Here are photos from the Annual Reunion and Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, August 1–3 at the Crockett Hotel.
Click on the individual photo, to see the photo descriptions.
A picnic at Wildwood on White Bear Lake, August 1894. (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society)
2013 Reunion Registration — Click here for the registration form (PDF)
Join us in White Bear Lake, Minnesota for the 2013 Strong Family Reunion — August 9–10, 2013!
Our special speaker after dinner Friday will be Sara Markoe Hanson, Executive Director of the White Bear Lake Historical Society. She will talk about the colorful Resort and Gangster eras.
Friday dinner is at the White Bear Yacht Club, located on White Bear Lake. Boat rides will be available after the speaker.
Saturday includes a Sit-Down Plated Dinner at the Dove Hill Mansion in the historic Hill District of Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota. There will be musical accompaniment throughout the evening and a special speaker to talk about the history of St. Paul and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
“Well known as the most prestigious and beautiful street in the Twin Cities and one of the longest urban boulevards in the United States, Summit Avenue runs past the opulent mansion of railroad tycoon James J. Hill, an early home of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and residences designed by renowned architect Cass Gilbert.” — from the description for the book, St. Paul’s Historic Summit Avenue.
Railroad tycoon James J. Hill built the first and largest of the Summit Hill Mansions. He later built a second mansion next to the first, and presented it to his son Louis Hill as a wedding present. The Louis Hill mansion has since been privately restored, and is the home of our Strong cousins the Nicholsons. The mansion is now named Dove Hill, and will be our home for the Saturday portion of the Strong Family Reunion.
Todd Nicholson and family are hosting our 2013 Strong Family Reunion in White Bear Lake Minnesota and nearby St. Paul Minnesota.
Join us in White Bear Lake, Minnesota for the 2013 Strong Family Reunion, August 9–10, 2013
White Bear Country Inn
4940 North Highway 61
White Bear Lake, MN (651) 429‑5393
We have 10 guest rooms reserved and guaranteed at a rate of $117.78/night (including tax) for two Queen beds or King bed with pull-out Sofa Sleeper. This rate is guaranteed if reservations are made by July 8, 2013 (mention Strong Family Reunion). The inn offers a free continental hot/cold breakfast and a full service restaurant for lunch and dinner. Other amenities include indoor pool and whirlpool, game room and exercise room. Continue reading
Here are photos from the Presentations and Annual Banquet in Sandusky Ohio, August 10–11 at the Great Wolf Lodge.
Click on [View with PicLens], or on the individual photo, to see the photo descriptions.
Great Wolf Lodge
4600 Milan Road (US 250) – Sandusky, OH 44870 – 419–609-6000
***ALTERNATIVE LODGING***
(For guests that will not want water park passes)
SUPER 8 MOTEL
5410 Milan Road (US250) – Sandusky, OH 44870 – 419–625-7070 then “0” (ask for Annette)
Click here for a printable copy of this announcement.
August 5, & August 6, 2011
1202 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715) 834– 6498
Guestrooms are $79.00/ night (plus 13.5% taxes) for two King or Queen size or a combination.
This rate is guaranteed if reservations are made by July 22, 2011 (Mention # 7180 or SFAA)
The Plaza Hotel offers a continental breakfast and restaurant with daily specials
Friday, August 5 at 12:00 noon — registration in the Clear Water A room (our hospitality room for the weekend)
Contact Name:________________________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________________________
City:____________________________State_______________________Zip________________
Phone:___________________________email:________________________________________
Names as they should appear on name badges:_______________________________________
Friday at 5:30 p.m. – Picnic in Carson Park – Oak Pavilion – All-you-can-eat Grilled Chicken. Also includes: Potato Salad, Cowboy Beans, Cole Slaw, Fruit Salad, Bars, Lemonade and Iced Tea. tax & tip incl. ____Adults x $12.00 ea. = ________
Saturday, August 6 at 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. — Continental Breakfast — (Registration continues in the Clear Water A room)
10:00 a.m. Leinenkugel’s Brewery Tour in Chippewa Falls, WI – FREE* Reservations are recommended ____Adults
1:00 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. Board Meeting in Clear Water A room – Hospitality room
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Member Annual Meeting
5:15 p.m. – Pictures in the Two Rivers One room – Banquet room
6:00 p.m. – Banquet Meal – Deluxe Dinner Buffet – Baked Hickory Ham and Baked Wisconsin Turkey. Also, includes: Whipped Potatoes, Gravy, Sage Dressing, Buttered Vegetables, Tossed Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Fruit Salad, Cole Slaw, Cottage Cheese, Relishes, Roll Basket and a Beverage (Coffee, Tea or Milk) tax & tip incl.
