87th Wright Family Reunion

87th Wright Family Reunion minutes
Big Cedar Lake- July 10, 2011

The Sunday dawned warm, sunny and humid, with rainy periods all day. Members started arriving at 10 am to enjoy Racine kringle and coffee. We took family pictures before dinner.

Rex Dachenbach offered prayer and at noon we feasted on our potluck meal.

Promptly at 1:00 pm, John Stofflet began the family meeting. He welcomed everyone and thanked the Laycocks for reserving Cedar Community Beach House, arranging for the golf cart to aid in transportation from the parking area, and asking a local skipper to take us for a pontoon boat tour of the lake. Great fun! We said “Goodbye, and see you next year” by 3:00 pm.

Statistics:
24 persons at the reunion
Youngest: Kaia Stofflet
Wisest: Alberta Kickbush at 93
Longest trip: Douglas Rory Kickbush, who came from Portugal to visit his mom and attend the reunion.

Letters and e-mails received:
Dorothy Tempel, from New Zealand
Katie and Harlan Sutton
Jim and Jeanette Wright
Gloria Austin Karow
John Wright

Sharing from attending members:
Frank A. Laycock
Frank E. Laycock (brought greetings from the Bubenzers)
Jo Gross
Alberta Wright Kickbush
Judy Stubbe
Phil Atwood
Judy Bishop
Rex Dachenbach
Nancy West Martin
Bonnie Stofflet
Rita Stofflet
Douglas Kickbush
John Stofflet

Members attending:

Frank E. Laycock
KC Laycock
Frank A. Laycock
Judy Stubbe
Phil Atwood
Nancy Wright
Woody Wright
John Stofflet
Kaia Stofflet
Cole Wohler
Judy Bishop
Jo A. Gross
Thomas Gross
Rex N. Dachenbach
JoAnn Dachenbach
Lisa Dachenbach
Nancy Martin
Shan Martin
Alberta Kickbush
Douglas Kickbush
Tabatha Feerick
Bonnie Anderson
Steve Anderson
Rita Stofflet

Further Business:
With John leading the conversation we discussed the future reunions. Most attending have positive feelings about the reunion, but attendance has fallen over the years. We have tried to maintain a valid mailing list, but it has been difficult to keep new addresses, moves, dispersing family all straight. More of the family can use electronic mail and an up-to-date website is very useful. The leadership of the reunion has been carried by a small group. With declining involvement this is frustrating. We elected leadership for one more year, decided location and agreed to do some research and make a decision at the 88th Reunion.

Leadership for 2012:
President Rex Dachenbach
Secretary Mary Laycock Bubenzer
Treasurer KC Laycock

Location of the 88th Wright Reunion:
Cedar Community Beach House
July 8, 2012

Respectfully submitted,
KC Laycock, for Mary Bubenzer

Origins

The Wright family has roots in Old Rayne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The children of James and Elizabeth (Hay) Wright were christened in St. Nicholas Church near Old Rayne and the family births marriages, and deaths are recorded in the Old Parish registers. Wright family graves still exist in the Kirkyard.

One of James and Elizabeth's children was Leslie Wright.
Here is a small excerpt of how Leslie got his name:
[Copied from the back of a postcard showing Leslie Castle c.1900 - brought to the Wright Family Reunion 2001 by Harry Wright]
William Leslie, who owned this estate, was a friend of Leslie Wright (dad's father) & it was from him the name "Leslie" originally came. Leslie Wright was a tenant in the estate at one time. Dad and Mother brought home a piece of slate from the roof. It was here Dad met an old lady who remembered carrying him in her arms. She said she wouldn't have recognized him.

Leslie Wright married the lovely Mary Ann Lowe.
They came to the United States and first settled in Ohio. In later years, they moved their clan to Columbia County, Wisconsin.
This paragraph, copied from the typewritten Leslie Wright obit, gives us more information about Leslie's life:
"Being an early settler, he was well known and highly respected for his sterling Scotch qualities and business integrity. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church in Scotland and Ohio, but when he came to Wisconsin, he united with the Methodist Episcopal church of which he was an active member until promoted to the church triumphant. A greal [sic] lover of God's word, much of which he had committed to memory, a good singer and a lover of good music, and a splendid conversationalist, his company was eagerly sought by all who knew him and his presence was always an inspiration and benediction and no words seem so fitting to the close of such a full rounded life as the words of St. Paul: 'I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.'"

Family Register

James Wright, (1771-1839) married to Elizabeth Hay (1772-1855).

They had the following children:
Helen (1809-1838)
Elizabeth (? - ?), married to John Thom
George (July 20 1814 in Rayne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - ?)
Robert (August 29 1812 in Rayne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 1840)
John (June 30 1800 in Chapel of Garioch, Aderdeenshire, Scotland - ?)
James (?-?)
William (December 22 1802 in Chapel of Garioch, Aderdeenshire, Scotland - ?)
Leslie (January 5 1818 in Rayne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - January 4 1905 in the Town of Elba, near Columbus Wisconsin, USA)

William Wright first married Ann Gray.
They had five children:
Jean (?-?)
Ann (?-?)
Jessie (?-?)
James (?-?)
Isabella (1853-1942)
William then married Ann Beattie (1811-March 24 1874)
They had two children:
William (1835-1878)
Peter (?-?)

Leslie Wright married Mary Ann Lowe (February 4 1825 in St. Nicolas, Rayne, Aberdeenshire Scotland - 1904) on December 28, 1848.
They had 12 children:
Mary A. (1849-1933)
Jeannie (1850-1866)
Eliza (1852-1917)
George L. (1854-1950)
William (1855-1922)
Jessie (1857-1929)
May I. (1858-1942)
Charles B. (1860-1937)
Alexander H. (1862-1935)
Leslie Allyn (1863-1930)
Albert L. (1865-1935)
Abbie (1868-1927)

(Due to the fact that there is still a living child of one of the 12 I am not going to post any further generations at this time. We do have lots more info on spouses, children etc. so if you think you are a relative please contact us at wrightreunion[at]sbcglobal.net.)