We have set the date--July 24, 25, and 26, 2009 for the fourth Gottung Family Reunion-just six months away!

The location will be based again at the Cedar Creek Lodge in the Wausau area which was very popular for folks in 2007. There is an indoor water park, a cabin-woodsy atmosphere-all in all a very comfortable, family setting.  There are also many other hotels in walking distance from the Lodge.

This year we will again have some traditional things-like our famous Auction, visit to Marathon and Mass in the historic St. Mary's church, etc.  This year we are also going to have a longer block of time at one of the parks where folks can visit, relax, play cards, etc.  Sheepshead is the official game of the Gottung reunion!  Of course beer is part of our ancestry-and this year we will have the first Gottung Beer Tasting event!  If you brew your own-get brewing!  There will be some other new activities, too, so be waiting for future emails or letters.

This year.. new reunion activities...new cousins and folks to meet...new memories...All in honor of the Gottung family of which we are  a part of..

Mark your calendars---we will be in touch...

Sincerely,

Sandy Gianoli Smith

West Des Moines, IA

We've added a link to Robert C. Heiney's website on the Links page. It has some stories which he has been working on for several years. He also had some movies he took and pictures. There are also some video, pictures, and other items of interest not related to the military.

The new Gottung Reunion web site http://gottung.net/, has been launched. Among the great new features are newsletters, a calendar, a fully integrated gallery, and more.

Watch here for the latest happenings related to the 2009 Gottung Reunion!

\r\nWhen you''re together with family this weekend make plans for the reunion.\r\nIf you have never come to the reunion—consider it this year.\r\nYou will feel right at home…\r\n

\r\nEnjoy the Lodge at Cedar Creek Resort & Waterpark. \r\nReservation information is on the Gottung website. The whole family will love the Lodge.\r\nThe Waterpark is unbelieveable. Saturday night the kids will meet “Chip”\r\nfor a bedtime story and snack by the Lobby fireplace.\r\n

\r\nRegistration will be available next week on the Website. Here are some of the\r\nhighlights:

\r\n
1. Friday night Fish Fry at the Lodge
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2. Friday night Pub crawl (via school bus) to all the small, unique pubs in the\r\nMarathon area. One is even called “Schnappsville”
\r\n
3. Golf Outing at Indianhead Golf via free shuttle from the Lodge—5 minutes away
\r\n
4. Family picnic at the Big Eau Pleine Park south of Marathon
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5. Tour of Marathon, the original Gottung Homestead, Family Mass together, etc.
\r\n
6. Auction (be thinking what you''ll bring—white elephant or something from your\r\nregional area—foods, souvenirs—see the Gottung website for ideas)
\r\n
7. New this year: Saturday night Family Night with talent show, music—featuring\r\nall of you—no matter what age! (We''ll have guitar and piano there.) Bring your own\r\ninstrument, a favorite song, some funny jokes. Sky''s the limit!
\r\n
8. Sheeepshead tournament—This is the Gottung Family game of generations. Come\r\nand learn from the pros!
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9. Sunday Brunch at the Lodge.
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\r\nMore later. Have a great Holiday weekend.\r\n

Greetings!

Sorry for the delay in getting this information to you. My husband and I \r\njust got back yesterday from a motorcycle trip to Phoenix—over 3000 miles. \r\nIt was a beautiful trip.

Here is the lodging information. As you all know the Lodge at Cedar Creek \r\nwill be our reunion headquarters and a block of suites have been reserved \r\nthere. I have reserved blocks of rooms at two other hotels in the same \r\narea that are really close to the Lodge (footsteps away) as an additional \r\noption for folks. Their information is below. All 3 hotels have the block \r\nof rooms in the name of Gottung Family Reunion. Ask for that.

Below is the lodge information plus an invitation for the kids!\r\nAll the Lodge''s Northwood themed suites include water park passes and \r\nfeature a refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hairdryer, Ironing board \r\nand iron, wet bar, plus wireless internet access.

More reunion information later.

Thanks.

The 2005 Gottung (Gruny-Vetter-Eck) Reunion in Wausau/Marathon City, Wisconsin August 5-7 is now a memory. 42 family members attended one or all of the many activities that occurred over the weekend. Of course, numbered in that 42 were three new babies born since the first reunion in 2003-babies Mia Pistilli of California and Allison and Lillian Garski of Illinois! Honored through the weekend were the oldest generation members-Norbert Eck of California, Helen Garski and Gora Gianoli of Wausau and Adolph Gruny, Jr. of Marathon. Family members attended from Ohio, Iowa, California, Washington, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

From the traditional Fish Fry and karaoke on Friday night, to the walk across the Swinging Bridge, to the special mass at St. Mary’s, to the softball game, to the Pub Crawl in Marathon and Little Chicago’s “The Loopâ€Ââ€”to the picnic and cenic beauty of Rib Mountain State Park, family members came together and shared a fun-filled weekend. Family members brought auction items that garnered $424 for reunion expenses.

The Gottung Website will continue to add new family photos and post family achievements and news! Let’s start thinking about Reunion 2007!!!

We''ve added a link to Miss Pronouncer, a halfway descent resource for learning to pronounce stuff in Wisconsin. Time to get studying!

Greetings to all of you! It's hard to believe that summer 2007 is not that far away.  I want to get a reunion date cinched by next week so folks can plan ahead-especially those traveling long distances. Please let me know your preference for either the weekends of July 27, 28, 29 or the following weekend, August 3, 4, & 5.

What I gathered from most family members in 2005 was that they still wanted to continue having the reunion in the Wausau/Marathon, Wisconsin area because that is where our ancestors settled.

I will let you know the  date set next week so you can have time to plan. Please let me know of email changes of any of your family members, also.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sandy (Gianoli) Smith
Granddaughter of Margaret Gottung Gruny

An article about Wausau''s Sesquicentennial celebration has been posted to the Links page.

Greetings to everyone and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We have so many things to be thankful for-among them being descendants of Matthias and Anna Gottung!

The date has been set. Heard from a few folks and the majority felt July 27, 28, and 29 was the best. So the third Gottung Reunion will be then. This year we will be having the reunion "headquarters" at the wonderful Lodge at Cedar Creek which is just south of Wausau-near Rib Mountatin (Granite Peak). It is a wonderful family place with a huge water theme park indoors, etc.

I hope many of you who have not attended previously will consider this year-especially if you have a family with small children or teens. They will love the Lodge--as I hope everyone will! Here is the website: http://www.lodgeatcedarcreek.com/

More details will be coming after the first of the year. Please send me your new ideas or things from last year we should continue or not do again.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving !

The gallery is now online. There is a link at the top of the page to return here.

\r\nIt only contains 2 pictures right now, but many more will be added soon. Eventually family members will be able to comment on photos and add their own.\r\n