Friday
Friday August 4th was a continuation of the all week hazy, hot, and humid that Lancaster County was experiencing. This made for favorable weather for tours (no rain!) and promoted a desire for people to stay inside the event venue at Millersville University’s Student Memorial Center.
The walk in registrants continued coming in, along with our pre-registrants who were just arriving. Our featured speakers and their presentations started in the morning, continuing in the afternoon. Our lineup included:
- Multi-disciplinary artists Christine Brubaker and Erin Brubacher from the Toronto area creatively and uniquely recounted their 2015 trip, on foot, retracing our ancestor’s migration from Lancaster County, PA to Canada
- Harold Brubaker of Ashville, NC and Michael Brubaker of Lititz, PA shared their experiences in the world of politics
- Martin Brubaker from Hagerstown, MD told of our Brubaker origins and migrations in Europe
- Dr. J. Kenneth Brubaker of Mount Joy, PA led a session on maintaining brain health as we age
- Linda Brubaker of Littiz, PA directed a session on early American decorative art
- Darvin Martin from Lancaster, PA, a scientist and genealogist, reported the latest findings regarding Brubacher/Brubaker origins through DNA research and testing
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Jack Brubaker, “The Scribbler”
Jack Brubaker – “The Scribbler” for many years with Lancaster Newspapers, shared about what makes Lancaster and Lancaster’s Brubakers so unique
- Sharon Brubaker of North East, MD and Shirley Hershey Showalter of Harrisonburg, VA led a breakout session on their experiences, joys, and challenges in their book writing careers
In addition, the guided tours got underway also:
- Amish Country farmlands tour in eastern Lancaster County
- Historic walking tour of Lancaster City
- Tour of an award-winning cutting-edge Brubaker farm outside of Mount Joy
- Brubacher – Brubaker Rohrerstown Heritage tour focusing on the farms and homes in the area and on the lands belonging to the original Brubaker lands
- Birdwatching tour on the parkland and grounds of the original “B” branch family patriarch farm in East Hempfield township,
outside of the village of Rohrerstown
In the Atrium of the Student Memorial Center (SMC) was to be found an extensive lineup of artisans, craftspeople, and several stands with all kinds of delectable goodies. Adjacent to the Multi-purpose Room (MPR) in Room 113 was Elaine Renkin, the Brubaker Families of America’s Historian. There was a wonderful display of printed out genealogies and historical pictures of some of the reunions over the past decades. In addition, she had her computer set up and access to the family genealogical database to aid and offer assistance or answer questions for people looking to find out more about their genealogy.
A large group photo of our cousins was taken late in the afternoon during supper. Due to the outstanding turnout of attendants, the photo shoot was relocated to the gymnasium on the lower level of the Student Memorial Center. We were able to get about 50% of the participants together for the photo.
After supper there was a presentation for the upcoming 2018 Heritage tour to Europe. You can read more about that here.
The evening keynote address was delivered by Donald Brubaker Kraybill, author, historian, and retired professor at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA and ‘Pud’ Sam Stoltzfus, retired farmer and local historian.
Enjoy the images from the day:
