A few weeks ago, our 10 children, their spouses, and most of our 45 grandchildren gathered for the annual Mars Cousin Camp, which is a three-day extravaganza filled with activities and great food. During one of our monthly Zoom planning meetings, our children expressed a desire to visit the graves of some of their ancestors.
I had read an interesting study about the value of family history. The hypothesis was that one’s personal identity is best gained by knowing who you are, where you came from and how you came into existence. The study found that teens who knew more stories about their extended family showed higher levels of emotional well-being.
While this conclusion makes sense to me, the reality is that our family has grown from being a gang to being a mob (see photo), so I was more than a little skeptical that our grandchildren would have any interest or the endurance to visit multiple cemeteries. Being outvoted, Bill and I reluctantly accepted the challenge to plan the “Ancestor Meet and Greet.”
In preparation, we visited six cemeteries to locate graves and warn the staffs of our impending visits, gathered information, pictures and stories about each person, made a short, narrated video about each ancestor, planned a few fun activities along the way, ordered a large box of flowers from the Window Box Florist, had the children paint rocks, and chartered a 55-passenger bus for our excursion of just over 100 miles and hoped for the best.
With very low expectations, we boarded the bus at 8:00 a.m. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous!
Our grandchildren loved watching the videos on the bus and hearing stories about the ancestors they would “meet and greet” at each cemetery. They loved cleaning headstones, making bouquets for each grave, and carefully placing their painted rocks on the headstones. They were respectful as they walked through the cemeteries. They loved the fun activities between cemetery visits — the tour of Uncle Don’s big woodshop, his living room turtle pond and his amazing gardens, the visit to Majestic Meadows in Medina, and finally the Peanut Shoppe in downtown Akron where they each selected their favorite treat.
Our day ended with a family picture in front of the painting that Grandpa Edwin George did on the side of the Scribbles Coffee Shop building in Kent. We disembarked the bus just after 5:30 p.m. I was the last person off, and upon inspection, there was not one piece of trash left behind. Bill and I were in disbelief, asking ourselves who were these people and what did they do with our grandchildren! It was seriously a most wonderful, amazing, miraculous day!
For those interested in family history, I highly recommend www.familysearch.org and www.findagrave.com.
Up next at the Kelso House
Speaking of appreciating our heritage, 60 years ago Edgar McCormick and Lawrence Bryner started the Brimfield Memorial House Association, now known as the Brimfield Historical Society. It is a community gem, hosting many events throughout the year.
One of the most popular is the traditional Election Day Dinner, which is always on Election Day in November. The dinner is held in the Heritage Room in the basement of the Kelso House, which recently underwent some updates, including new countertops, a new floor in the bathroom, and painting of the cabinets.
The Heritage Room is available to rent for $25 an hour and will comfortably seat 60. While the Brimfield Historical Society does not have regular hours, tours are available by appointment. To schedule a tour or reserve the Heritage Room, call 330-673-1058, leave a message, and someone will return your call.
It was recently announced that from 9-11 a.m. on Sept. 23, there will be a Brimfest Veterans Pancake Breakfast on the Kelso House grounds. This is a free event for all community members, sponsored by the Brimfield Lions Club, the Brimfield Historical Society, and Mike’s Place. Township trustee and owner of Mike’s Place, Mike Kostensky, generously donates the food for this event.
Baking updates
In case you missed the news, the Brimfield Bread Oven has changed its store hours and is now open on Wednesdays and closed on Sundays. The current hours are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 8 a.m to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m to 8 p.m., and closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
The change reflects Jud and Genevieve’s desire to have one reliable entire day at home with their adorable children. Having Sunday off will allow them to increase their bake on Saturday to make more croissants, danishes and breads. The Bread Oven will still be open on special Sunday holidays, such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
This is the time of year when zucchini is beyond plentiful. A few years ago, there was a funny cartoon showing a man sneaking up to his neighbor’s front porch in the middle of the night with a basket full of zucchini. The neighbor quickly opens the door telling him to “step away from my porch.” One of our granddaughters made zucchini fries by rolling the cut zucchini in flour, egg, and panko crumbs, then putting them in the air fryer. Of course, adding lots of sugar makes anything taste good, so you might want to try the following Chocolate Zucchini Brownies. If you don’t tell the kids that there is a vegetable in them, they will never know.
Zucchini Brownies
2 C flour, ½ C cocoa powder, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, ½ C vegetable oil, 1 ½ C sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 C finely shredded zucchini, 3-5 Tbsp water (or sour cream), ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9”X13” baking pan with foil or parchment and spray with cooking spray. Set aside. n a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla in a larger bowl; then add the dry ingredients and stir in the zucchini. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes so the batter can absorb the moisture from the zucchini. If it is still too thick, add water or sour cream one tablespoon at a time. The mixture should be pourable, but not as thin as cake batter. Add nuts if desired. Spread in baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched.
Frosting: Bring ½ C butter and 3-4 Tbsp cocoa to a boil. Stir in ½ C powdered sugar to cool the temperature of the frosting; then add 2 C more powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 6 Tbsp. milk (more or less, according to desired consistency). Mix thoroughly to remove any lumps. Spread over cooled brownies.
Am I the only one wondering where this summer has gone? Field Schools resume classes on Wednesday, Aug. 30, which is just over three weeks away, so make plans now to make each day count. Listed below you will find plenty of possible activities to fill your time.
Brimfield Parks and Rec Programs and Events
Thurs., Aug. 10, 7-9 p.m. — Summer Concert featuring The Boomers at the Lions Community Park (4484 Edson Rd.) Bring your family and friends, lawn chairs and snacks for this free outdoor summer concert featuring this local band.
Sat., Aug. 12, 10:30 a.m. — Kids Concert featuring kids’ musician Mr. Jeff at Lions Community Park (4484 Edson Rd.). Kids and their families are invited to enjoy this special free summer concert.
Tues., Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 27 — Portage County Randolph Fair
Fri., Aug. 25, 7-9 p.m. — Summer Concert featuring the Time Machine Band at the Brimfield Historical Society (4158 State Route 43). Bring your family and friends, lawn chairs and snacks for this free summer concert.
Tuesday, Aug. 8 is Election Day, with only one issue on the ballot. Don’t forget to exercise your right to vote.
Finally, a wise man once said, “No success can compensate for failure in the home.”
Until next time. Got news? Share it by contacting Shirley Mars at 330-673-0241 or at [email protected].
