2010 CFB Lybbert Family Reunion Report

 

Written by Enoch Lybbert

 

I was so impressed with our family members who attended our reunion and they came with the same mission in mind:

� we are members of a great family loving family,

� we have come to enjoy each others company,

� we know that we will be loved and are willing to extend that love to all,

� we are willing to share all of our knowledge, history of our forefather

� we have come to glean and preserve our history written, into data bases for all members of our family to enjoy.

    Our goal of the 2000-2005 reunion was to focus our attention on all ancestors of Christian Fredrick Bernard and Antoinette Marie (Olsen) Family. To often families members write great tales and revere the experiences of our forefathers, leaving little unsaid of the great mothers who in many cases were the backbone that held the family together through many trying times.

Our organization decided to hold the next reunion in the Salt Lake Valley area and elect officer from that area. Mel Olsen was elected President for the next term 2005-2010. Mel Olsen is the son of Eugene and Rae (Jones) Olsen, Eugene is the son of Daniel Foss and Ester (Lybbert) Olsen, Daniel is the son of Charles Olsen, and Ester is the Daughter of C. F. B. Lybbert and Antoinette Marie Olsen. Charles and Antoinette are brother and sister. Many of the family members have lived near went to school and played with the Olsen family and have found their manners and disposition to be equal to any of the rest of the family.

This year under the direction of 2005-2010 presidencies this focus was carried out and successfully accomplished by many of the family being involved in research of our ancestors and preparing the agenda for our 2010 reunion that was held on July 2^nd and 3^rd. 2010. The reunion contained four major events, meals, entertainment, family history and election of new officers for our next family reunion.

All Meals were under the direction of the Nancy Olsen the chairman. Her committee purchased and served four meals, Thursday’s lunch and supper, and Friday’s breakfast and Lunch.  Each meal was served without a hitch; each family member enjoyed the assortment of food available. It was observed that each had a great appetite. The family would like to thank all those on the committee for accomplishing the task of feeding and cleaning up after our family during these two days.

Thursday afternoon was a great time to gather and visit. Family members were going table to table getting re-acquainted. We had family members from Alberta, Washington, Idaho, Organ, Utah, Arizona, California, and Montana. The only family members not represented was Daniel Lybbert’s family.  

 John; Lisa (wife); Juliette (daughter); and Nadine (mother); Bascom provided us great country hoedown music for our Thursday night entertainment and gave us back ground music as we ate our last meal on Friday.

Juliette, eight years old was the star fiddler; her ability to play that instrument inspired the young and the old. Juliette’s was accompanied by her parents and grandmother with back ground instrumentalists John the spoons, fiddle sticks, and mandolin, Lisa the mandolin, and Nadine at the wash board. After many songs during the Thursday night entertainment Lisa handed out spoons, cow bells, and washboards to the youth so they too could be involved; at that point it was truly entertainment.  Friday afternoon one of the Olsen boys grabbed his guitar and joined the Bascom family with his accompaniment. All performers did very well and it was enjoyed by all.

Saturday morning was devoted to family history. Dallas Merrell was given the responsibility to conduct this session of the reunion. Many of the family participated with personal experiences and stories, new and old, of the trials, hardships, and happy times our ancestors encountered as they help tame the Western plains of the United States and Canada.

Many experiences of CFB and Antoinette’s children were given. Their hardships were common place to them who lived in that era of time, more than we will ever be able to imagine.  We may call them the generation who broke out of the dark ages. They were the generation who saw the first automobile, airplane, heard the first radio, talked on the first phone, used the first cloth washing machine, etc. Many of that generation had the opportunity to see much of the technology and connivances we enjoy today, computers, television, cell phones, etc. Did they understand how this technology worked, probably not much better than we do?

Tables were aliened around the main meeting area by our past historian, Debbie Kerkes so pictures and journals brought by family members of the Olsen and Lybbert family could be displayed. Many family members donated hours of their time helping those who had come to understand how they fit into the family.

There was not the time to scan or digitize records so they could be placed into a format that could be accessed by computer or down loaded onto our family web so all family members can enjoy the history individual family members hold in their possession. One great part of this reunion developed was a committee formed from to help us convert our individual records we hold dear into modern data bases so any member of ur family can search the web and find treasure troves of history of all our past descendants.  

We were honored to have present at our family reunion two of the last 13 existing first cousins of the CFB and Antoinette Lybbert family. They were Hollis Hullinger, and Eugene Olsen, also in attendance was Nadine Bascom (Earl Bascom’s wife) and Grace Lybbert (Daniel Harden Lybbert’s wife).

            Our hats are off to Mel Olsen and his sweet wife Nancy and family. First to have the forethought in mind to develop and build a facility that would accommodate every age group. I have never seen or heard of a 50 foot long side for kids and adults; five play house, each representing commercial buildings you would find in a turn of the century old west town; a hotel, bank, black smith shop, jail, and mercantile stores. Off the top of the hotel is built a sip line for the bad cowboys to escape from the sheriff. A large lawn to accommodate racing, and yard toys as 

His family lodge is built as a two story building, excavated into the mountain side, the view is breath taking, you can see Provo, Oren, Lindon, Spring City, Utah Lake, the Copper Mining pits, Jordan, three LDS Temples and the point of the mountain can be sited. 

The top of this structure is completely covered with a 30 year roof, an iron rod designed railing allowing the whole area to be used as a giant covered patio. Seating capacity, 150 adults plus. A fireplace at the west end of the building and the large stone 3 grill barbeque pit allows large meals cooked and prepared for all to enjoy a feast for a king.

The lower unit is built in mind for those of my age group, the over the hill gang. A large kitchen allows many to bitch in and help prepare meals for all. It is equipped with stoves, refrigerator, freezer, sinks and garbage disposal. Two full bathrooms and dressing room allows all to enjoy continued time at the event. A fire place surrounded by large sofas and arm chairs at the west end adds a warmth or coziness for any event; the center area of this level is large enough to hold a dance, or table for many to eat or visit; air-condition in the summer, heating for winter makes this heaven away from home a retreat for business or families.

Last by not least, you who attended this 2010 family reunion, thank you for your participation and help to make this reunion successful and loads of fun.