Dodge reunion includes travel to homestead site

Dusty

Recently, Harmon and Jan Smith hosted a reunion for about 35 descendants of Harmon’s great-grandfather, Charlie Dodge. The group traveled to the homestead at Dodge, the family cemetery in Walla Walla and to Steptoe Butte. One evening, Harmon’s brother Walt shared his research about the family ancestry. The relatives, most of whom had never met, discovered they were happy to get to know each other and hope to gather again when even more of the family can attend. A “Welcome” message on the Dusty Country Store reader board greeted the family.

David and Alice Appel hosted the annual “Appel Family 4th of July” picnic at their home on McNeilly Road for 110 family members. In attendance were Dave’s siblings: Dick, Dusty; Tony, Davenport; Donna Connell, Spokane Valley; Renata and Steve Anderson, Walla Walla; and most of their family members. Dave and Alice’s children who attended included Janet Fluty and her husband Mark and seven of their children from Danville, Ky .; Angela Fiecke and husband Justin and their two children, Kennewick, and Michelle Messinger and husband Travis of Spokane. The Fiecke’s arrived June 30 to help Dave and Alice get ready for the picnic.

The Fluty family left Kentucky June 23 to camp across the southwestern portion of the United States and arrived in the Palouse July 2. They headed back home July 8 and plan to travel through Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills of South Dakota and through the midwest.

Wednesday, July 11, Dave and Alice Appel hosted the Whitman County Historical Society board, spouses and friends for their July meeting and a picnic.

The week of July 4, Dick and Helen Appel’s family came to visit and help put on a new roof.

The roof workers and cooks were Barb, Bruce and Joanne Wollstein, Lacey; Bob, Deb, Jessica and Scott Stavig, Brush Prairie; Phil and Sabrina Appel, Spokane; Eric, Shannon, Connor, Christopher, Sarah, Kyle and Sidney Appel, Dusty; Caroline, Rob, Zack, Kade, Elly and Luciene Kunkel, Pullman; Neil, Josh, Emmie and Issac Appel, Dusty; Lisa, Travis, Miriam, Rachel and Emma Frei, Colfax; Susan and Joe Lynch, Pullman; Dan, Jordon, Michaela and Calvin Appel, Alamogordo, N.M .; Mark Appel and Jamie Hughes, Colfax; Jim Appel, Tacoma, and Steve Kopzynski, Colfax.

The younger ones spent time swimming, making coffee can ice cream and having a fancy tea.

Tony and Denise Kendall, Tacoma, arrived at the home of her father, Oscar Broeckel, Tuesday, July 3. Tony visited with his uncle Tom Kendall in St. John while Denise visited with her cousin Karen Broeckel. Wednesday evening the Kendalls spent with Denise’s twin sister and her husband, Doreen and Tom Riedner, in Genesee. The Kendalls traveled on to Coeur d’Alene to celebrate their wedding anniversary and then went home.

Saturday, June 30, Jen, Ryan, Kellen, Becket and Willa Hammons of Boise traveled to the Tri-Cities to attend a wedding. Grandparents Kim and Cindy Pitts met them there and brought Becket and Willa back with them to spend the night. Sunday, the rest of the Hammons came to Dusty to stay overnight and returned to Boise Monday. After the Hammons left, Kim and Cindy and daughter Carrie headed for their cabin on Priest Lake. Amanda, Erik, Tate and Rafe Carlson, Spokane, joined them Tuesday. The group spent the Fourth at the lake and all returned to their homes on Thursday.

Larry and Di Brink hosted a family get-together last week. Kevin and Amber Brink, Ashley, Kloey, Ellie and Nick, Kennewick, stayed from Saturday through Thursday. Tom Phillips, Las Vegas, arrived Saturday and stayed through the next week Sunday. John and Brandy Brink, Moscow, were in and out over the week. Tuesday and Thursday nights, supper guests included Don and Carol Keeney and Mike Stine, LaCrosse.

Linda Hennigar and the rest of the “Cross Country” musical group performed at the Endicott July Fourth city celebration.

Saturday, Linda Hennigar attended the 60th birthday party for Tom Hennigar at his home in St. John.

Art and Colene Sager flew to Midvale, Idaho, July 4 to visit with Colene’s cousin Dave and Liz Hopper and aunt and uncle Kathryn and Cliff Hopper. They also watched the parade and attended the town dinner before returning home the same day.

Karen Light and children Emmaly and Joshua, Portland, arrived at the home of her parents, David and Phyllis Stueckle last Thursday. They returned home Tuesday.

Larry and Karen Scaggs and Dallas and Dalton, Tehachapi, Calif., visited friends and relatives after church services at the Country Bible Church Sunday. They are spending a few days with Larry’s mother, Lorraine Scaggs, Colfax. Lorraine’s daughter, Laurie Pitt of Las Vegas, had just returned to her home after spending two weeks with her mother.