Check back regularly for the latest news.
Last Update: June 16, 2009
Contact Emily Newman at: emilyrose71982@yahoo.com
Sign up for the Descendants of Sampson Bishop family group on Yahoo! if you wish to be notified of updates, or to just keep in touch with the rest of the family.
To download the family tree (starting at Sampon's parent's George and Hannah), please right click and save here The family tree can also be viewed online here.
This year's (2009) turnout was a big disappointment. Only 20 people showed, and it was primarily the people in my immediate family (aunts/uncles, 1st cousins, and three 2nd cousins). No one came from outside Carter County. I'm not sure what happened to everyone else since the previous two reunions saw a turnout of around 40+. Maybe everyone was scared off by the forecast of scattered storms that day, although it actually turned out to be a nice, sunny day. But if there is a continued lack of interest next year, I probably will not schedule anymore. It's just not much of a family reunion without the family. ~Emily
WHO - Descendants of Sampson Bishop and Charlotte "Lottie" Slone. Friends of the family are also welcome.
WHEN - TBA
In case of rain - The shelter is big enough to fit up to 80 people, so if it rains, please come anyway. The reunion will only be canceled if there is thunder.
WHERE - Grayson Lake State Park, Damsite Shelter #3 (past the boat dock). This is the same place that the three previous reunions were held. For maps and directions, visit the Grayson Lake website here.
WHAT TO BRING
- Food: Please bring a covered dish. There are grills at the site, but you will need to bring your own charcoal if you plan on grilling anything. There are also a few electrical outlets available if you need to plug a crockpot or anything in. Please be aware that there are some family members with severe food allergies to peanuts and shellfish. Also, there are several family members with high blood pressure and therefore cannot (or rather, should not) have salt or caffeine.
- Family photos/memorabilia: We Bishops are an attractive bunch, so why not flaunt it? Don't forget to bring your family photo albums this year (preferably with names under the photos). Older photos are especially good, since not everyone has gotten to see pix of their great grandparents or even their grandparents.
- Money: As always, I will have a donation jar set out in case anyone would like to drop in a few dollars or just some spare change to help cover the cost of the reunion (such as the reservation fee for the shelter, which is $50). So if 50 people show, if every person would just donate $1, that'll cover the cost for next year's reservation. If there is any extra money left over, it will be used to pay for further genealogy research (such as my subscription to ancestry.com, to order copies of records, etc.).
Misc. items you may want to bring:
Chairs - There are several picnic tables at the shelter, and a few others scattered around just a few feet away, so there shouldn't be any problems with people finding a seat. But if for some reason you don't want to sit at the tables, make sure you bring your own chair.
Sunblock - Hopefully it will be a sunny day again this year like it was for the last two reunions. The sun can pack quite a punch though, esp. if you stand close to the water.
Camera - How often does the family really get together? What better time to get photos than at the reunion.
I will once again try to print out the family tree (same info that's availabe online) for people to take home if they'd like, esp. for those that do not have internet access. I know that the information is probably not 100% accurate, so I will also have some blank paper for people to add to and/or correct the information I have.
Grayson Lake State Park rules:
- No swimming
- No alcohol
- No campfires
- No collecting or digging for artifacts
- No picking flowers or harming plants
- No littering
- No hiking after dark
- Pets must be on a leash at ALL times
Grayson Lake State Park - Official site. Activities the park offers include hiking, camping, boating, and fishing.
City of Grayson - Has some info on Grayson, including a list of hotels.
Places to go and things to do while in Eastern, KY:
Carter Caves State Resort Park - Located near Olive Hill (about 30 minutes from Grayson). Park offers cave tours, several hiking trails, camping, lodging, and fishing.
