Van Aken/Van Auken

Reunion

May 15, 2000

Dear Cousin:

We are looking forward to our Van Aken/Van Auken Family Reunion on September 29, 30 and Oct 1 that will be held near Cleveland, OH. We are very much indebted to Mark and Judy Van Auken for suggesting the idea and location of the reunion this year. As many of you know, our major contributor to the Van Aken/Van Auken family history, compiler of the Van Aken/Van Auken Index and prolific author of articles in the Van Aken/Van Auken Newsletter, Robert A. Van Auken of North Olmsted OH has been unable to attend previous reunions due to travel limitations. Therefore it was decided that we hold our reunion closer to home and that the reunion would be a combined project of both the national and branch organizations.

Marinus Van Aken married Pieternelle de Pre on 11 Apr 1683, Cadzand, Holland and sailed to America about 1684. Marinus and Pieternelle settled in the Kingston, NY area and raised eight children. All of Marinus and Pieternelle's children seem to have been born in the vicinity of Kingston, NY. Their four sons, Pieter, Abraham, Isaac, and Cornelius moved early down the Old Mine Road to the area of what is now Port Jervis, NY. As part of the westward movement, many of the third and fourth generation of the Van Aken/Van Auken family (both from the family that stayed in the Kingston area or moved north to the Mohawk area and those that went south) eventually settled in western New York or traveled further to settle in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and even further west. The “Gateway” to the West was through Ohio and we have included some opportunities in this reunion to learn about our ancestors’ lives in the early days of the western resettlement.

Saturday's plans include a narrated trolley tour of Cleveland – the city/village old and new. We will enjoy a picnic/box lunch at a scenic local park with time for picture taking. On the agenda in the afternoon are a tour of Frostville Museum, and a family dinner at night. On Sunday we suggest breakfast with your cousins and a jog or drive along the shore of Lake Erie (just a few minutes away) with a stop at picturesque Bay Village. There is much to see and do in the area for those who have extra time: researching local libraries and courthouses, and museum visiting, just to name a few. All events will be informal and planned for the enjoyment of all ages.

We hope you will join us for the weekend, not only to meet distant new cousins, but also as an opportunity to get together with your own branch of the family as well. We are enclosing a Reunion Schedule, Information Sheet, and a Registration Form for your use. Please don't hesitate to drop us a note if you have any questions or need special accommodations.

Hope you will join us!

P.S. If you know of other family members who might be interested in attending, please forward this information to them as well