Change in golf tee off times

9:30 is now the earliest tee off time. Please check with Lloyd Stoesz for your new tee off time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs, sunscreen, umbrellas, and mosquito repellent. See you all in the bright sunshine tomorrow!

Stoesz Reunion Schedule

Saturday morning
Golfing (tee times from 8:00–9:30)
Registration (begins at 9:00–all day)
Lunch 12:00–1:30

Saturday afternoon
Baseball 2:00–4:00
Three-legged soccer 2:00–4:00
Children's craft tables 2:00–4:00
Swimming/Tennis available all weekend
Supper 5:00–6:30

Saturday evening
Singalong (led by Carol Zacharias)
Biography of Grampa (Uncle Ed)
Small group performances (volunteers please! contact Carol or Roger)
Family tree activity (Aunt Betty and Ken Sawatzky)
Freiweileges
Bonfire and hayride at Wendell Heinrich's place

Sunday morning
Breakfast
Choir practice 10:00
Church service 10:30–11:30
Lunch 12:00–1:30
Spat'seare

Stoesz Reunion Update —July 7th, and 8th, 2007 at Altona Park

Hello cousins, uncles, and aunts,
Can you feel the excitement? Are you looking forward to the July 7/8th weekend? We are! The stage and two shelters are reserved for us. The community centre is on standby if we need it (hopefully, we won't!). Please bring your own lawn chairs, umbrellas (helpful for rainy OR sunny conditions), mosquito repellent, cameras,
musical instruments, your singing voices, and your best Stoesz smiles.

Here's a preview of a few things that are planned for the Stoesz reunion weekend.
✔ Saturday morning golf game (Pre-register by e-mailing Lloyd, lpstoesz@hotmail.com,
or indicate on the registration form that you want to golf indicating your
preferred tee off time (8:00, 8:30, 9:00, or 9:30).
✔ Color-coded name cards, family tree, family pictures in PowerPoint
✔ Saturday lunch (sausage burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, and rollkuchen)
✔ Saturday afternoon baseball tournament, three-legged soccer, children's craft
tables (tennis courts and swimming pool is also available)
✔ Saturday supper (barbecued pork loins, baked beans, cole slaw, baked potatoes, and
more)
✔ Saturday evening singalong, biography of Grampa Stoesz, music, family tree activity
✔ Late Saturday evening bonfire and hayrides at Wendell Heinrich's
✔ Sunday morning continental breakfast
✔ Pickup choir practice
✔ Sunday morning service
✔ Sunday lunch (potato salad, buns, cold cuts, veggies)

If you haven't signed up yet, please register on the blog http://stoeszfamily.blogspot.com/or let your family representative know that you are coming. Please indicate whether you are coming for the whole weekend or part of it. We need to know how many people to expect at each of the meals.

The following accomodations are available for people from out of town.
 Campground To register, call the Altona Recreation Department at 324-9005
(cost $5 registration fee + $18/night includes electrical and water)
 Altona Motor Inn (cost $69.95 - $79.95) Phone number 324-5241 Mention Stoesz
reunion when booking (10 rooms are blocked for us)
 Four Winds Motel (single $48.00; double $58.00) Phone number 324-5305
 Billeting or camping on yards – Call Rod Stoesz at 324-8107 or e-mail
estoestz@mts.net

Kids under 10 and great grandparents = FREE
Full weekend price $20/person OR
Price per meal
Saturday lunch $5
Saturday supper $7
Sunday breakfast $5
Sunday lunch $5

Hope to see you there!
Ruth, Helen, Janice, and Joanne for the whole planning committee

more pictures from Dennis

Dennis sent some lovely pictures of his family and some other Stoesz families too. Check them all out by clicking on the picture below.

DenisPics

more Stoesz family photos

This photo of Helen Stoesz, Don Disher, and Brandon Disher was taken in Portugal two years ago. They are all planning to come to the reunion this summer.

list of reunion attendees

Hi to all you Stoesz's out there,
I have started a very preliminary list of reunion attendees at the very bottom of the blog. Please help me update the list. If you are coming, or if you know someone who is, send me the information and I will add it to the list. Let's see how fast this list can grow!

Please let me know if I've stated anything incorrectly in the list of names. Thanks.

