(Clipping provided courtesy of Jane Collett Newman.)

Two hundred sixty five descendants attend annual Collett McKay Picnic

     The annual Collett McKay picnic is a tradition that began just after the Civil War. Jonathan Collett and Sarah McKay had been married 43 years. His brother Daniel and her sister Virginia had been married 39 years.
     In 1830 Collett siblings again married McKay siblings, when Mary Collett wed Francis McKay, and her brother Daniel wed Francis' sister Mariah.
     By 1866 Civil War had taken so many lives the grandchildren of these four weddings felt drawn by strong family ties to find out who survived these terrible battles, and so their first family picnic was held.
     Since then the picnic has been an annual event on the second Saturday of August at the permanent four acre picnic site at the corner of Gurneyville and Inwood Roads in Chester Township.
     This year was the 132nd consecutive picnic, all but two in good weather (according to the mammoth set of register books that go back almost to the beginning.).
     Among the early arrivals were Howard and Lana Volz and their service dog Ellie. Howard descends from Sabin MacDonald, a prominent Harveysburg figure who's antecedent on the Sabin side married into the Collett family. Ellie was one of four dogs present at the picnic, and the only professional. Her job at home is to help pull Lana's wheelchair, fetch and carry, and even pick up the phone.
     Brynne Snyder is connected on both sides, as are many of the picnickers. Her grandmother is Rita McKay, and her great grandmother's sister married Wallace Collett. Brynne is special because she's only 78 days old. When she nestled in the arms of her great-cousin Esther Doster, also present, over 35,000 days spanned their ages.
     Gary Browning's tragic death this year, at the early age of 48, was a reminder of how the circle of life keeps us in balance.
     A fashion note seems appropriate: the McKay's are generally proud of their Scottish heritage, and the Scotch kilt is the traditional garment associated with that heritage. Yet all of the men and most of the women this year were in pants, either short or long. Very few skirts, and no kilts were in evidence. Examination of early photographs of the picnic, on display at the memorabilia table, reveals that this is a change from earlier times, when all the women wore skirts.
     The picnic grounds, and the picnic, are administered by four trustees: Wilbur McKay, Stephen Allan Collett, McKay Collett, and Dale Inwood. It is apparent that attendance is excellent, and those who come invariably enjoy the marvelous food, games, and camaraderie with family. But a significant number of eligible family members do not come. Thus it is the important function of this great newspaper to help inform the absentees what they missed, in hopes they will come next year.
     Forty four people came from 14 states outside Ohio.
     Non-Ohioans at the 1998 Collett-McKay Picnic were Lora Yahnke, Mountainburg, Ariz.; Timothy and Marilyn Talmadge, Mesa, Ariz.; Carol Collett, Santa Fe, N.M.; Brendan Bogan, Las Vegas, Nev.
     Also, Colette and Sue Grubman, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Rachel Pidgeon, Denver, Colo.; Mary and Raymond Sell, Boulder, Colo.
     Marjorie Ames, Arcadia, Fla.; Ed Cossum, Ellenton, Fla.; Jennifer and Nancy DalPian, Port Charlotte, Fla.; Alice Lockmiller, Ft. Myers, Fla.
     Leila Draper, W. Des Moines, Iowa; Bart, Robin, Chuck and Chad Fabian, Des Plaines, Ill.; Patricia Giesting, Elgin, Ill.; Neisan, Kelvan and Fajalli Greengus, Evanston, Ill.; Timothy Horvat, Evanston, Ill.; Anna and Dario Resendk, Evanston, Ill.;
     Barbara and Howard Doster, W. Lafayette, Ind.; Amy and Bryan Sinkhom, Seymour, Ind.; Sally, David, Michael and Alison Sell, Richmond, Ky.; Ashlee, Drew, Adam, Cindi and Dave Doster, Novi, Mich.; Susan Doster, Brooklyn, N.Y. and Max and Ellen Magee, Madison, Wisc.