*The Leinenkugel brewery tour starts and ends at the Leinie Lodge. There are elevators if you are not able to do steps. Lodge guides will introduce you to Leinenkugel’s history, family and brewing process. After the tour you can enjoy the award-winning beers at the historic sampling bar or outside under the covered patio. You will be given tickets to sample four varieties of your choice, given in five ounce glasses. Two types of large, chewy pretzels are available for $2.00 ea.
The Leinie Lodge is also a museum and gift shop. You’ll see Leinenkugel historical signage, photos of the founder and past presidents of the company, and authentic brewing artifacts.
We will carpool and have volunteer, designated drivers.
Carson Park is home to the Chippewa Valley Museum and Paul Bunyun Logging Camp. Both museums open at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
If you plan to attend the SFFA reunion, please send a check or money order to cover the costs of the meal/meals and registration by JULY 1, 2011 to:
Celeste Tumm, SFAA,E17056 Co. Rd. N
Fall Creek, WI 54742
If any questions or concerns, call Celeste at 715–877-3106 or email dtumm@centurytel.net
Eau Claire is located in west central Wisconsin approximately 90 miles east of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
If you are flying here, The Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport services the upper Midwest region of MN, WI, ND, SD and IA.
The terminal exits are minutes away from Mall of America in Bloomington, MN.
The major highway signs getting you to Eau Claire Wisconsin
Click here for a printable copy of this announcement.
Here is a group photo from August 2007, courtesy of Ann Hecathorn.
366 Main St., Route 20, Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347‑7393, www.sturbridgehosthotel.com
Guest rooms are $109.00/night (plus 11.7% taxes) for either single or double,
Add $10 for each extra person (3rd $119, 4th $129), Children under 18 stay free with adults.
This rate is guaranteed if reservations are made by July 20, 2010 (tell them you are with SFAA).
The Host Hotel offers a sandy beach on its 9 acres of lakeside grounds, paddleboats for rent, beach volleyball, horseshoes,
miniature golf, an arcade/game room, a heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub, a fitness center, and several restaurants
Sturbridge is located in central Mass. on the Conn. line at the crossroads of the Mass. Turnpike (Rt. 90) and Rt. 84 and Rt. 20. You will be about a one-hour drive from Boston, Providence, Hartford, Windsor, Springfield and Northampton (the burial place of John Strong). If you need to fly here, Bradley Airport (Hartford/Springfield) is in Windsor, Logan Airport is in Boston and T.F. Green Airport is near Providence, all about one hour away. Traffic in Boston and Providence tends to be heavy. Bradley is easier driving, but it depends on where and how you want to spend your time while you are visiting Sturbridge.
Schedule for the Weekend:
Friday, August 13 at 12:00 noon – Registration in the Dudley Room (our hospitality room for the weekend)
Registration, to cover hospitality room and speaker’s fee: ______Adults x $18.00 _________
Contact Name: ______________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
City: _________________________________________State _____________Zip__________
Phone: ___________________________email: _____________________________________
Names as they should appear on Name Badges: _____________________________________
Friday at 5:30 p.m. – Lakeside Cookout. Hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, various salads, chips, watermelon, brownies, lemonade, iced tea ______Adults x $27.78 ea. ________
Friday at 7:30 p.m. – SFAA Director’s meeting in the Oxford Room.
Saturday, August 14 at 8:00 a.m. — Coffee and pastries in the Dudley Room (Registration continues). Saturday at 3:00 p.m. – Annual Members’ Meeting in the Junior Ballroom followed by photos of the Strong family group members and then dinner.
Saturday at 6:00 p.m. – Buffet Dinner, An Italian Feast: Caesar Salad, Mozzarella Caprise, Antipasto, Chicken Saltimbocca, Haddock Bella Vista, Penne Florentine, Italian Squash Medley, Breadsticks, Focaccia, Tiramisu, Cannoli, Italian Cookies, Coffee and Tea ________Adults x $35.35 ea. _________
Total Cost (includes 14% tip, 4% house charge, 2% meals tax, 6.25% sales tax) $__________
After dinner, Tom Kelleher, Curator of Historic Trades, Mills and Mechanical Arts at Old Sturbridge Village will speak about “The History of Baseball Before 1860, Doubleday Didn’t Do It” and he’ll also explain how Tanneries worked (John Strong was a tanner) and information on N.E. shoe factories.