Joanne

four Stoesz generations

This is a picture of four Stoesz generations: Bill Stoesz's great grandson Colby Stoesz, his grandson Trevor Stoesz, his son Bill Stoesz, and himself (left to right). It was taken last weekend in Carman when Bill and Elaine, Trevor and Colby paid a visit.

Sawatzky family memories

Gord sent me some pictures that Shirley put into a scrapbook. To see the photos, click the picture. Picasa opens. Click Slideshow.

Sawatzky Family Memories

Stoesz Reunion Meeting Minutes

April 20th, 2007 at Denis and Janice Stoesz's place

Attendees: Denis and Janice Stoesz, Ken Sawatzky, Lloyd and Pauline Stoesz, Carol Zacharias, Rod and Edna Stoesz, Ruth Penner, Joanne Kusiak, Janice Rock, Willy and Naomi Stoesz, Larry Stoesz, Helen Stoesz (by phone)
Absent: Roger Stoesz, David Stoesz, Elma Ginter
Chair: Ruth Penner
Secretary: Joanne Kusiak

Reports on Activities

Accommodations – Ken reported that he cannot book campground sites in advance. Some sites are already booked for that weekend. Those who wish to camp should call the Altona Recreation Department at 324-9005 to register themselves (cost $5 registration fee + $18/night includes electrical and water). Ken was able to block 10 rooms for us at the Altona Motor Inn (cost $69.95 - $79.95). Call 324-5241 to book. There are also hotel rooms available at Four Winds (324-5305). Rod Stoesz (324-8107) agreed to be the contact person for anyone who wishes to be billeted. Lots of local Stoesz's are offering to put up out-of-towners.
Action Item: Ken will find out the cost of rooms at Four Winds.
Done! Room rates (single $48.00; double $58.00)
Action Item: All out-of-town guests: Please decide where you want to stay and make arrangements now. Contact Rod Stoesz if you would like to be billeted or make your own hotel or camping arrangements.

Hospitality desk – Joanne reported that initially the hospitality desk will be a place for people to register and pay registration costs. Name labels (colour-coded-by-family) and a schedule of activities will be provided. Throughout the reunion, the hospitality desk will be open to provide information. A family tree will be set up near the hospitality desk. As well, a donation box will be available for those who want to contribute more than the minimum registration fee. The hospitality desk and area will be set up on Saturday morning. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.

Music – Carol reported, “We will have music!”. Roger Stoesz and Carol Zacharias are coordinating the music for the weekend. There will be an opportunity on Saturday evening for people to present music.
Action Item: The blog and group e-mail will invite attendees to bring their instruments and musical gifts and to contact Roger, 897-8363, roger_stoesz@excite.com or Carol, 857-8412 , czacharias@shaw.ca, if they would like to present something at the Saturday evening program.
Action Item: Ruth will confirm that the stage, two shelters, and all picnic tables are reserved for us. Done! Ruth has confirmed and all is in order: stage, two shelters with about a dozen tables are reserved. The Community Centre is on standby, which has costs of $50 deposit and $200/day, if used.

Children's activities – Roger was not at the meeting but Carol reported that he was willing to set up a game such as three-legged soccer but does not want to coordinate overall children's activities. We also discussed the fact that the pool will be open and lots of kids may want to spend the afternoon in the pool.
Action Item: Joanne will talk to Esther who also volunteered to participate in children's activities to find out what she has in mind and would like to do.

Power Point – Ken reported that a big Power Point presentation would be a lot of work to coordinate and put together. The suggestion was made that instead each family (from the aunt and uncle level) put together a CD of 20 current pictures of their families. We'll load all of the pictures onto a computer and we will have a video display running at the reunion. Joanne offered to assist if any family needs help putting their pictures onto a CD. These pictures would also be welcome additions to the blog.
Action Item: Janice will bring her flat screen television to the reunion.
Action Item: Joanne will combine the CDs into a presentation.
Action Item: Dennis will check into getting a PA system and a wireless microphone.

Golf – Lloyd reported that Albert agreed to organize golfing for Saturday morning. We agreed that Texas Scramble might be the best way to get lots of people involved with a minimum amount of time.
Action Item: All those who wish to golf e-mail Lloyd, lpstoesz@hotmail.com, to get on the list of golfers.
Action Item: Lloyd will find out if we can tentatively book ahead.

