by the end of the afternoon. It
was very tasty, too. |
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