Past Reunions
2018 Boone County Germanna Reunion
This Reunion was held on June 16, 2018 at the Hopeful Lutheran Church.
41 attendees gathered at The Hopeful Lutheran Church in Florence, KY
Our Speakers were Michael D. Rouse and Kevin Rowland
Presentations included:
"Germanna Second Colony 300th Anniversary 1717-2017 Celebration”
Kevin Rowland
Kevin showed photos and videos from The Germanna Foundation’s 60th Conference and Reunion
held in Virginia last year where the 300th Anniversary of our Second Germanna Colony was celebrated!
"Limaburg: A Community of Germanna descendants"
Michael D. Rouse
Located app. 1.5 miles west of Hopeful Church, the town of Limaburg, as well as the surrounding farms, was settled by Germanna descendants.
The town’s history and the roles of these families in its development were discussed along with old photos shown.
It's always wonderful seeing everyone!
Special thanks to the following for their participation in this event: Kevin Rowland, Michael D. Rouse, Joe and Sue Kate Berkshire,
Steve Conrad, Kathy Caminiti, Warren and Sis Heist, Kremer’s Market,
The Boone County Public Library and The Hopeful Lutheran Church.
2016 Boone County Germanna Reunion
This Reunion was held on July 9, 2016
59 attendees gathered at The Hopeful Lutheran Church in Florence, KY
Presentations included
presented by Jeannine Kreinbrink, MA, RPA
"Snyder - Blankenbeker Family Cemetery moved to Hopeful Lutheran Church Cemetery"
President and Senior Archaeologist, K & V Cultural Resources Management, Union Ky
Jeannine spoke on the moving of the 36 graves from the Snyder - Blankenbeker Family Cemetery
at Mall Road & US 42 in Florence KY to the Hopeful Lutheran Church Cemetery in August 2014
presented by Dr. Katharine L. Brown
"The Women of the Germanna Colonies"
Germanna Foundation Board of Trustees, 1st Vice President
Katharine is proud to descend from 1714 Germanna immigrants John Jacob Rector
and his wife Anna Elisabeth Fishback,
as well as from Elisabeth’s immigrant parents,
Philip Fishback and his wife Elisabeth Heimbach.
Her and her husband Madison have enjoyed leading each of the Germanna trips to Germany,
and Katharine also chairs the Foundation’s publications committee.
She is the author of Germanna Record #17.
presented by Cathi Clore Frost
"Documents Used to Identify the Second Germanna Colonists
Germanna Foundation Board of Trustees, Secretary, and Chair of the Events Committee
Cathi’s ancestors include Second Colony members of the Clore, Kaifer, Weaver,
Volck, and Blankenbaker families as well as members of the Hirsch/Deer and
Razor families who were later comers to the Hebron / Robinson River community
in Madison County, Virginia.
Her Clore and Deer families settled in Boone County, Kentucky in 1811
and later went to Indiana. Her ancestor Israel Clore sold his Boone County farm
to the Dinsmore family which built the frame house now open to the public as the Dinsmore Homestead.
Cathi is the author of Germanna Record #16: The First Four Generations of the
Michael Clore Family published in 2005 and of Germanna Record #19: The First
Five Generations of the Nicholas Yager Family published in 2010.
She is currently researching the Michael Willheit (Wilhoit, Wilhite, etc.)
family for a future Germanna Record with scheduled publication date of 2017.
She also maintains a database of Germanna descendants for the Germanna Foundation.
Lunch boxes were again ordered from Kremer's Market which is owned by Germanna descendant Warren Heist and family.
Warren & Sis Heist
Some folks signed up for dinner at the Tousey House Tavern in Burlington KY
Skip Poole, Cathi Clore Frost, Katharine and Madison Brown
Judy Ann and Jack Fray from Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Virginia!
The Boone County KY Germanna Group thanks you for sharing this day with us!
and special gratitude to the following for their participation in this event:
Joe and Sue Kate Berkshire, Jeannine Kreinbrink, Dr. Katharine Brown, Cathi Clore Frost,
Kathy and Joe Caminiti, Michael D. Rouse, Jeff Aylor, Bob England, Skip Poole,
Warren and Sis Heist, Kremer’s Market, Hopeful Lutheran Church, The Boone County Public Library,
and The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc.