Family tree – Ken reported that he has discussed this project with Aunt Betty. She's eager to be part of it and he will be getting together with her in the beginning of May to discuss. Ruth asked if the family tree could be put onto a computer somewhere so that it is accessible to everyone. Ken agreed this was a good idea and could easily be done because Aunt Betty has collected all of the information.

Biography of Grampa – David was not available to report.
Action Item: Ruth will call Uncle Ed to find out if he's coming and whether he will be able to present something.
Done! Ruth called Uncle Ed and he is excited to do this. Telling the story was more important than the conference!

Other Activities

Baseball – Two ball diamonds will be available for baseball from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Action Item: Ken will book two ball diamonds.
Three-legged soccer game – likely will include both adults and children (Roger to coordinate)
Tennis is available for anyone who wishes to play
Swimming pool

Saturday evening 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. will include family tree activity (Ken and Aunt Betty), biography (uncle Ed), singsong/entertainment, open microphone (freiweileges).
Action Item: Everyone please bring your own lawn chairs and umbrellas (good for sun OR rain).

Late Saturday evening bonfire at Wendell's place for anyone who wishes to be there (byo knackzote;-!). Wendell has offered a hayride with horses.
Action Item: Ruth and Janice will discuss with Wendell.

Sunday morning worship service 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. will include pickup choir, congregational singing, short devotional. At end of service, someone will say grace for lunch and talk about the two 90th birthdays this year (Uncle Dave?)
Action Item: Dennis will contact David Stoesz, Roger Stoesz, and Bill Stoesz to work together on the service (emcee, worship leader, devotional) and he will ask uncle Dave if he would be willing to say grace and honour the two significant birthdays.

Food

(please see Planning Table document for details)
Saturday lunch – We discussed rollkuchen and agreed that it was too much to ask of the aunts and uncles. We just want them to come and enjoy themselves. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to bring rollkuchen would be very much appreciated. Bring as much as you can—if there isn't enough to go around, no worries.
Action Item: Rod and Edna will buy the watermelon
Action Item: Volunteers will make rollkuchen (and will be greatly appreciated by all!)

Saturday dinner – Denis has booked the barbecue. Lloyd, Pauline, Janice, Denis are responsible for purchasing and delegating.

Sunday breakfast – Joanne's family is coordinating (Naomi will bring the cheese).

Sunday lunch –
Action Item: Joanne will buy the veggies at Costco.
Action Item: Janice Rock will buy the birthday cake.

Number of attendees

We did a brief tally estimating how many people will come from each of the eleven families. Total=209!

We would like a more detailed number of attendees and which meals they plan to attend by June 30th.
Action Item: Each family representative to collect and provide the information to Lloyd and Denis by June 30th.

Registration fee

We agreed to price the reunion weekend as follows:
Kids under 10 and great grandparents = FREE
Full weekend price $20/person OR
Price per meal
Saturday lunch $5
Saturday supper $7
Sunday breakfast $5
Sunday lunch $5

Blog site

Everyone to send more family pictures and information for the blog.
Joanne will post list of attendees.

another planning meeting was held April 20th

From these pictures, you might think that all we do at the planning meetings is eat, but we accomplished a lot! Meeting minutes will be posted sometime this week.

more great Stoesz family photos

If you enjoyed the stroll down memory lane, check out the pictures in that post again. I've added some new ones (thanks to Denis Stoesz). Here's a photo of Denis and Janice on their recent trip to Australia and a photo of the Henry Stoesz family.



If you are planning to attend the Stoesz reunion, please send me your name and state how you fit into the Stoesz family (for example, Helen Stoesz and Don Disher — Bill's daughter). I would like to start a List of Reunion Attendees on the blog. It would be great to see who is coming. Perhaps it will induce others to come too!

A stroll down memory lane

To see pictures, click the picture below (Picasa opens) and then click Slideshow.

StoeszReunion

the meeting minutes

Minutes
Stoesz Reunion meeting held March 16, 2007
at Lloyd & Pauline Stoesz house.

