(Provided courtesy of Jane Collett Newman.)

Collett and McKay descendants meet

     There is a saying: "It never rains on the Collett/McKay picnic." A superstitious person would expect that kind of statement would surely bring rain on the second Saturday of August, at least on the 4 acre picnic site off Gurneyville Road in Chester Township. But no. For the 129th time in a row (except for a very few) it was a lovely hot summer day under the stately maples.
     At 11 am the first telephone call ever made from this venerable ground was an urgent one, on Steve McKay's cellular, to locate the priceless registration books that contain the names and signatures of descendants of the four Collett & McKay marriages that started this annual picnic shortly after the Civil War. The job of keeping track of these things seems always to fall on the oldest members of the group, the ones with the worst memories. But the books were found, and delivered, and by 3 pm 214 relatives had stepped up to the old walnut registration stand and signed themselves in.
     Everyone seems to park their vehicle in about the same spot, and put up their picnic table in about the same spot each year. We say, "No, don't put your table there. That's where (Charlie's and Judy's) table goes."
     For 3 or 4 hours people from all over the country (see list) come together to eat the local food, and talk the local talk. Three 40 foot long tables were covered with great dishes of salads, fruits, and this writer particularly enjoyed a little plate of meat cakes, topped with pineapple rings and cherries. "Who brought these? There are only 3 left. Oh well, somebody has to eat them." And this writer gobbled up a delectable ham loaf patty that would have delighted the most epicurean gourmet. Chef unknown.
     Conversation was of the confusing wars in Bosnia, the trial of O.J. Simpson, and the political confusion brought forward by the billionaire upstart Ross Perot. But the main reason people were there was to check up on their place on the family tree. Sooner or later, everyone had a look at the old photos, the letters, the descendant charts, that littered the 20 foot display table in the center of the gathering.
     Brent Bogan, of Las Vegas, was almost the youngest member present, having been born last March 10th to Eric and Dana. But the youngest was Dario Resendiz, born May 10 to Ann Collett, and Pablo. The oldest? Well Ernestine and Esther are within a few percent of the same age, and who counts? The important thing is that when Esther (born when electricity was as rare as E-mail) touches Dario (who might easily become a space traveler), a connection is made that could span two centuries.
     Like a real tree, the Collett/McKay family tree has knots and gnarly branches. Divorce, wedlock, morality, all complicate the genealogists efforts. But there is comfort in looking at the whole tree as well as the parts.
     As this writer made his way through the crowd he came upon a young fellow leaning against a car, looking cool. "What are you going to do with your life?" I asked. "I'm going to go to college, then I'm going to be someone good. I've already been someone not so good." I wrote it down. What he said seemed important.
     We give extra credit to the people who come from great distances to be at the Collett/McKay Picnic. This year Carol Collett came all the way from Redondo Beach, CA. (Her father Herb/Gene came a little farther, from Escondido, but he's older and his roots here are deeper.)
     Lest we forget, 178 of the 214 people who made the effort to share their presence with family members, came from right here in Ohio, mostly from Clinton, Warren, Greene Counties. We don't ask the paper to print these names every year, but they are the unsung heroes of an event that is like a lighthouse that has influence far beyond the handful of people who linger under the maples, on a hot second Saturday in August.
     Attending from Wilmington were: Wanda Ames; Samuel Ashley; Brenda, Greg, Janie and Philip Bogan; Allen, Amy, Andy, Cathy, Craig and Steve Borton; Brandon, Debbie and Kieran Carmine, Steve, Karla, Joel, Josiah, Nathan, Aaron and Christian Collett; Charles, John and Judith Denny; Florence, Heber, Lester, Sue and Wayne Ellis; Ellen and Jonathan Gilbert; Art, Emma, James and Rebecca Godfrey; Eric Hackney; John and Rita Howell; Charles, Mark and Pauline Inwood; John Lawson; Donna and JoAnne Lindsey; Charles, Katherine and Naben Luby; Elizabeth Magee; Jessica Mathersole; Wilbur, Ada, Allen, J, Ray, Wayne, Don and Ruth McKay; Ernestine Moore; Jerry Morris; Eddie, John, Sheri and Tom Mothersole; Felix and Louise Pence; George, Ruth, Steve, Sandy, Doug and Juna Pidgeon; Megan Ratliff; Howard Shambaugh; Martha and Tony Shambrock; Helen, Damian and Kim Snyder; Mary Stanfield; Priscilla, Bryan and Roger Vaughn; Mary Vicker; and Pat and Ron Wittaker.
     Others attending from the Clinton County area were: Ken Ellis, Clarksville; Gwen Bogan and Dave Nicholas, Martinsville; and Carmen and Josiah Ellis, Sabina.
     Those attending from out of the county in Ohio were: Virginia, Charles, Robert and Rebecca Collett; and Jane, Logan and Tyler McCormick, Xenia. John Magee, Yellow Springs. John and Rosalie Beers, Ashville. Cindy, Hannah, Heath and Rick Geyor, Botkins. Constance and Stephen Brown, Canton. Chris, Conner, Dan and Leslie Nowicki; and Katie and Thomas Talmage, Cincinnati. Mark Beers and Evan and Roger Schneider, Columbus. Mary Lou Cole, Dayton. Albert and Peggy Will, Fairfield. Andy, Christopher and Kimberly Storck, Highland. Mary Levo and Dick and Joan McKay, Hillsboro. Doug and Janet Reynolds, Inglewood.
     Also, Alexandria Batson; Duane and Lois Ervin; Ashley and Susan Inwood; Christine, Megan and Nicholas Kelly; Jessica Stafford; and Bonnie Tullis, Kettering. Douglas and Jane Carmine, Leesburg. Dawn and Sam Billingsley, New Carlisle. Marilyn and Wallace Edwards; and J., James, Joseph and Valerie Elliott, Oxford. Gary and Kimberly Porter, Reynoldsburg. Helen, Kathleen, Richard, Rosalie and William Schneider, So Solon. David and Martha Denny; and Ann and Travis Glaze, Springboro. Dudley and Sally Inwood, Trenton. Barbara, Carl and Erik Peterson, Union. Luke Carnell; and Alyson and Melissa Dawson, Washington Court House. Dianne and McKay Collett; Esther, John, Carol, Alison, Amy, Amanda, Dan, Melody, Billie and Jimmie Doster, Waynesville.
     Coming from out of state were: Dorothy and Stanley Walker, Foley, Ala. Dianne Nickerson Hanson, Scottsdale, Ariz. Eugene Collett, Escondido, Calif. Carol Collett, Redondo Beach, Calif. Mary Magee and Raymond Sell, Boulder, Colo. Marjorie Ames, Arcadia, Fla. Anna and Pablo Resendiz; and Keivan Greengus, Evanston, Ill. James and Patricia Geisting, Palatine, Ill. Barbara and Howard Doster, West Lafayette, Ind. Laura L. Yahnke, Waukee, Iowa. Allison, David, Michael and Sally Sell, Richmond, Ky. David, Cynthia, Ashlee, Adam and Andrew Doster, Novi, Mich. Eric, Steven, Dana and Brent Bogan, Las Vegas, Nevada. Susan Doster, Brooklyn, N.Y. Allen and Nathan Inwood, Pittsburgh, Pa. Frances Rempp, Irene, S.D. Steve Majors, Smithfield, Va. Ellen and Max Magee; and George Tuggle, Madison, Wis.