We Neal cousins grew up on farms around Dexter, Iowa, attending the same grade school, singing in the same church choir, visiting the same grandparents, attending the same family holidays gatherings, including Grandpa’s July 5 birthday.
School reorganization messed up going to school together, in 1958, because Dexter sits in the corner of four counties. Each of with the five families lived in three different counties, so we were split between three school systems (Dexfield (with Redfield), Stuart, and Earlham), which had been our rivals before. After high school, we cousins split up college-wise (mostly between the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University), marriages, the Vietnam war sidelined some of our husbands (Bob Johannesen, Tom Isenhart and Guy Kidney), jobs, babies, even moving to other states.
Decades later, Grandma Ruby Neal and all five of our mothers spent their last days at the Stuart Care Center. As cousins came home to visit their moms, we’d have impromptu get-togethers, but now that we are missing them all, it’s harder to get together.
Judy’s sister, Jane isn’t well, so they drove up from Texas this week to check on her and her husband. Judy got together as many of us for lunch as she could this week–at the Machine Shed Restaurant!
The four “War Babies” have already turned 80. Two “Baby Boomers” will join us this year, then two more in 2027.
Two cousins now live in Texas. The rest of us live in/near several towns (Ames, W. Des Moines, Ankeny, Dallas Center, Earlham, Dexter, Stuart, Bedford) along and west of I-35, and Omaha.
Love this…family birthdays, events around the 4th of July adding to festivities and encouraging folks to get together. Thank you for sharing these pics, Joy. 💝💝💝So good!
Thanks, Vicki. We exchanged health symptoms but are still blessed that so many could get together!
Love it! ❤️❤️❤️
Marleen has a cousin , Jane Shepherd (Hobson) married to Dennis. They live in Panora, and both are retired pastors.
Ken Shepherd’s grandfather was Odell Shepherd from Grimes, but I see that he’s buried at Panora, so I bet they’re related.
How wonderful that you able to get together with your cousins! (I think The Machine Shed is your favorite local restaurant?)
Thanks, Liz. Yes, to favorite restaurant–the food, the wait staff, and they also carry my books!
You’re welcome, Joy!
I absolutely love the photos! Beautiful family!!!
Thank you, Linda. We took each other for granted when we were kids, but there are only three of us first cousins left on Mom’s side. It was precious for eight of us to get together once more!
I enjoyed your cousin feature, Joy. We had six cousins in our family, and now three of us are still here.
Thank you, John. Friday’s will feature my mother’s side. Only three of us are left of nine.
It’s fun to look at pics of individuals that show the chronology of their aging. Joy, you may not feel good, but you look good! 🙂
Thanks, Nancy. Both my Favorite Guy and I heard that a lot yesterday. But several of us compared symptoms and meds. ha
🤣
It is fun to see these photos and your connections. When I look at my 23andme DNA relatives, I see that you are my 3rd Cousin on my father’s side and there is also a Danny Shepherd listed as a 3rd cousin, Once Removed on my father’s side. Do you know, would this Danny be related to one of the Shepherds in these photos?
Deborah, I recognize your name. I think you’re related through the Ohrt-Jensen-Clausen side. Right? The cover story in my next book is about immigrant ancestor Dethlef Ohrt!
Ken Shepherd’s grandfather was Odell Shepherd from Grimes, but I see that he’s buried at Panora, (I checked findagrave) where there were Shepherds. Is that a good clue?
What a wonderful group! My family is much smaller and too fractured to ever come together.
Thanks, Jacqui! I’ll feature Mom’s side Friday. There are only 3 of us left (out of 9), so these cousins have been so blessed to have each other and keep in touch.
What a great thing that so many of you are still alive and able to get together!
Thank you, Janet. We are so blessed!
Yo cuz! Great that you fight through the challenges and still get together.
You bet!
I have 33 first cousins and more than twice as many second cousins. I am back in Canada right now and will be seeing as many of them as I can. We are all close.
Darlene, hurrah! You’ll sure have stories!
It so nice to see the photos of you and your cousins, Joy. It’s wonderful that there were reunions for you.
Thanks, Tim. And that there’s so many of us still living!
Yes, Joy, so many still living is a blessing. 💖🙏