COUSINS AND KIN

The 2018 edition of McClellan first cousins who showed up at the annual July reunion. (Lou and Donna left before the photo.) This group represents several Indiana locations, including Kokomo, Indy, Valpo, Carmel, Fairland and Muncie as well as Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas.

Brian and his brother Steve's mom was one of nine kids born to Ralph and Hazel McClellan of Dugger, Indiana. The McClellans were a super close family. After the kids were grown and gone, spreading out across the state and beyond, and after sending three of their sons off to World War II and getting all three home again, the grandkids of Ralph and Hazel fondly remember summers back in southern Indiana and having a blast together at their grandparents' home place.

Then the years came where everyone gathered in Kokomo, or in Shelburn, Indiana on the weekend nearest the Fourth of July. For a few years, there were no such gatherings, but the cousins decided to resume them.

And for the past eight years now, the reunions have rotated among some of the cousins on the weekend nearest Independence Day. Today was the day, this year in Carmel, Indiana, at the lovely home of Kent and Teresa Williams and sons Jimmy and Joel.

Of the nine original McClellan siblings, there were born 20 offspring. So Brian and Steve have 18 McClellan cousins. Twelve were at today's reunion. And four represented the uncles and aunts, below.

There was fried chicken, green beans, baked beans, salads, chips and guac, an assortment of cheesy potatoes and several other dishes.

And desserts, especially pie, not to mention iced tea, laughter, conversation, and love.

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A plan was made for next year in Muncie. Hope to see the cousins before that. They've started getting together a couple of times during the year. Hope to see everyone in the coming months.