Sunday, August 15 at 8:00 a.m. – Coffee and pastries in the Dudley Room. Attend a church service or mass at an area church. St. Anne’s Church and Shrine are nearby with masses at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 6 p.m. in an outdoor pavilion in summer. They have a 10-acre, wooded path with the ‘Stations of the Cross’ that is believed to have healing powers. The Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village offers a delicious buffet, 10 – 2 p.m.
At 12:30 p.m., anyone who would like a tour of Old Sturbridge Village can meet me in the garden area just outside the ticket office. (Special admission $15 adults, $7 children 4–17, mention SFAA).
If you plan to attend the SFAA reunion, please send a check or money order to cover the costs of the meal/meals and registration to: Jean Solaroli, SFAA, 15 Cove Drive, Sturbridge, MA 01566.
If you have any questions or concerns, call Jean at 508–347-9897 or email Solaroli@aol.com.
Sturbridge Host Hotel Restaurants: The Greenhouse Restaurant offers a weekend breakfast buffet. The VIP’s Lounge offers refreshing beverages, light fare and tasty appetizers. The Oxhead Tavern, an historic landmark built in 1820, is just next door and offers delicious New England lunches and dinners.
Of Interest in Sturbridge – Old Sturbridge Village, across from the Host Hotel, is a 200-acre, 1830’s Living History Museum, special admission $15 adults, $7 children 4–17 (mention SFAA). As a tour guide at OSV, I will offer a tour on Sunday afternoon starting at 12:30, meeting in the garden area just outside the ticket office.
If you like beer, Hyland Orchard & Brewery, 195 Arnold Rd., offers a wide selection of micro-brewed beers, plus a free petting zoo and children’s play area.
Boston – Drive east on the Mass. Turnpike to visit many historic areas in Boston. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile walking tour of 16 sites starting at the Boston Common, then walk by the Granary Burying Ground with graves of Sam Adam, John Hancock, Paul Revere. Walk on to Faneuil Hall that is filled with shops and the Old State House, up to the North End by Paul Revere’s house and the Old North Church and continue on to Old Ironsides. Boston has many museums: Museum of Science & Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Children’s Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Peabody Archeology Museum, N.E. Aquarium and the JFK Library. (For more info: http://www.starthereboston.com/Museums.html) Want to see where the Pilgrims landed and how they lived, visit Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, MA. (www.plimoth.org/).
West of Sturbridge – Heading West on the Mass Pike to Rt. 291 to Springfield, you’ll find the birthplace of basketball at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (www.hoophall.com). If you’re looking for excitement head to Six Flags of New England with thrilling roller coasters and a water park (www.sixflags.com).
Providence – Drive South on Rt. 146 to see the Museum of Natural History and Cormack Planetarium, shows on weekends at 2 p.m. which is located in Roger Williams Park along with the Roger Williams Zoo, open daily 9–4. At the Culinary Arts Museum of Johnson and Wales University, Tues.- Sun. 10–5, see the Dinner at the White House exhibit or the 4,000 sq. ft. diner exhibit. There are art museums at RI School of Design and Brown University. Visit the Slater Mill Historic Site, in nearby Pawtucket, open Sat. & Sun. 11–3, the birthplace of American industry with an authentic 19th century machine shop, an 8-ton working water wheel with regular demonstrations. Or, travel father south to Newport, RI, to see the magnificent Newport Mansions. (Go here for more info: http://www.newportmansions.org/) Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, RI is one of the nicest ones in RI, but you could travel to Cape Cod for lots of beaches if you have the time.
The 2010 Strong Family Reunion will be the second weekend of August, Friday August 13, 2010 to Sunday August 15, 2010 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
I’ll give you more information as soon as I find out! See you there!
My photos from the 2009 Strong Family Reunion in Dixon, Illinois, are on line. Anyone who can help me with names from the Reunion Picnic, please do!
The photo albums are here: SFAA Photo Albums
If you have photos of your own to share, send them to the Webmaster, Edward Barnard, and I’ll add them to our Photo Albums online.
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:
Comfort Inn:
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