TAYLOR BAKER VIRTUAL REUNION, by Sue Kinsella

Is there any possible way to make lemonade from this lemon of a pandemic? In September, we tried our best and it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Last year we held the Taylor-Baker Reunion at a pavilion by Cayuga Lake, the same place we had held it for several years. We left promising to see each other “same place, same time, next year” and within days Kathy had reserved that pavilion for this year’s reunion, too. Ted and Cyndi reserved spaces at the nearby campground, as well. 

Who could have imagined the unfathomable collection of catastrophes 2020 would bring and how all our lives would be so bizarrely upended? By May, it was beginning to dawn on us that maybe the pandemic would not be over by our next Reunion date in September. Sadly and reluctantly, Kathy cancelled our pavilion reservation in early summer, although Ted and Cyndi kept their camping plans. 

But now what? I sent out a notice to everyone that we had had to cancel our in-person reunion. But stay tuned, I encouraged, let’s see if we can still hold a Reunion online. To say that there was skepticism is putting it mildly. And, in truth, I didn’t know how to do it, either. But when I pulled together a Cousins Council to muse about it in email, creative ideas started flying. 

By September, we were ready. Tim and Rose helped me set up a private Facebook group for the Taylor Baker Reunion and 40 cousins signed up. Another dozen or more cousins were on email.

OLD TIME REUNIONS

Pat started off the week before September 19th by posting photos from past Reunions. She has our Dad’s treasure trove of photographic slides that he took over 70 years and she pulled out wonderful gems every day. That got everyone talking and reminiscing, along with liking, loving, laughing and swapping pictures. 

Ted: What a gorgeous bunch! Grandma Taylor looks so happy. She and Aunt Lil are bookends with the rowdy girls in the middle!

The third Saturday in September was the date originally set for the Taylor Reunion after Ethel Taylor died in the summer of 1970. Her six grown kids spent the week together after her funeral, clearing out her house and deciding how to move forward from there. They came out of it more committed than ever to each other and agreed to hold a reunion every September near the anniversary of when their parents married on September 30, 1915. 

This year, 2020, was to be the 50th Taylor  Reunion, so of course we had to find a way to hold it, no matter what!

Now we have brought in more of the family and it has become the Taylor Baker Reunion. But the Baker Family Reunions, which many of us also happily attended, go back even further, to at least the 1950s and probably before. Along our family tree, there were also Livingston and Carson Family Reunions that date back, with photos, to at least the early 1900s. 

1960 Baker Reunion, Sylva and Freddy Emhof's Farm

Julie: Oh, how I always loved the Baker Reunions! We’d play in the hay barn and catch fire flies in jars all night long.

Nancy: I got to introduce my kids to that fun the few trips we were able to make up there from North Carolina for that Reunion. They loved it also and it was hard to peel them away to go home, but then they always had extra time before we left as it always took so long to go around and say all the goodbyes.

Freddy Emhof giving a hungry barn cat some milk, 1957

One of the benefits of this virtual format was that cousins who had rarely, or never, been able to get to the in-person Reunion were able to be part of this one, and that was wonderful! We were from at least a dozen states, including Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Texas, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Maryland, and California. 

Grandma/Aunt Ethel Taylor

Another benefit was that “the younger generation” got a chance to sort out some of the names they’d heard all their lives and figure out how we’re all related, plus hear new family stories and details about some of the stories they’d heard in bits and pieces over and over.

Alex: I haven't been to as many reunions as the older generation, but one memory that sticks out to me was a few years ago when the reunion was held at the farm in Center Lisle, which until then was just a legend to me that formed the centerpiece of many family stories.

When Joyce posted a comment on a picnic table full of cousins at the 1964 Baker Reunion, raving, “Wendell is so handsome . . . I met him in 1967” and put a big heart on it, one of the younger generation asked, “Don’t you think that’s a bit over-the-top to say about your cousin, with hearts and all?” I laughed and answered, “Ah, but Joyce isn’t Wendell’s cousin. As she says, she met him in 1967 and then she married him, and this is the first time she’s seen this particular picture of him from before they met. And he IS really handsome!” 

Kathryn posted a photo of Aunt/Grandma Lil’s grocery store and that flooded me with memories:

When I was a kid, I didn't understand how Aunt Lil's grocery store worked. To me, it just seemed so jammed full of things that no one could find anything except Aunt Lil herself. Which now I think is pretty much how it worked. But what I didn't realize was that her store was the old-time model of, ‘Come give me your grocery list and set a while with your other neighbors and catch up on the community. I'll go find everything for you and bring it to you.’