It was wonderful seeing friends again and meeting new people!
2014 Boone County Germanna Reunion
“William Carpenter ~ The Soldier, The Pastor, and The Man”
event was held on June 28, 2014
Attendees gathered to celebrate the life of Reverend William Carpenter 1762-1833.
Event was held at Hopeful Lutheran Church, 6430 Hopeful Church Road, Florence, KY
Reverend Carpenter became the first pastor at Hopeful Lutheran Church in 1813
and served until his death in 1833.
The day included:
* Reunion of Germanna descendants
* A timeline presentation of Rev. Carpenter’s life and journey through this important time period
including the discovery of 12 handwritten letters by Rev. Carpenter
which had been translated from the original German language.
* Discussion on new materials available for researching Boone County genealogy
* Lunch offered again from Kremer's Market
* Visited the William Carpenter Cemetery here in Florence KY
It was a great success thanks to all 38 attendees!
2012 Boone County Germanna Reunion
'Their Journey from Virginia to Kentucky ~ Oct-Nov 1805' event held on June 23, 2012
We learned more about our Hopeful's pioneers' 1805 journey from Virginia to Boone County Ky!
June 23 ~ Saturday
Presentations were given by the following folks:
~~"Migration Routes to Kentucky" by Don Rightmyer, Kentucky Historical Society
including wonderful maps and information
~~ “Traveling by Conestoga Wagon” by the Arthur Reist family, Lancaster PA
which gave very interesting details of the Conestoga Wagon
which our ancestors used on their 1805 journey to Boone County
~~ "The Genealogy of Three German Women Who Married Three Generations of Irish Men"
by Germanna descendant Joe Stephens, Millersburg OH
presented an informative account of the families of Anna Crisler, Jemima Aylor, and Ada Alice Carpenter
from Germany to Virginia to Boone County, Kentucky
Also much gratitude to the following persons for their participation in hosting this event:
Joe and Sue Kate Berkshire, Kathy and Joe Caminiti, Steve Conrad, Cindy Dietz, Bob England,
Warren and Sis Heist, Kremer’s Market, The Arthur Reist Family from Lancester PA,
Don Rightmyer, Katherine Rouse, Michael D. Rouse, Joe Stephens
Lunch was catered by Kremer's Market
It was a great success thanks to all 42 attendees!
Then on Sunday, June 24th,
the Dedication Ceremony and Unveiling of the new Historical Highway Marker for the Hopeful Lutheran Church was held!
Photos below of the front and the back of Highway Marker
Don Rightmyer of the Kentucky Historical Society speaks during the Dedication Ceremony
2011 Boone County Germanna Reunion
'Germanna in the Hinterland' event held on July 20, 2011
We celebrated our Germanna heritage and their migration to Boone County Ky!
Presentations were given by the following folks:
~~ “A History of Hopeful Lutheran Church”
by Rev. Dr. Charles Aylor
giving details of the history of the Church and its early pastors
~~ “Boone County’s German Colony, The Early Settlers of Hopeful Lutheran Church”
by Michael D. Rouse
with details of the pioneer colony of Hopeful Lutheran Church
Lunch was catered by Kremer's Market
A choice of 3 afternoon activities including:
~~ Tour of Hopeful Lutheran Cemetery and other local Germanna Family Cemeteries
~~ Tour & Presentation of pictures and research materials at Boone County Public Library
~~ Research time with the Boone County Courthouse basement records
Special gratitude to the following persons for their participation in hosting this event:
Rev. Dr. Charles Aylor, Joe and Sue Kate Berkshire, Kathy and Joe Caminiti, Chuck Dietz, James Duvall,
Ruth Dringenburg, Bob England, Warren and Sis Heist, Kremer's Market, Fay Kirkpatrick, Don Rightmyer,
Katherine Rouse, Michael D. Rouse, Bridget Striker, Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Debbie Wesselman
and the day concluded with Dinner at the Tousey House Tavern.
It was a great success thanks to all 64 attendees!