In the month of October the Fulk reunion is held at the old original homplace west of Noble, IL. It was the homeplace of my mothers grandparents. Mom is 87 so you can cifer how old they would be if still alive. Family members from far and wide come for this annual event that lasts over the weekend. Of course, some start showing up on Monday previous the Friday nite start or offical kick off. Motor homes, campers, vans, tents and even some sleepin on the ground in sleepin bags. A BIG campfire is started by the first to arrive and it doesn't go out until the last soul has left-sometimes 3 weeks later! Lots of firewood is burned and even more coffee is downed from around that campfire than all the rest of the year, I think. Friday nites are for the famous Perry Fulk pork chop cook. He's THE rich uncle-a retired wildcatter in the oil business. He cooks up several hundred pounds of the hog chops and it's all free. Needless to say not everybody is a Fulk, related to a Fulk, married into the Fulk family. Friends also are welcome. In fact total strangers are welcome there too. This year no more "Perry Chops" will be cooked. He died last year and I suppose the tradition will die along with him. He's the only one who had the money to buy that much hog anyhow! Sat. nites is the hog roast. The cooker of choice is an old fuel oil tank 250 gallon oval with a smaller 30 gallon drum attatched to the end. This little drum is the woodstove used to cook the old dead hog. Smoke is also an important part of this hog cook. A big coffee pot is settin on top of the barrel stove-makin "cowboy" coffee. [YOu know--boiled with grounds and all.] The live entertainment on Sat nites is the open mike stage. Anybody that wants to sing, play an instrument or whatever is allowed on stage to "do their thing". Sunday's is the winding down day and most workin stiffs start drifting away for another year, headed for home and work the next day. Still others that'r retired may stay on for another couple weeks or so. In the fall of 97 a Gospel band was hired to perform at the festivities. The Gospel Road Singers from Sims Ill were present and put on a tremendous show. The witness was fantastic- the Spirit was almost overwhelming as we sat and listened -- and video'd. I was stuck behind the video camera most of the time but still enjoyed it immensely. Oh yes, both my sons were in that band at that time. Younger on played lead guitar-older- electric bass. Mom is now the oldest of the living Fulks at 87. She's already "chompin" at the bit and can hardly wait until this October so she can go again. One of the things that has helped this remain for over 30 years---NO ALCOHOL! Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), July 23, 2000

Answers

Hoot, too bad I can't claim your family! It so happens my sisters and I are going to Gallatin/Saline Counties, Bond/Fayette counties and Madison county in October to look up old relatives, both dead and alive. We were all born in Ill. around St. Louis (Alton, Wood River area) and are actively searching for the Williams family we are related to around there. My sisters have not been there since they were 2 years old! My family moved away when I was 12.

-- b. Williams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), July 23, 2000.