The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-09-24
Another Interesting Family
ReuniOn-EIisIOrtcal Sketch
OF the COnard Family.

The family reunion briefly mel
toned in last weeks News, as havin
taken place at the residence of on
townsman, Benz Conard, on MOI
day, the 14th inst, was followed b
general picnic of all the Conar
family, residing or visiting at tn
time, in the vicinity.
The Picnic was held in Robert Ec
wards grove, near New Lexington
on Thursday, the 18th inst. and wa
attended by ninety eight (9S)of thelir
cal descendants of Cornelius Conard
Gather of said Benz. Conard) includ
ing their husbands and wives, down a
far as the fourth generation, which wa
represented only by the little son o
J. Wesley Chaney of this place. Be
sides the 98 regular descendants
there were present several other Con
ard cousins, and those closely con
nected by marriage with the family
amounting in all to $50 persons, al
so closely connected as to be as on,
family. About noon all assembled
around the well-flled table, and die
ample justice to the good things
spread before them. After dinner
Benz. Conard, by request, read 6
brief history, orgenealogical sketch o.
the Conard family, which we give be
low. The happy company seemed
to enjoy themselves to the utmost
until about 5 o'clock P. NJ. when al
dispersed to their respective homes
or stopping places, feeling that they
had enjoyed treat such as comes
but once in life time.
HIGHLAND COUNTY, Ohio,
Sept. 18th, 1874.
As this is an occasion that it is
hoped will be long remembered by
those present, it has been suggested
to me that prepare something to be
read before you, giving short sketch
of the design and nature of this meet
ing, and how such a meeting came tc
be gotten up. 1 have undertaken
the task, hoping that my humble eff
forts may thus be preserved by some
of the rising generation, as relic ot
interest to unborn generations Of
of this particular branch of the Con
ard family.
This meeting OF picnic came about
in this way. As my four sons, with
their wives and families, are settled
in four different States of the Union,
namely, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa and
Pennsylvania, I expressed a de
sire to each of them that they
should all meet together once more
with their parents and sisters around
the family board, and named
the 18th of the present month as the
day, that being my 64th birthday.
To this request they have responded,
prompted by the strong ties of family
affection, and sacrificed money and
time, and defed distance and all
other obstacles, and we have, through
the blessings of Providence and theil
energy, all sat together, united as
one family. Not only my own chill
dren, but their children, their hus-
bands and wives.
Our feelings on this occasion it is
useless for me to attempt to describe
on paper, as the occasion was one
that to be appreciated must be par
ticipated in. The fact Of the moral
certainty that this is the last time that
we will all meet together on earth,
gives interest to the occasion not to
be described. May we all meet in
Heaven!
The whole number, met together
on that occasion, consisting of my
eight children, their husbands, wives
and children, with my sister, her
husband and sister-in-law, was 81.
The fact of the anticipated visit Of
my four sons, suggested to some OF
their cousins here, (my sisters chill
dren) the idea of a general picnic
meeting of all the descendants of my
father, settled or visiting in this
neighborhood. SO to them must be
given the credit of whatever pleasure
we may have here.
Twill now proceed to give some ac.
count of the early history ofthe fami-
ly. I have, since this meeting was
in contemplation, tried to collect
what information I cOuld of Our ear
ly history, and have been furnished
with one document prepared many
years ago by Jesse Conard, of West
chester, Pa. By this it appears that
we are the descendants of one Tunis
Kunder, alius Dennis Cunrad,
who arrived from Germany or Hol-
land with the first company of re
ligious settlers at Germantown, (now
Philadelphia.) At his stone house
in Germantown, being probably
among the largest, for the time, the
Society of Friends" held their first
meeting at that place in 1852, men
ton of which, and of his friendly dis
position to them, is made in Prouds
history of Pennsylvania. The writer
of the paper referred to does not
think that lie was then in mem
bership with the Friends, but the ira
dition that I have from my father is
that he joined the Society in Hol
land, and for that reason he, with