RENOVO -- On Saturday, August 21, 2010, approximately 45 people attended the 24th annual Pfoutz reunion picnic at the Britt Reynolds Memorial Pavilion on the verdant hillside above the Alvin R. Bush Dam at Kettle Creek State Park in Clinton County above Renovo. These folks, except for some spouses, could proudly trace their descent from Simeon Pfoutz (1781-1856) and his wife Susannah (1794-1848), the first white settlers on Kettle Creek.
According to a plaque placed at the site of the dam, Simeon Pfoutz “selected this site in 1813, cleared the land, built a log house, went to Perry County for his wife, two year old son Simon, and returned in 1814 to spend the rest of their days. They reared nine children. The cemetery where several family members were buried was a short distance up stream along the north shore. Simeon died from a bit of a rattlesnake he was handling.”
Attendees at the reunion ranged in ages from one to 86. All enjoyed the meal, consisting of the usual picnic fare—hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, various salads, and scrumptious desserts.
Afterwards, Linda McGaha, of Renovo, conducted a business meeting, also reading the interesting written recollections of the first few reunions held back in the mid-1980s. She also noted that at those early reunions up to almost 200 people attended. Barb Allen, called by McGaha the “historian” of those gathered at the celebration, added some informative comments too.
Then a white elephant auction was conducted to raise money for future reunion costs. To entertain the children present, games were organized on the hillside.
As the afternoon wore on, folks gradually and at least somewhat reluctantly (for the day was a fine, partly sunny, not too warm or buggy one) departed in their various vehicles, including Jim Hedgeland in his Model A Ford.