Kathryn added, "Grandma's store was so cool!! I loved to sit behind the candy case with a stack of comics to read!!"

Nancy chimed in, “We always got to choose our pop out of the old coke drink coolers, then when we left we also had a little slab of cheddar cheese and limburger cheese and the car would smell of limburger all the way home.”

Sue: This is a 4-generations picture and one of my most favorite photos ever. My Great-Grandma Kate Baker is on the left. On the right is Uncle Adin, one of my favorite people. We're sitting on the front steps of Adin and his mother Kate's house, which he built, next to the family farm in Center Lisle. My mother is 25 and looks so young and beautiful and happy. And I'm a pretty cute baby, too.

Brian pointed out that there are other places that can remind us of Center Lisle as well, describing his Massachusetts home with: There are many trails for hiking, mountains for climbing, rivers for tubing, and cows for tipping.

REUNION DAY

Now, on September 19, 2020, cousins were reporting in on how they were spending the day and we all had witty replies.

Julie, in Colorado, predicted, It may include some napping, but we’ll do our best to eat watermelon followed by the usual seed-spitting competition. 

Dorothy and Jim were holding a yard sale in Massachusetts. Diana, in Minnesota, laughed, Now if this was an Arnon Taylor garage sale, he would be either bringing stuff back into the house cause he changed his mind OR interviewing someone to see if they were good enough to buy his scrap wood pile.

A bunch of cousins — Chris and Jen, Ted and Judy, Cyndi and her extended family — were camping in-person together at the Cayuga State Park campground right by our favorite lake pavilion where we held last year’s reunion, “sharing endless family stories & legends!”

Ted and Judy had been late arriving the night before, after the tire on their motorhome blew out on the freeway. Fortunately, they met generous truckers who helped them change the tire so they could limp on to the campground late at night, where the others had kept the campfire burning for them.

They made up for it with flights at the Finger Lakes Cider House. 

Tim and Rose were 700 miles into their cross-country trip to California, by way of Montana, and sent a lovely photo of a restroom they visited along the way. 

There were cousins recently departed in different generations whom we deeply missed, including Michael Maney, Chuck Lochner, and Jack Kinsella.

And the one remaining cousin of our oldest Taylor Baker generation, who is very much still here, wasn’t able to attend even virtually. But “Aunt CB,” my 93-year-old mom Lucille Taylor Kinsella, was eager to hear updates from any and all phone calls throughout Reunion Week, and we posted photos of her from throughout the years. 

Those gathered lots of Facebook likes, loves, hugs and comments. Kathryn said, “Your Mom is the Best!! I always loved how close our Moms were. Now, your Mom writes to me, reminiscing about my Mom.”

Julie posted, “She is truly amazing, and my hero as she just keeps going.”

Cyndi’s daughter, Heather Anne, noted, “Love Aunt CB! Always wondered where my green eyes came from, beside my mom.” And it turns out that quite a few of us also have green eyes. 

Says Kathryn, “Green eyes must come from the Baker side. My Mom, Gladys, had them and so do I. Ma was Lillian's daughter.”

FOOD!

OF COURSE we talked a lot about food — describing good food, eating good food, swapping recipes and memories of food, celebrating those who were known for particular foods. 

Cyndi: This family Weekend would Not be Complete without Uncle Arnon's Pancakes!

Beth said: I had cucumber sandwiches for lunch in honor of Bob Taylor, who introduced me to them at the reunion when I was a teenager.

Joyce: My late husband loved these..and wanted them made in memory of Bob one year when we had the Baker Reunion here at the farm.

Dan reported:  A few life threads came together today on the Taylor Reunion day.  A few things to know:

• I grew up in Irondequoit, NY on St. Paul Blvd.
• Lloyd Taylor (my grandfather) worked for the NYS agriculture experimental station in Geneva, NY (run by Cornell University - Now known as Cornell Agritech)
• Cornell chicken.  A very popular type of BBQ chicken in Upstate NY was invented by a Cornell professor.
• Today I bought a Cornell chicken dinner from the Cornell Cooperative extension of Monroe County located on St. Paul Blvd. in Irondequoit.  Tasted exquisite as I expected.

