Come to Dixon, Illinois Sunday, August 2, and Monday, August 3, for the 2009 Strong reunion!!
We are staying at the Quality Inn and Comfort Inn, located near the intersection of I-88 & Il Rt. 26 at the south end of Dixon, IL The motels are midway between Chicago and the Quad cities, and about 45 miles south of Rockford, IL.
The two motels are under one roof and share two pools and banquet rooms. The Quality Inn with an entrance at the east end of the building serves a full hot breakfast. The Comfort Inn with the entrance on the west end of the building has a deluxe continental breakfast featuring waffles. The motels are located beside a large WalMart and small strip mall.
The SFAA has a block of rooms reserved at both motels.
The Quality Inn:
- 815–288-2001
- Room rate — $93.46 plus tax
Comfort Inn:
- 815–284-0500
- Room rate — $84.96 plus tax
The motel will hold the rooms for the SFAA until July 2. Contact the Quality Inn and Comfort Inn directly and mention SFAA. A credit card will hold the room. You can cancel with no charge until 4 p.m. of the day of arrival. Please register early to assist us in our planning.
Dixon, in Lee Co., IL, is the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. His home is open for tours daily. It is also the home of the Walgreen family. Our banquet speaker will be Paul Langan, a retired psychology professor with an interest in Dixon area history. His topic will be the founders of the Walgreen Drug Store chain. More information on area points of interest, dining and shopping will be available in the SFAA hospitality room located across from the Comfort Inn registration desk.
A special guest at the Stronghold Castle tour on August 3 will be W. Ansel Strong III. He, and possibly some of his cousins, will share stories of his grandfather, Walter A. Strong, who was a Chicago newspaperman and builder of Stronghold Castle. The Walter A. Strong family descends from Elder John Strong’s son John Strong. More information about the castle and adjoining property is found at http://www.strongholdcenter.org/
Registration for the SFAA reunion in Dixon, Illinois August 2 & 3, 2009
Main Contact Name______________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________
City__________________________________ State ________________ Zip_______________
Phone ________________________ email __________________________________
Names as they should appear on the Name Badges_______________________________________
Registration fee for the 34th SFAA reunion in Dixon, IL
Adults $15 _____adults X $15=___________
Banquet meal _______adults X $20=_____________
Monday, August 3
_______children under age 8 X $10=_____________
Sunday late afternoon at the Lowell Park shelter north of Dixon
oven fried chicken, potato salad, fruit bowl, Del Monte bicolored sweet corn, dessert and iced tea or pink raspberry lemonade
Get Acquainted catered picnic _____adults X $8=______________
_____ children under 8 X $8=______________
(Update: children same price. Our caterer was unable to get us the discount.)
Stronghold Castle tour number of people X $3=______________
Touring inside the castle involves many steep steps. It is NOT handicapped accessible. Anyone may walk around the grounds without a charge. W. Ansel Strong III’s presentation about his family and life at the castle will be in the cafeteria at 11 a.m., following the 10 a.m. tour. That is open to all of the SFAA. It isn’t necessary to have also toured the castle.
Lunch in the Stronghold Presbyterian Conference Center cafeteria on August 3
________number of people X $8.25=_____________
Make check or Money order payable to SFAA Reunion 2009 and Send registration to:
Mrs. Ann Hecathorn
P.O. Box 95
Earlville, Illinois 60518
Questions? s.hecathorn@verizon.net
Dear Sirs,
I have been researching the family heritage for about a year and purchased two copies of the Samuel Strong Dwight volume. For somer eason, I thought there was a reunion in the Massachusetts area this year sometime in August. I may be mistaken about this of course.
I plan to take a car trip from Colborne, Ontario where my immediate ancestor, Ozem Strong is buried down Route 7 through Vermont to Pittsfield, Northampton, Dorchester, Windsor, NYC etc… to set up an itinerary for future generations. August 1 to about August 20.
Nice there are so many actual houses and even museums and such, not just gravesites. Since there doesn’t seem to be any references to this reunion, am I completely mistaken as to the locale, or was it changed since last winter?
Please reply to the above email, not this server. Thanks!
Fred Strong
Correction in the above reunion information
Get Acquainted catered picnic
_____persons X $8=______________
The caterer was unable to give us a discounted price for children.
Looking forward to the event. Louis Strong and I plan to be there, along with Ryan Wardlow.
The SFAA 34th Annual Reunion in Dixon, IL has come and gone. It was my first and I really enjoyed the last couple days. Met a lot of Strong descendants from all walks of life and from corners of the United States; heard many great stories. The Stronghold Castle tour was very interesting and was an enjoyable tour. Thanks to Ann Hecathorn for the nice job she did planning this year’s event.
This years Reunion was the best, Ann Hecathorn when all out not only did she include Family history but history of the Dixion area.
The Family picnic was a great idea and enjoyed by all met many cousins from the area and looking forward to seeing them again