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Family has 100 yearreunion with 205 thereThe descendants of Martin Hin-derks Swart held their Centennial reunion at the Riley Legion Hall June 11 with 205 members of nine families attending. Those families included in the long list of guests at the 100 year celebration of the Swart families existence in the Manhattan area were: The William Swarts, Hin-dcrikus Swarts, Martha Swart-Nanninga, Henrietta Swart-Nanninga, John M. Swart, The Rev. D. Swart, Margaret Swarl-Barnett, Addina Swarf-Debus and Minnie Swart-Bohnenblust families.The history of the family states that Martin Hinderks Swart and part of his family sailed from Bremerhaven, Germany in the summer of 1872. Their home in Germany was at Mark, province of Hanover.During the tedious journey by ship, two of the Swart children died and were buried at sea. The family was detained, as many immigrants were, at Ellis Island off New York City, because of illness. Another child of the family died and was buried there.The Swart family finally arrived in Manhattan in October of 1872. They spent the winter with their son who had arrived several years before. Several members of the Swart family had stayed in Germany and came to American in 1895.On April 13, 1873, the Swart family homesteaded one half mile east and three miles north of Leonardville.At the June 11 Centennial reunion, members of the Swart family, which has since spread across the United States, came from Alabama, California, Colorado, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas to attend the party.Different members of the large group gave a program for entertainment during the afternoon of festivities. Mrs. B. Frank Myers ofrAbilene, who has known the Swart 1 family more than 70 years and is a fmember of the family by marriage, \ was master of ceremonies. She gave a c discussion on the family coat-of-arms i which has been authenticated by j three Institutes of Heraldry, national and international. The coat-of-arms, r dating back to the 11 th century and t die Crusades, is a shield with an eagle i in black with white markings with t wings spread. The background is red. f The shield was a means of identification, Mrs. Myers explained, of t friend or foe when all were in full « armor. It was a Iso used as a signature j during a time when few people could t read or write. lt;Mrs. John Pailen, Mrs. Donna | Blake and Rosemary Blake sang lt;some songs; die Rev. Wilbur De Young gave the invocation and the i Rev. Carter McKemy gave the ^ benediction, iAwards given were: to Mrs. Tillie ' Paul of California and Maj. O.L. Swart of Alabama who came the i farthest; to the youngest boy present, i Chris Pauli; the youngest girl present, Toni Pauli; the oldest man attending, George M.Swart and the oldest women present, Mrs. Grace , Swart and Mrs. B. Frank Myers. lt;Those helping with arrangementswere Mrs. William Sylvester, Mrs. Walter Bohnenblust, Mrs. CaLoll Bloom, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Swart, Mr. and Mrs. Leland Kaump, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Walker, Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Sand, Edna Swart, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Quantic, Mr. and Mrs.Ezra Bohnenblust, Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Bohnenblust, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Pauli, George Bohnenblust, Mrs. B. Frank Myers, Mrs. Donna Blake, Mrs. Arlan Trumpp, Mrs. Callie Spielman, M-Sgt. and Mrs. K.G. McKee, Ruth Leidig, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Swart, Mrs. Glen Fechner, Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Nowlin and Mrs. Walter Bohnenblust.
Newspaper Details
Manhattan Mercury
Manhattan, Kansas, US
Thu, Jun 15, 1972
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Sharon M.
KS, USA 19 May 2018
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