Ideas Needed for Celebrating Family Anniversary

[CanadianJingles]

I would love some ideas so I'm putting this out for MHH folks to think about. My great grandparents migrated from England to Canada in 1910 which makes this year the centennial anniversary of our family moving here. I think that's a big deal, but I'm not sure how to commemorate that, either for my family (as in my DH and my children because that is their family history too) or for my big family (as in my parents, siblings and spouses and their children).

(I'm the family historian sort of. I have some of my grandparents old photos and I'm the one doing the family tree research. These great grandparents are tough people to track, her especially. My great grandmother died when I was 8. I never knew my great granddad. I do know what boat they came on and from where and some of those little things.)

Big or little things, I'd love some help.

 

[jackfrosty]

What an awesome Idea! Are you thinking of having some kind of a reunion?
I don't know much about Facebook but couldn't you set up some kind of group or something for your family with a page for pictures and facts and stuff for before the event?

 

[CanadianJingles]

My family really isn't in to facebook. I've considered trying to even just get all my siblings together here with my parents, but I think it might be pretty tough for my younger sister who is living in Oxford, England.

 

[jinglemom]

I think it would be a great idea to try to have a family reunion. With enough notice, maybe even those from far away would still attend and consider it their vacation. We have a family reunion every year. Most of us live within two hours and bring a dish to share. There have been times even my cousin who lives in Scotland has come. One of our relatives who was researching our family tree, would display all her progress each year for us all to see. All my husbands family lives on the East Coast, we live in California, but one year my husbands Aunt organized a family reunion at a bed and breakfast type resort. Many people came (including us), people paid for their own food and lodging and spent the weekend together. If most your family does not live close by, maybe something like this would work.

If the family reunion idea is not feasible, I think it would be really nice to compile a cd of family pictures and include some information on your family background to send to your relatives.

 

[jackfrosty]

A cd is a great idea! you can use a site like smilebox to dress it up-
http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks/occasions/family-tree-scrapbooking/
you could also make a small scrapbook for each of your siblings or do a write-up like a newspaper article with a picture to portray your family's beginnings in Canada. Also you could do a framed family tree for each of your close family members.
Even a framed picture of the boat they came on(if one exists) would be a nice rememberance! Have fun!

 

[CanadianJingles]

Thank you for the ideas!

I've proposed the idea of trying to get everyone home (as in all my siblings) because three of my five siblings live out of province (one out of country), but I'm not sure it's financially feasible for my sister in the UK. She's turning 30 this year and her big trip is already planned mostly (the Hermitage for her birthday).

I'm not concerned about doing anything for extended family like my aunts, uncles or cousins, because they really don't talk to us. My grandparents passed away years ago.

A framed family tree is an interesting one to consider too. I have seen pics of the boat (SS Virginian), so that is an option too.