Present were: Ruth Penner, Joanne Kusiak, Janice Rock, Elma Ginter, Willie and Naomi Stoesz, Larry Stoesz, Denis and Janice Stoesz, Lloyd and Pauline Stoesz, Helen Stoesz by phone
Regrets: Carol Zacharias, Rod Stoesz, Roger Stoesz, David Stoesz
Chair – Janice Rock
Secretary – Lloyd Stoesz

Accomodations – campground, motels, billeting etc
Ken to look into booking campsites, reserving a block of rooms.

Saturday – registration to start @ 9:00
- Lunch: barbeque sausage, hot dogs, watermelon, and ask the aunts and uncles to bring rollkuchen

- Supper: pork loin, baked potatoes, cole slaw, applesauce, buns
Denis to look after the pork loin, baked potatos, and barbeque.
Janice & Pauline to look after baked beans.
Elma and Ruth to look after the beverages for the weekend.
Joanne to look after the serviettes, plates, knives, forks, cups, garbage bags.

Sunday – breakfast serve muffins, cheese, fruit one kind, coffee and juice
- lunch potato salad, cold cuts, veggies
- Willie and Naomi to look after cheese and cold cuts

Activities – golf at Oakview (Albert and Glen to look after) for Saturday, baseball, kids activities, choir, and worship service

Powerpoint of each family – Ken to ask Gordon if he would be willing to put it together.

Hospitality desk- Joanne, Ruth, Janice, and Helen to look after name tags, directions, etc.

Send photographs of homesteads, families etc., for the blog.

Each one of us to get tentative #’s of people in respective families expected to attend reunion.

Birthdays to be celebrated: uncle Bill's and aunt Barb's 90th

Next meeting: April 20th @ 6:30 at Denis and Janice's place

Planning meeting

Some of the Stoesz cousins got together last night in Altona at Lloyd and Pauline's to start seriously planning this reunion. We had a good turnout, some good laughs, excellent snacks, AND we managed to get quite a lot done. The minutes from the meeting will be posted on this site soon.

Who was there? Ruth Penner, Elma Ginter, Janice Heinrichs, Dennis and Janice Stoesz, Ken Sawatzky, Larry Stoesz, Willie and Naomi Stoesz, Lloyd and Pauline Stoesz, and myself Joanne Kusiak. Helen Stoesz called in by phone from Windsor; that is why you see Ruth holding up the telephone.

Great posting!

What a great idea, to post the picture of your family, Ruth! We look forward to meeting all of you next summer - and for Joanne's son, here is a good answer to the question about young people!
Our son Brandon is planning to come also - to meet the great Stoesz clan, and to see something of the West.
Talk to you soon,
Helen Stoesz

Hi all cousins, aunts and uncles, cousin nephews and nieces

Many of us have not seen each other for decades. In order to have some prior knowledge of who we have become I’m supplying a picture of me, Ruth (Heinrichs) Penner, and my family. My children do intend to come to the reunion.

The picture is of my family after a full day at Christmas. My three children are Ryan (35), Derek (32), and Natasha (30). The people on the picture from left to right are: Sheryl with Reese, Ryan with Noah, myself – Ruth, Paul and Natasha with Ryan’s daughter Kyra, and Sonya and Derek with Jackson and Kate. My families live in Winnipeg and are about 15 minutes from my house, which allows for us to see and help each other as we want to. I have moved to Winnipeg three years ago, where I have spent a good time doing renovations on the house and yard. Life in Winnipeg has opened opportunities to take part in the city’s cultural activities and making reconnections with old friends, make new ones, and be part of my children’s lives. It’s an enjoyable place to live.

A quick bio of my life:

• I’m Ruth, oldest of six children of Trudy and Andrew Heinrichs
• Grew up at New Hope, 5 miles west of Altona
• Went to school at Neu Hoffung for grade one to ten and at MCI for grades 11 and 12
• Loved to read, but somehow can’t find the time to do so in my adult life
  
