Lemon Family Reunions and Pictures

Today, I'm going to write about and share some memories of the Lemon Family Reunions that were held in Topeka, Kansas over the years.   I don't really know when they began but one of the pictures I will share today is from 1936, so that could have been the first year.

The reunions were almost always held at Topeka's Gage Park and Zoo.   I remember at least one reunion that was held at the Oakland Community Park on Sardou Avenue.   For those of us who grew up in the little community of Maple Hill, at that time 25 miles west of Topeka, it was a real treat and thrill to get to go to Gage Park and Zoo.   The park had a fine zoo and is recognized world-wide today.   I think what most of us will remember were the large cement tigers that were at the entrance. 

This is a picture of the author, Nick L. Clark, taken during one of the Lemon Family Reunions at Gage Park about 1950, although there is no date on the photo.

This is a photo of the author's brother, Gary W. Clark and cousin Shiela Kay (Corbin) Hill taken at perhaps the same time as the photo above.  Gary was born in 1947 and Shiela in 1948.   Shiela is the daughter of George Samuel and Freda Kitt Corbin.  The Corbin's lived in Topeka, Kansas.

The reunions were always held on a Sunday afternoon to allow as many as possible to attend.  As the photographs will indicate, the numbers of those attending varied but were substantial.   All of those attending were the descendants of Charles and Mary Montgomery Lemon and his sons, William and Stewart Lemon.

I cannot say with certainty, but in all the years that I attended the reunions (late 1940s through 1970s) two people and their spouses were primarily responsible for organization and publication.   They were: William Stewart "Bill" and his wife Rhoda (Marion) Miller and his brother Vernie Victor and his wife Ruth Miller.  They were the sons of William and Margaret (Lemon) Miller and the grandsons of Stewart and Luroncy Louisa (Grandy) Lemon.

Vernie and Bill were wonderful gentlemen who made sure that everyone was in readiness and that the famililes had a good time.   Everyone brought food to share but many years Vernie and Bill and their wives brought ice cream bars or cups to share with everyone.   There were always games to play and Gage Park afforded many playgrounds and lots of fun amusements. 

I don't know when the last reunion was held.   I left Kansas in 1978, and I don't remember attending another reunion after that time.   Vernie and Bill passed away during the 1970s and no one else was willing to take on the task of planning the reunion and sending out the post card reminders.

Vernie and Bill Miller always had a photographer who took a family picture.   I don't remember them taking the photos themselves but perhaps in early years, they did so.   This is the 1936 reunion photo that was among the photographs given to me by my maternal grandmother, Mildred (McCauley) Corbin.   Mildred was the daughter of the youngest of Stewart and Louisa (Grandy) Lemon's children, Lucy Mae Lemon-McCauley-Bonta-Strong.   I am able to reconize only a few of those in this photograph.  I wish I could enlarge it so I could provide the names of those I know.  I don't recognize any of the children sitting on the ground in front.  However in the next row back, my great grandmother, Lucy Mae Lemon-McCauley-Bonta-Strong has on the black dress with a large white collar and a black straw hat (wearing glasses.)  To her right are her brother, James Greer and his wife Olive (Allen) Lemon.  Sitting to Olive Lemon's right is William Alexander Mitchell, husband of Mary Jane (Lemon) Mitchell (deceased).   My family always called William A. Mitchell "Uncle Billy" and sitting on his lap is the youngest of my aunts, Vivian Mae (Corbin) Wild.  I don't recognize the older, white haired lady sitting to the right of Uncle Billy, but to her right are William Earl and Alice (LaPage) Lemon and their daughter Ruth (Lemon) Leeper.  "Earl" Lemon was the son of Charles Montgomery and Sarah Jane (Rich) Lemon.  At the left end of the third row, standing, are my grandparents, Robert and Mildred Mae (McCauley) Corbin.   Grandfather Corbin has on a long-sleeved white shirt and light colored tie and my Grandmother Corbin has on a black or dark-colored dress with white collar.   Just behind them in the fourth row and just a little to the right are Rua and William "Bill" Clark.  Rua was the daughter of William Alexander and Mary Jane (Lemon) Mitchell.  Standing on the right of Bill Clark, are Ruth and Vernie Miller.  Vernie has the white hair parted in the middle.  Standing directly behind Ruth and Vernie Miller in the fifth row, are Virginia (Mitchell) and her husband Pete Kelling.   To the right of the Kellings are Bonnie (Thomas) and Charles Mitchell.   Virginia Kelling and Charles Mitchell were the children of William A. and Mary Jane (Lemon) Mitchell.     The last person on the right end of the fifth row, is my mother, Lucille (Corbin) Clark.    I wish I had asked mother to identify the others but alas, she passed away in January, 2011.

