Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, July 28, 2005

A really fun time was had at the third biennial STEVENS reunion held the weekend of June 25, 2005. Two of the necessary ingredients were good food and conversation. Both were in abundance on Friday evening at Smith's Sports and Spirits in Mount Ayr and Sunday noon at the Clearfild Cafe.

That was also the case during the Saturday meal at the Ramsey Farm in Lesanville near Mout Ayr. The parishioners of Wishard Chapel catered a noon buffet of great meats and and salads plus memorable desserts.

On Saturday upon arrival at the Axtell house in Lesanville, it just seemed necessary to not only tour the bed and breakfast but also the Lesan house on the west side of the road.

While there, you can't pass up touring the barn, carriage house, depot and one-roomed schoolhouse. That schoolhouse holds special memories for the children of Doc and Donna (STEVENS) BEAR.

In 1946, Nadine, Ramon and Gary all attended that school building while Glee BEAR was too young. At that time, the building was located about a mile north and was called Mountain Brush School.

The teacher was Maxine SICKLES who is still a local resident. During the spring, the nearby sapling trees were great bucking toys and in the winter, the hill across the road was an exciting place for sledding. To settle the kids down for studying, Maxine would read them great books.

Ringgold county was selected for the STEVENS reunion due to its significance to the family dating back to 1876. That was when Ralph Edward and Nancy Jane (SIMPSON) STEVENS came to the county and homesteaded an 80-acre farm located a couple miles southwest of Diagonal.

Of the 21 STEVENS family members who attended some time during the three-day reunion, all were descendants or were related by marriage to Ralph and Nancy. Listed below are the attendees who are descendants of their three children:

Carrie Alice (STEVENS) JONES [1873-1949] - Maro and Robert JONES of Des Moines; Karen and Jack ETHINGTON and Carol Ann REED of Des Moines; and Kalina MAXWELL of Truro, IA.

Homer R. STEVENS [1878-1973] - Ruth Ann MOORE of Primghar, IA; John STEVENS of Austin, TX; Shana WOODFIELD of Calistoga, CA; Karen and Jerry KEMERY of Blockton; Kathy and Kaylee COULTER of Maryville, MO; Nadine BALES of Pittsburg, CA; Deloris and Ray BEAR of Lake Saint Louis, MO; and Glee TONEY and Gene TRULLINGER of Union Star, MO.

Myrtle Myree (STEVENS) FOGLE [1891-1973] - Peggy MAHONEY of Creston.

During the brief business meeting, it was decided that there were not enough attendees to continue the reunion. Instead, the computerized records would continue with access to those record on the Internet or by asking for paper copies.

Also, those wanting to get together could do so on the second Sunday of June at 5 p.m. in even numbered years at Breadeaux Pizza in Mount Ayr.

The officers were: presidents, Karen and Jerry KEMERY of Blockton; vice presidents, Virginia and Thurman METTS of Escada, OR; treasurers, Alice Mae and Bill JOHNSTON of Bedford; secretaries, Deloris and Ray BEAR of Lake Saint Louis, MO; and historians, Ruth Ann MOORE of Primghar, IA, Marilyn and Gary BEAR of Diagonal, Alice May and Bill JOHNSTON and Deloris and Ray BEAR.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012