2017 Minnesota Olin Reunion Update

Another Olin reunion under our belt. Each reunion is difficult because we have lost so many of the older generation as well as some of the younger ones. But it is also joyful because we enjoy each other so much and it's really fun to just get together. Let's face it, who else gets your jokes?

For many of us, the reunion began the evening before as two pre-reunion dinners were hosted. Marlene Slettehaugh hosted a dinner for extended family while Ben Hoglund hosted a Charlie Olin family dinner. Thanks to both!

2017 Minnesota Olin Reunion Participants

Despite a chilly start to our day, we had a great turnout. I estimate approximately 85 people attended. I hope I got everyone in the picture above. The picnic shelter was very nice but the wind prevented me from addressing the group with announcements and introductions. This was particularly disappointing this year because we had cousins come from all over and from distant branches. The Minnesota Olin reunion generally encompasses anyone descended from Thomas Olin and Mary Cunningham but is open to any of our Olin cousins. We played a "scavenger bingo" game that I think people really enjoyed. The game encouraged cousins to get acquainted. Lots of delicious food was brought and I don't know why I worry that there is never going to be enough — but everything worked out splendidly. We also had a drawing for door prizes. Kay Olin Johnson and Stephen and Margaret Sandretzky brought along family history and mementos. Sue Olin Reich brought along a fun poster board with pics she had found on old slides.

Cousins were coming and going all day so I'm sure I wouldn't be able to list everyone. We were pleased to have several cousins join us from out of state this year. Some cousins had never attended a reunion and in fact, we hadn't seen them since they were kids! So, we were very pleased to have them with us. In addition, we were happy to have a couple "in-laws" or Olin widows. Warms your heart to think that once you are an Olin, you are always an Olin. Thank you ladies for coming.

Most of us present this year were from Tom and Mary's son, Willard's, line. We had cousins from the Charles, Rena, and Delma family present. The Sandretzky family was represented also. The Sandretzkys are descended from Tom and Mary's daughter Sadie's line. Stephen and Margaret Sandretzky came from Virginia. (Sadie > Clifford > Stephen) Saliah and Tim Kako and their kids came down from Park Rapids, Minnesota. (Sadie > Hubert > Janet > Saliah)

In addition, we had very distant cousins join us. Olin Family Society Council Member at Large, Kay Olin, and her daughters Cynthia and Jayne, traveled down from North Dakota and her nephew Glen and his wife Jaylene came from St. Cloud). Jerry Radke and his wife, Barbara, joined us from Iowa. (see chart below for their connections) We were honored to have them there.

The Sandretzky cousins left our reunion to join up with other Sandretzky cousins in Waseca, Minnesota for another mini-reunion. I hope they had a great time!

So, how are all these cousins related? This is the best I can do...

A little explanation about identifying cousins:

To show the significance of such distant cousins visiting us, here are a couple charts to show how we are related to these cousins.

If I have this right, using the chart above, Jerry Radke and Jayne Johnson are sixth cousins, three times removed. Odin Gosnell is the 10th great grandchild of the original John Olin and he and Jerry Radke are sixth cousins, six times removed. Mind boggling.

Using Odin again, we can see that Odin and Donovan Kako have Tom Olin and Mary Cunningham as their common ancestors. That makes them fifth cousins, once removed.

Here is some additional information if you are interested:

"For example, your mother’s first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This is because your mother’s first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents,” according to Genealogy. “This one-generation difference equals ‘once removed.’ Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference. You are two generations younger than a first cousin of your grandmother, so you and your grandmother’s first cousin are first cousins, twice removed." [Taken from: www.simplemost.com/difference-second-cousins-cousins-removed/]

Feel free to us the comments section to introduce yourselves or comment on the reunion. Also, if you have any photos to share — please send them to me at: rootie@rootie.org and I will include them in the Google Drive folder I created for this purpose.

You can access my reunion photos here. This includes dinner photos from the Charlie Olin dinner too.