Shiela (Corbin) Hill, next is the author.  The next little boy partially behind the sign is another of the Frost boys but I don't know which.   I do not recognize any of the other children in front.   I am not certain about the couple at the left side of the first row, but I believe it is LaVerne Miller and his wife.  LaVerne is the son of William and Rhoda Miller.  LaVerne and his wife were killed in a tragic car accident in Colorado a few years later.  Crouched down in the middle of the second row are Ben Weiler and Vernie Miller.  Sitting at the left end of the third row, are William Earl and Ruth (LePage) Lemon.  I do not recognize the lady to the left of Ruth Lemon, but sitting to her right is Lova Weiler, daughter of James Greer and Olive (Allen) Lemon.  Sitting to Lova's right is Charles Mitchell and I do not recognize whose little girl he is holding.  Sitting to Charles Mitchell's right is Olive (Allen) Lemon, wife of James Greer Lemon.  Sitting to Olive's right is my uncle, Robert McCauley.  To Uncle Bob's right is his mother and my grandmother, Lucy Mae (Lemon) McCauley-Bonta-Strong.  To Grandma Lucy's right is Ruth Miller, wife of Vernie Miller.  I do not recognize the woman and baby sitting on the end of the row.

Standing at the left end of the fourth row, are Myrtle (Kitt) and Arnold "Kayo" Lemon holding their daughter Sally Lemon.  On the right of Myrtle and Kayo is Ronnie Frost, husband of Roberta (Miller) Frost and one of their sons.  Standing to the right of Ronnie Frost, is Richard G. Andrews, at the time, husband of Joan (Corbin) Andrews.   They were later divorced.  I do not know who the next three men are, but standing fourth from the right of Richard Andrews is George Samuel Corbin holding his son, Robert Frederick Corbin.  I do not know who the three men on the end of the row are.

Standing at the left end of the top row is Roberta (Miller) Frost, daughter of Vernie and Ruth Miller.  To the Roberta's right are George and Vivian (Corbin) Wild.   Uncle George and Aunt Vivian were married in 1951 and did not have children yet.  Vivian is the daughter of Robert and Mildred (McCauley) Corbin.  Standing to the right of Uncle George and Aunt Vivian are my grandparents, Robert and Mildred (McCauley) Corbin.   To their right is Pearl Iva (Behr) McCauley, wife of Robert M. McCauley.  To the right of Aunt Pearl is Joan (Corbin) Andews-Frazier and on her right is Freda (Kitt) Corbin, wife of George S. Corbin.  To Aunt Freda's right are Virginia (Mitchell) and Pete Kelling.   Virginia was the daughter of William A. and Mary Jane (Lemon) Mitchell.   To Virginia's right, is Bonnie Lou (Thomas) Mitchell, wife of Charles M. Mitchell.  To Bonnie's right is my mother, Lucille (Corbin) Clark, daughter of Robert and Mildred (McCauley) Corbin.  I don't recognize any of the four women standing on the right end of the row.

The Lemon Family Reunions were always fun.   I'm sure I share many fond memories with other cousins of these annual events.   If any readers recognize others in these photos, I wish they would share names with me through the comments section.

Happy trails!