In 2010 for the 90th Annual Adams Family reunion one of our events was a presentation (PP) of about 45 minutes in length. This Adams Family consists of descendants from the 12 children of Lewis & Susan Adams. Lewis and Susan were married in January of 1816 in Urbana, Ohio.

Over the years the family had 'factured' into circles with some branches being more dominant in the reunion affairs. To combat this situation of "closed circles" the presentation was about the life and times of Lewis & Susan, our common ancestors.

The presentation started with a chart showing Lewis & Susan with the names and birth-death years for each of their 12 children. Then images and explanations were shown of events and documentation covering the life span of Lewis (1785-1864) & Susan (1790-1861), which included:

1.Emancipation Paper for Lewis Adams (1813)
2. Marriage record for Lewis & Susan (1816)
3.Lewis Adams registration paper as a FPOC in Ohio
4. List of charter members of St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Urbana, Ohio (1824) which included Lewis & Susan.
5.Deed of Conveyance - Property bought by Lewis Adams, 200 acres (1829)
UGRR & Community Activity accounts from Newspapers (1830-1864)
6.Palladium of Liberty Newspaper (1844)
7. Lewis Adams .. Trustee of Select School for Colored Children (1844)
8.Civil Court cases (1848 & 1853)
9. Ohio Colored Men's Convention Minutes (1851-1856)
10.Death Notice ..Obit... Susan Adams (1861)
11.Death & Estate Settlement Lewis Adams & Heirs (1864)

We also had a memorial service at the grave site of Lewis & Susan Adams.

I think the presentation & service helped us realize that we were ALL from these common ancestors, Lewis & Susan, not just the descendants from each of those 12 children.

I hope this example gives an insight into another possibility for a reunion program.

Art Thomas

Jason asked:

What are some creative ways other than writing the family history in a book at the family reunion?