Sag-Ashus – Family Reunions – a Great American Tradition
It’s summertime again, and folks from north to south and east to west are busily engaged in their favorite summer pastimes, whether it be ballgames or picnics, barbecues or fishing trips. Last but not least, we understand that a great number of folks actually enjoy going to the beach and swimming in the ocean. We wish those who enjoy swimming and surfing in that huge, oversized swimming pool all the best. This old desert rat has no desire to share the water with those millions of critters who have been swimming around in that ocean for millions of years before we humans came on the scene. We have read about the sharks that bite and the jellyfish that sting and the manta rays with sharp poisonous barbs – just to name a few – so we will take our chances with the critters that we are more familiar with like rattlesnakes, mountain lions, bobcats, skunks, coyotes and red ants. And by the way, let’s not forget our stickery friends like cactus and thorny mesquite bushes.
There is one summertime activity that we have not mentioned that is enjoyed by many, and we highly recommend it. That would be the family reunion, and next week Ole Sag and the Missus will be traveling to Comanche County to celebrate the 126th Cunningham family reunion. It has been held outdoors at the same location for the last 125 consecutive years. It is said to be the longest-running family reunion in the state of Texas. It’s held on Mercer Creek, south of Comanche, and is shaded by huge oak and pecan trees, which make the summer heat, if not exactly comfortable, at least tolerable. It is held by the descendants of 11 siblings, brothers and sisters born to Capt. James Cunningham, an early-day Indian fighter in the Comanche area, and his wife Susannah. Yours truly is the great-grandson of one of them, Mary Jane Cunningham, who married Joe Mercer Neely. Out of that union, our grandfather, J.H. Neely, was born.
Our readers may recall that we have mentioned him in several previous stories such as the one in which we described a picture of him in a football uniform on the field with several other players at Rice University. The most notable thing in the picture, aside from the fact that he was to become our grandfather, is that their uniforms were nothing more than some padded pants that went down below the knees, jerseys with no shoulder pads underneath and simple leather helmets with no face guards. We can only assume that their shoes had some form of spikes on the soles. We were very fortunate that he and our grandmother lived very close to us on the ranch and we had the opportunity to know him and profit from his example until after we were grown and married and had a child of our own.
Another story that we hope some of our readers may remember was about the time he sold a truckload of sheep to the father of a Texas state representative. On the appointed day, the buyer showed up with his truck and driver just as the sun was peeking over the mountain. In a short while we had loaded the sheep on the double-decked trailer, and when this prominent farmer was preparing to make out a check he said, “By the way Mr. Neely, would it be all right with you if I pay you half of what I owe you now and sign a note for the balance?” Well sir, that was the wrong way to approach the situation. The old man didn’t even look at him. He turned sharply and said “Son, unload those sheep right now!” You may remember that the buyer quickly recanted and made out a check for the entire amount and then departed. In Grandpa Neely’s world that was a breach of trust. Had the man asked for that accommodation when they were talking deal, Grandpa probably would have agreed to it. But when it was sprung on him at the last moment, that went against his code of ethics. Needless to say, he never did business with that individual again.
Now let’s get back to the reunion. When our father, Judge Tom Neely, was still alive and active he was a faithful attendee at these reunions, and he recounted that on the occasion of the 100th reunion there were more than 800 people in attendance. That was by far the greatest number ever recorded in the 100 year history of the event, and when we attended the 125th reunion there were more than 400 in attendance. We never leave these soirees hungry. The Saturday afternoon and evening get together features hot dogs for supper, and Sunday morning it’s a cowboy breakfast with fried steak, scrambled eggs, gravy and good ole cowboy coffee. Then at noon it’s a barbecued sirloin dinner before we pack up and head for home. Plaques of recognition are given for the oldest and youngest attendees, as well as for the one who has traveled the farthest – and one year that went to a family member who lives in Australia.
We always look forward to these get-togethers, and we urge all of our friends and readers to make the effort to attend such a family event, if indeed your family has one. If they don’t, perhaps you might consider organizing one. Ole Sag will tell you from personal experience that it can be a happy and uplifting time, reuniting with close family members as well as those you have not seen in a long time.
Here’s one that appeals to us, probably because we’re getting a little long in the tooth:
“A young news reporter visited an elderly man on his 99th birthday to interview him about his longevity. As he was leaving he said, ‘I hope to see you again sir on your hundredth birthday.’ The old gentleman carefully looked the young reporter over and then said, ‘I can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t, young man – you look healthy enough to me.’”
SAG