Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Reporting the 1st Leisure Reunion 1917

To avoid some confusion about how many years the Leisure's have held our reunion, please note there were a few years skipped due to wars and such. This year will be our 90th assembly but the 1st was in 1917 as reported in the local newspaper: (Thanks to Phil Leisure for sending me the article.)


LEISURE REUNION

The Leisures met in their first annual reunion at Mounds park, Anderson, Sunday, Sept 16, [1917]. 
Map of 1st reunion location and surrounding localities.
A bountiful dinner was served at 12 o’clock, in which over 200 partook of the good things prepared. At 1:30 p.m they were called to order to elect officers for the ensuing year. B H. Leisure of Windfall was chosen chairman of the meeting; Albert Leisure of Rush county president; B. H. Leisure of Windfall, vice-president; Mrs. Lulu Armstrong of Elwood, secretary-treasurer. It was decided the meetings were to be annual and the next one would be held at the same place on the first Monday in September, 1918. A collection was taken to cover expenses for the coming year at the close of a short business session. Mrs. Gertrude Leisure-Smith gave a recitation that she had composed for the occasion and upon being asked to recite again she gave “A Young Boy’s Troubles.” Miss Mable Hinds of Warren gave an excellent rendition of “The Ben Hur Race.” Short talks were given by Albert Leisure and J. A. Peterson, after which the audience sang “America,” then had the losing song, “God Be With You Until We Meet Again” and the benediction by Rev. Lee Hinds
Mrs. Smith’s verses are as follows:
A Call went ringing far and wide,
From the South unto the North;
A call for every Leisure
On this day to come forth
And bring with them their families
And all their kith and kin,
To join in this reunion --
Good fellowship to find.

There are Leisures tall and slender,
And Leisures short and fat;
Leisures dark and Leisures fair,
But Leisures for ‘a’that.’
There are Leisures with fat pocketbooks;
Some whose pocketbooks are small;
Some have come with moderate means
And some with none at all.

But all are meeting here today
In honor of the name
That all seem very proud of,
And none should bring to shame.
This name for many, many years
Has been known throughout the land.
And everywhere has known respect
And honor does command.

Let’s life a banner with our name
And raise it to the sky;
Let our example be the one
That sits the throne on high.
We see the lowly Nazarene
With pierced hands and feet,
Drawing us on to our loved ones
In a reunion dear and sweet.

Le’st place our shoulder to the wheel
And let honor hold full sway,
That our dear old name may be glorified
On the last reunion day.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Leisure Book and Research Progress

My Genealogy Pondering: Leisure Book and Research Progress: "For the past day or so, I’ve been working on the book layout for the Leisure line. Once I decided to go with individual biographies for my d..."

I'm looking forward to the reunion:)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tomb Stone Tuesday - George W Leisure


This stone is found in Hannegan Cemetery, Rush County, Indiana. Though there are many George Washington Leisures in the family, this George is the progenitor for my direct line. You can read his obituaries from my previous post of March 6, 2011.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

90th Leisure Family Reunion Announced

The 90th Leisure Reunion will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2010 at 12:00 noon, EDt. A delicious meal well be fully catered. Reservations are requested at $12 per adult and $5 for each child 9 years old and younger.

The reunion will be held outside Fairmount, IN or, in case of rain, at the Elwood Senior Citizen Center in the Elwood City Park.

Anyone who did not receive the mailed invitation but who would like to attend, please, contact me at bhiggins9@gmail.com. We'd love to see some new faces this year.

 Anyone who shares our ancestors - Joseph and Rachel Ryan Leisure or Nathan and Sarah Irvin Leisure and so on -  are welcome.

Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Earl Stewart & his Graduating Class of 1933

I've finally begun actually writing my Leisure line family history. For this publication, I'll be working from the most current to the earliest I can prove. That means I'm starting with my Dad's biography.

While telling his story, I became curious about his fellow classmates in high school. There were only thirteen in his graduation class of 1933. They graduated from the Center Township school in Mays, Indiana in 1933. In the photo that follows Dad, Earl Robert Stewart, is in the back row the second from the right. Of course, I think he is the most handsome of the four boys:)

I'd love to know the names of the other students who graduated with him. Can anyone help?

Monday, March 28, 2011

Alva Jefferson Leisure Questions

I’ve got some questions for my cousins out there. For the past few days, I know not why, I’ve been looking at the Alva Jefferson Leisure family. I say I don’t know why because Alva is my 2nd cousin 3x removed and I much closer relations I need to research. That be as it may, I’ve been looking at Alva.
Alva was the son of William and Margaret Jane (Holford) Leisure, born 09 Aug 1867 probably in Rush county, Indiana.  He married Lena Eldora (aka Dora) Anderson in Hancock County, Indiana on 30 Oct 1890.
This is where the mystery (for me) begins. The 1900 federal census finds the family in Beebe Township, White county, Arkansas where Alva is listed as a saw mill proprietor. Listed with “Dora” and Alva are two sons - Paul born in March of 1893 in Pennsylvania and Earl born in March of 1895 in Indiana. At first I thought the recording of Pennsylvania may have been an error by the census taken (it wouldn’t be the first time) but on both his WWI and WWII draft registrations, Paul lists his birthplace as Philadelphia, PA. On that same census, Dora is listed as having four children with two living so somewhere there may be a record for two children I don’t have in my database.
It appears the family moved back to Indiana after Paul was born and then sometime between 1895 (Earl’s birth) and 1900 they moved to Arkansas. William Leisure was born in Arkansas in 21 Jul 1900, after the census was taken. Then, it’s back to Indiana by 10 Jul 1903 when Thelma was born in Hancock County. After that, they stayed put.
Here’s my question: does anyone know what drew Alva and family to Pennsylvania and/or Arkansas?
Just wonderingJ

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

John Leisure - Spy during Revolution

I was rummaging around on the web the other day - as I am wont to do frequently - and I came across the record as seen below. It comes from the olonial Records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XIV, Minutes of the Supreme Executive Council, Pg. 199, Published by the State, 1851-1853. Council meeting September 6, 1784.

The second paragraph records the payment of 31 pounds, ten shillings "for services as spies on the western frontiers" to several men included one John Leisure.

Does anyone have any information as to who this John Leisure may be?