Keepsake from reunion, more partying to be done

Our cousin Jane (Jonas) Williams has discovered a really nice way to remember the reunion held this past weekend in Neillsville. There’s a Web site called PersonalizationMall.com where you can order all sorts of gifts for weddings, graduations, birthdays, etc., and personalize them with your name, that of the gift recipient and other messages.
Also, if you want to continue the festivities from Neillsville, head to the annual Cousins’ Picnic on August 5 in Milwaukee, hosted by the Jonases, with a special tribute to the late Uncle Bud Jonas who died last December. More on that later.
Jane found a “suncatcher ornament” onto which you can engrave messages. Jane ordered one with the message “Never Never Land 2012” in the center, inside a shamrock, and the names of the four families in the background. Above is a photo of what it will look like.
To order, from the home page, click on “Product Categories” and from that page scroll down until you see “Glass Ornaments” and click on that. Scroll down till you see “Irish Family Personalized Suncatcher” for $14.95. Click on that, read the product description and then scroll down to “Personalize This Item.”
You have two sections to personalize, the wording that goes inside the shamrock and the text that goes behind the shamrock.
What I did was in Family Name Line 1, entered “Never-Never,” in Family Name Line 2 entered “Land” and in Family Name Line 3 entered “2012.”
Then in the section titled “Repeated in Background” enter each family name; I did it alphabetically: 1) “Jonas” 2) “McCorry” 3) “Mullins” and 4) “Schield.” (I count the nuns as being in McCorry! ;))
Below that check if you want a stand or want to have the item gift-wrapped and then choose “Click to View Your Personalized Item.” You should see the same picture I posted here. Then you can check out like you would from any other e-commerce site.
Thanks to Jane for such as wonderful keepsake idea.
Also, if you still can’t get enough of your relatives, or want to see some of them who couldn’t make it to Neillsville, Jane reminds us of the annual Cousins Picnic coming up Sunday Aug. 5. Come in the afternoon and dinner will be served at 4:30 p.m. The venue is Greene Park and Jane provides these directions to the event:
Exit: I-94/43/894 at Layton Ave. Drive east to Packard Ave. Turn left (north) to Lunham. Turn left (west) two blocks to Greene Park.
Bring your own meat or other food to grill and a dish to pass. Beer will be provided as will bocce ball equipment!
This year’s event has been dubbed “Uncle Bud’s Cousin’s Picnic” as a tribute to Uncle Bud Jonas, patriarch of the Jonas family, who died Dec. 13, 2011. A day later, on Dec. 14, our beloved Aunt Betty Schield passed. I’m sure she and Bud and the rest of the dearly departed were looking down on the gathering at the Schield cottage in Neillsville, Wis. this past weekend with pride.
Let me or Jane know if you have problems ordering the suncatcher ornament.
Best wishes to all.
Robert Mullins