It turns out that there was a
newspaper article regarding this reunion. Out of Myra's seemingly endless
supply of documents, comes this further revelation. The original is in poor
shape, and though Julie sent me a scan, I am going to use her transcript of
the article along with her bracketed additions. I have added to the
additions in green. It turns out that this was the second Crouch reunion,
and that a third was scheduled for the following year.
Crouch Family
Reunion
Members of Distinguished Family Gather at Home of Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Young
The Crouch Family held its second reunion
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Young, in this village, on Tuesday,
September 3 . [There is a space after 3 and before the
period. After consideration we agree that the actual date was September 30,
1913, which was a Tuesday. This is further confirmed by the date set for the
next reunion. However
Barbour's youngest child was born in 1906.
If he's in the picture then there are problems with 1913.]
The following members of the family were
present: John G. Crouch [author of Jonathan Crouch
history], of
Olympia,
Wash.; Captain William H. Crouch and wife
[Emma Crouch], of
Nashville,
Mo.; Martin Crouch and wife [Georgia Ann];
of Willisburg, Ky.; Gustaf [Uncle “Doc”] Smith and wife, [Kittie Ann] of
Petersburg [Pittsburg], Kan.; James B.
[Barbour] Crouch, wife [Margaret Crouch] and child
[Richard was born in 1906], of Shelbyville, Ill.; Richard Crouch and
wife [Laura], and Joseph Gordon, wife [Julie Edna Crouch]
[Julie tells me she was one of Richard's daughters]
and child, of Blue Mound, Ill.; Mrs. Ruth Taylor,
[Julie has located this woman in the 1910 census, but
how she fits in a list of relatives is not known to us] of Nashville,
Mo.; Stephen D. Crouch and daughter [Emma] of Nashville, Mo.
The more distant relatives and old
neighbors of the Crouch family who were present as guests were William S.
Smith, of Niantic, Ill; Richard A. Breckenridge and family [wife Martha
Crouch] [Richard's youngest daughter] of
Pawnee, Ill; John Craig, wife [Prudia Ann] and daughter, Emma of Pawnee,
Ill.; Thomas B. Hall, W. Jamison Cooper, Mrs. Rachel Bell and Mrs. Lillian
Breckenridge, of Custer, Ill.; Greenbury Torrence and Mrs. Emma Ruthrauff,
of Cascade, Ill.; William C. Logan, wife and children, and John G. Kenney,
of Springfield, Ill.; Roy Hall [grandson of A.D. and Dilla Ann Young], wife
[Ida] and children, of Breckenridge, Ill; Mrs. W.B. Seeders and children,
and Mrs. Jasper Easley and children, of Rochester.
Mrs. Jasper Easley and Mrt. W.B. Weedear
assisted Mrs. A.D. Young in her office of hostess. All were enthusiastic in
praise of the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Young.
All report a jolly time. The reunion fell
upon a glorious fall day, and was dedicated by the Crouches and their guests
to feasting, reminiscences and happy felicitations.
The first reunion was held one year ago at
the home of Gustaff A. Smith, of
Petersburg [Pittsburg],
Kan. The third will be held in
September, 1914, at the home of Richard A. Breckenridge, of Pawnee,
Ill.
Julie believes that the Home of A.D.
and Dilla Crouch Young was actually in Rochester, Ill., which would mean
that the reunion was not held in Blue Mound at all. The argument is
certainly persuasive, but not really conclusive until the we find the
newspaper that printed this article which would identify "this village."