Recent Library Additions

I met our cousin Gary W. Zinn recently. Oh, not face-to-face; he lives in North Carolina and I live in Florida. He contacted me by email, his introduction and subsequent conversations going something like this…

This is coming to you “out of the blue,” so I will begin by introducing myself.  I am Gary Zinn, youngest child of Earl and Enid Zinn, of Summers community. I was born and raised in the  house just below South Fork Baptist Church — where David and Rhonda Ball now live.

You are likely aware that Gay Zinn Spiker and Earl Zinn were first cousins, which makes me second cousin to Jake and Gay’s children.  Besides the family connection, we were all fellow parishioners at South Fork Church.  I knew Jake, Gay, and Marjorie quite well when I was growing up, plus Bob and Dean, and Brad and Alice and their children. (I knew these families of the Spiker clan best because they lived in the neighborhood when I was young and were closer to me in age.) I met Brianna when she was two or three days old. My mother went down to visit Alice that soon after Brianna was born and took me along. She went partly to check out the new baby, but (being the kind of woman she was,) prepared lunch for the older children and washed some dishes while she was there. For some reason, I remember that very clearly.

I was browsing the Spiker Family Gathering Place (amazing, by the way) and got particular pleasure from reading the stories shared by various members of the family.  I could almost taste Gay’s homemade bread, and I could relate to the stories of fishing, swimming, and frog gigging in the river.  (I have fished both the pool in front of the Spiker house and the Buckner Zinn pool, downriver, many times.)

All this prompted me to dig through my computer files for a story I wrote some years ago for my family.  It, like the stories your family members have written, reflects on an aspect of growing up in the Holbrook - Summers community in a bygone era. This is a story about my father, O. Earl Zinn, an old shotgun, and me. I hope that my Spiker cousins enjoy it.

Gary’s story, “The Twenty – A Reminiscence” is available for checkout from our Library. While there, be sure to also read his fishing tale about my parents and his brother and sister-in-law. (And keep your fingers crossed, he may write an article about our beloved Marjory, too.)

You may get to meet Gary – in person. He and his nephew, Ken, are trying to work their schedules out to attend the Spiker Family Reunion this May. (So keep your toes crossed, too.)

Announcements

Submitted by Mike Spiker: SAVE THE DATE !!! The annual Spiker Family Reunion will be held on Sunday, May 27th, 2018. Bring a chair, a side dish, and an auction item. Remember, proceeds from the auction pay for the chickens, charcoal, plates, etc., as well as the hosting fees for this website. Any remaining balance is donated to the South Fork Baptist Church Cemetery Fund. (Note added by Bobbi – if you need some inspiration for auction ideas, click here.)

Also, Paula’s entire family is coming in from Colorado and California, so we’d like to have a large turnout. (Note added by Paula – Yes, Evan, Ryan, Barbara, Jen, Camden, Liam, Logan and Mike will be coming this year…We are looking forward to being with everyone soon.)

(Another note from Bobbi – There is a possibility that we will have a few more “surprise” guests that may or may not include, Wayne Struzik, Chris Struzik, Ken Zinn, and Gary Zinn, wink wink.)