• Took teacher training and taught in Altona for a year
• Married Henry Penner and lived in Portage la Prairie for 4 years, where Ryan was born
• Moved to Altona to farm
• Derek and Natasha born in Altona
• Built a complete new and beautiful farm yard just north of Altona Park
• Took part in my children’s lives as PTE member, skating club member, SS teacher
• Started working for School Division in 1985
• Thoroughly enjoyed watching all 3 of my kids being very involved in sports: baseball, volleyball, and basketball
• All 3 kids were away to university by age 18, but came home many summers, which made for a gradual weaning to the empty nest
• In 2001 I suddenly lost Henry
• Had farm auction sale in 2003
• Retired and moved to Winnipeg in winter of 2003
• Here I’ve spent time renovating my small house and small yard
• Am able to babysit the grandkids and see my kids lives
• I’ve been able to take part in concerts, dance lessons, spanish lessons, and drawing classes
• Try many of Winnipeg’s restaurants
• And making new friends, and so on

question

My son wants to know if there will be any "young" people at this event. He's 31. What shall I tell him, cousins? Are your kids coming?

Hi Helen and the rest of you....- I just got the letter re the re-union. Thought I'd like you know that I've changed my mailing address. I'll check out the blog to see if anyone has posted anything. I'm putting the dates into the mix as far as my summer plans go. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to make it, but it sure sounds like fun. Thanks for the letter with the updates and plans to date.

Rosella Stoesz
5402- 46th St.
Yellowknife, NT X1A 1L6
T: 867-873-9672
E: rosella@theedge.ca

Invitation

STOESZ FAMILY REUNION

JULY 7-8, 2007

ALTONA PARK, ALTONA MANITOBA

AN INVITATION TO ALL DESCENDENTS OF CORNELIUS AND ELIZABETH STOESZ

The time is fast approaching for the reunion we proposed to you last year about this time. We have booked the Altona Park for the weekend of July 7-8. We have the use of the Altona community center for activities, and in case of rain. We have also talked with the Gretna Golf Course. Please come! Bring your kids and your grandkids too if you're lucky enough to have some.

Several of you have volunteered to help out with the events, and we will be in touch with you shortly. It's not too late to volunteer now! We are going to need help with

• organizing and preparing the food

• accommodation – billeting

• planning and running different activities — recreation, music, informal Sunday morning worship, family history activities, etc. — and others you may think of

• displays of arts and crafts that we may wish to share with each other

• poster-size family tree for people to see where they are in this large family

• maps of the areas where the original brothers and sisters settled on farms in the area so that any who wish to tour the area can see where their families started

Here’s how we see the weekend developing.

On Friday evening some of us may arrive at the Park; there is a campground available for campers and motel units nearby. Golf is available both Saturday and Sunday morning.

Saturday around noon, the reunion really gets started. We will set up a host desk to welcome people and provide information. We suggest a potluck lunch for those who come early followed by . . .

• Baseball game(s)

• Craft table for the kids

• Tours of the old family farmsteads

• Evening barbecue

• Storytelling, singing, visiting, getting to know each other, etc.

• Pickup choir practice for Sunday morning

A Sunday morning pancake or continental breakfast could be followed by a short informal worship service with a volunteer choir. We could then have lunch together and stay for more fun and visiting until ready to disperse.

Please send your comments and pictures for the blog. Joanne is the administrator of the blog and she can help you with any postings you wish to make. Her email address is: Joanne.Kusiak@gmail.com

Some of you may be wondering about cost. We are hoping to cover the costs of the event through donations. A list of all expenses will be provided at the event. If everyone gives something, the costs could be quite minimal. Any surplus will be donated to a charity such as the MCC.

We are open to all of your suggestions and look forward to your offers of volunteering. We wish you a very healthy and happy Christmas with your families, and look forward to seeing many of you in July 7/8 2007.

Helen Stoesz (519) 251-9625; hwstoesz@cogeco.ca
Ruth Penner (nee Heinrichs) (204) 477-4237; ruth@penners.net
Joanne Kusiak (nee Stoesz) (204) 786-4866;Joanne.Kusiak@ gmail.com
Janice Rock (nee Heinrichs) (204) 669-5530;Janice_rock@ hotmail.com

P.S. We know that for a few of you this time will not work into your plans and we regret that not everyone’s schedules could be accommodated.

Stoesz Family Reunion

A small group of cousins met for lunch last summer and began to imagine how much fun it would be for the family of Cornelius G. Stoesz to get reacquainted - or acquainted, in many cases. We admired the great camaraderie that our parents have shared over the years, and continue to share in retirement - and felt that it would be worth exploring with each other what interest there may be in a gathering of the family in 2007.