Nancy, in Florida, reported: This morning, with the rain (yesterday afternoon, all night, and all morning long—some areas along the coastline got 6-8” yesterday and also again by this morning) keeping me in bed longer, I got up and fixed fritters with my bacon and eggs with coffee and a cup of fresh fruit.  Ahhh, the memories!!  By the time I was ready to eat, there was a break in the rain and the sun came out.

Julie, in Colorado, sent photos: Mom’s baked beans, Aunt CB’s sweet dill pickles and a hearty appetite topped off with s’mores by the fire.

Many of us had to acknowledge one of the ties that bind us when Ali posted this photo. More than one of us laughed knowingly about it! 

Julie: My mom kept every empty cottage cheese container for freezing whatever. She had stacks and stacks of them, as did your grandmother. 

Kathryn: Until a few years ago, one had to be careful about those in my fridge. My husband likes to fish and he kept worms in the fridge in those!! . . . It didn't help that leftovers were in those too!!

Pat: Always an adventure opening up anything in Mom's fridge!

FUN RUN

We also invited cousins to join in a Fun Run, which didn’t necessarily have to mean running. Just some kind of “moving” activity. Contributions were creative: 

Aunt CB, in New York State, had intended to hike half a mile in Freezer Alley with her walker, the cold hallway lined with windows in her assisted living home. But once she got going she didn’t quit and put in 1 mile!

Sue Kinsella, in California, hiked 2 miles, including 10 times up and down stairs

Alex Kinsella, in California, walked 3 miles around a lake in honor of Cayuga Lake, where we usually hold the in-person reunions

Dan Kinsella, in New York State, did 1.8 miles on a treadmill at his gym

Tim Kinsella, in New York State, trekked 3 miles mowing the lawn

He and Rosemary wandered 5 miles walking to and from restrooms while driving cross-country

Pat Herdeg, in Massachusetts, walked 6.5 miles and Glenn ran 7.5 miles

Ali Herdeg, in Maryland, went on a 5 mile run

Tom Kinsella, in New Jersey, went on a 10 mile bike ride and noted gentians blooming in the pine barrens

Jim, Jill and Kelly Kinsella, in New York State, played a game of croquet and hiked 3 miles on a walk in the park

Chris and Jen Kinsella did a 2-1/2 mile hike on Wellesley Island, which is the farthest tip of New York State and almost-sticking-your-toe-into-Canada, which, sadly, Americans are currently not allowed to visit

Cyndi Hawkes Gabrys and her Family, in New York State, went Slingshot Chuckin

Diana McCarty in Minnesota had just done 14,000 steps during the previous  week while working as a school sub

Beth June, in Ohio, went on a short hike with her daughter

Joyce climbed up 2 staircases, which is mighty heroic because she’s still healing from a broken fibula - the judge has decided to award her credit for a mile for being so valiant!

Ron Henderson, in New York State, finished mowing a field to bring in the last load of corn silage

Overall, the judge figures we moved at least 60 miles together, plus played croquet, chucked pucks, and got the corn silage in. Great accomplishments!

THANK YOU

Thank you to every one who signed up for this virtual Reunion. It was so wonderful to see you here! I wasn't sure what to expect when I pitched this idea, but when the membership list started filling out, it was like family arriving at the picnic pavilion. It’s been great to join in on creating this novel adventure together!

 

Some more cousin comments:

Beth: It was nice to get to know some cousins I haven't met!

Ted: Thank you for creating this absolutely beautiful connection for all of us!

Diana: This was kind of fun...if we couldn't be together in person.

Kathryn: I loved all the posts and all the comments. This way I could enjoy the 'reunion' in my own way.

Nancy: In much of our individual seclusions, this has given us some ‘life’ with chatting with each other again and bringing up so many memories!! There are so many more memories that we could all share but as with this Taylor-Baker group — we never have enough time to talk! Here’s to doing this again — either online or in-person or both!!! Love you all so much and so glad you are in my family! You are the sunshine in my life!!

Julie: The one thing I looked forward to the most whenever we stayed the night at Grandma Taylor's was Grandpa's pancakes in the morning. aI made them using his recipe the other day, and they were just as I remembered, almost as good as when he made them for us as kids. So many memories came flooding back over the weekend. This was the next best thing to being there.

Sue: I like to think that maybe all our Taylor Baker relatives who have gone on, yet also remain dear to our hearts, might have gathered together this week around some celestial campfire together just the other side of this reality, telling their own stories and laughing together, too, beaming their love to us and appreciating that we carry on the connections and pride that they were part of forging in our family.