1902 McNeil Reunion

My great-grandmother, Minnie Pearl Wilson, had a newspaper clipping of a family reunion tucked in the old family bible where she also kept all of the clippings of family obituaries.  The "Family Reunion" clipping was from an unknown newspaper, had no date or place, and had already turned yellow with age when I received it almost 50 years ago.  Someone had taken a guess and written a date (which was off by a year) and place (state only) on the top of the clipping.  The clipping was about a McNeil Family Reunion -- children and grandchildren of Mrs. Sarah McNeil.  The article  mentioned that "Photographer Stone" had taken a group picture of all the family at the reunion.  Over the years I have often wished I could find a copy of the picture taken that day at the McNeil Family Reunion!!

Newspaper Clipping found in family bible.

McNeil Family Reunion

Last year, Newspapers.com added a lot of small town newspapers from Kansas.   I spent some late nights going through the newspapers from Smith County, Kansas, which ended up being a goldmine of information on the McNeil, Cole, and Hatfield families.  The above article about the McNeil Family Reunion was found in a Smith Center newspaper.  It was published in the Smith County Pioneer (Smith Center, Kansas) newspaper on Thursday, 30 October 1902.  The reunion would have taken place on the previous Sunday which was 26 October 1902 and was attended by twenty-seven children and grandchildren of Sarah Margaret Cole McNeil. (Transcription at bottom of page)

Smith County Pioneer newspaper

Smith Center, Kansas

Thursday, 30 Oct 1902

Earlier this year, a cousin on the McNeil side of the family reached out to me to say she was going to post her McNeil family photos on Ancestry.com.  I was more than excited 😍😍 when she posted a copy of the actual photograph taken the day of the McNeil Family Reunion mentioned in the above newspaper article.  As stated in the news article, the photograph was taken on the front porch of the Nate McNeil home in the afternoon by "Photographer Stone" just after their "big dinner".  Grandma McNeil is right in the center of the photo, resting her head back on a white pillow.  

This photo taken at the reunion is remarkable for several reasons:  1) Only known picture(s) of Sarah Margaret Cole McNeil was taken at this reunion; 2) All of Sarah's living children were at the reunion and in the photo; 3) Only known picture of Charles E Hatfield (brother of Martin M Hatfield).  

McNeil Family Reunion 

30 Oct 1902, Smith Center, Kansas

Back row: Martin M. Hatfield, Nancy McNeil Hatfield, Thomas C. McNeil, Mary "Stella" Reed Hoyt, George Hoyt, Addie Ball, Noah Ball, Alma Peterson Hatfield, Amos Reed, Charles E. Hatfield. Middle row: Minnie Newbrey McNeil, James "Harmon" McNeil, Verna McNeil, Susie Hoyt McNeil, Nathan H McNeil, Grandma McNeil (Sarah Cole McNeil), Levi Ball, Susan McNeil Ball, Albert Reed, Roxie Ellen McNeil Reed. Children: Clinton Hatfield, Lenard McNeil, Juanita Higby, Nellie McNeil Miller, Lester McNeil, Blanche Hatfield, Blanche McNeil Miller, Alfred Hatfield.

To see a colorized version of the above reunion photo, click here 

Transcription of above newspaper article of the McNeil Family Reunion:

Family Reunion

"A family reunion was held last Sunday at the home of Nate McNeal, of this city, at which time 27 children and grandchildren of Mrs. Sarah McNeal were present. The children were T.C. McNeal, Nate McNeal and Mrs. Roxie Reed, of Smith Center, Susan Ball, of Athol, Mrs. Nancy Hatfield, of Woods County, Oklahoma, and Harmon McNeal of Dor township. All the above were accompanied by their husbands or wives except T.C. McNeal, who is still a single man. About a dozen grandchildren were present, also was Charlie Hatfield, of Oxford, Neb., a brother of N.M. Hatfield, accompanied by his wife. In the afternoon after a big dinner they all assembled on the front porch where their picture was taken by Photographer Stone.
Grandma McNeal was 77 years old on her last birthday, and all her children are living except one, a daughter who died when about eight years old. Her husband died in 1894. This is the first time all the family have been together for about eight years, and it was like told times for them all to meet again. Mrs. N.M. Hatfield and husband left Monday for their Oklahoma home, and Charlie Hatfield and wife left for Oxford, Neb., on the same train and the others went away Sunday." 

Many thanks 😘😘 to our cousin who took the time to post, preserve, and share the McNeil family photos.  So many family photos and documents are lost every time there is a fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, etc.  By scanning and posting the photos/documents on sites such as Ancestry, My Heritage, FamilySearch, Blogs, etc., we can preserve history for future generations.

Note: Many more photos of the McNeil family of Smith County, Kansas are posted on Ancestry.com.

Click here for Sarah M Cole McNeil's Ancestry profile page. 

Related posts:  

McNeil Family Record 

Nancy McNeil Hatfield Family

Susanah McNeil Ball Family