July 19, 1998
Another event of historical significance to the Hughes family occurred in Montana, July 19, 1998. Three hundred years is a long time to wait for a party, but it seemed that a celebration was due after a thorough genealogical research by David T. Hughes disclosed that our ancestors, John and Jane Hugh (later changed to Hughes), arrived in Pennsylvania in July, 1698.
300 years later, Pennsylvania was too far away for most of us so Montana was chosen as the appropriate location for a reunion. Montana was chosen because it was the first stop-over for our direct ancestors, John Wesley and Sarah Vincent Hughes, when they migrated west from Iowa and Kansas in 1900, it would allow us to feature as guest of honor the oldest living descendant of John W. and Sarah Vincent Hughes (Another John Wesley Hughes, age 92, named after his grandfather, lived in Harrison, Montana, only a few miles from a likely picnic spot alongside the Madison River between Norris and Bozeman.), many of the likely attendees were Montana born, and it was where the last major reunion had been held, 87 years previously
. Ninety-eight years after John W. and Sarah came west they had descendants scattered out in sixteen states and Alberta, Canada. An effort was made to contact as many as possible and invite them to attend the Montana reunion. Results were truly great. In spite of intense heat and high wind, 83 people showed up, representing kinfolk from eight states. Some arrived in RVs and stayed at the campsite, others were at motels in Belgrade and Bozeman.
Relatives that had never met before spent the day meeting, greeting, and getting acquainted. Others happily chatted with cousins they had not seen for a long time. Rafting in the nearby Madison River was popular with the younger generations. Even some of the not so young generations cooled off with an occasional dunk in the river.
In spite of the weather nearly everybody stayed an extra day or two in order to take in nearby places of interest. Some revisited places where they had lived as children and had not seen for many years, others were seeing places and things they had never seen but were familiar from being popular topics in family discussions. Side trips to Yellowstone Park, Lewis and Clark Caverns, nearby old mining towns, and the ever beautiful Montana mountains, provided more than ample attraction to those with additional vacation time.
The picture above is a view looking up the river towards Beartrap Canyon and the Yellowstone Park, headwaters for the Madison River. Noteworthy in the camp parking lot is the King family motor home, which John King converted from a Seattle Transit Co. 40 foot bus.
This picture shows more of the campground area occupied by motorhomes, trailers, campers, tents, and canopies. The large parking area to the right would soon fill with cars and visiting cousins.
Looking west over the McAllister Cemetery is the South Meadow Creek country where members of our Hughes family came in the early 1900s.
A memorial service for Edwin A. Hughes, who had passed away earlier that spring, was held on the morning after the reunion at the McAllister cemetery. Nestled at the foot of the Tobacco Root Mountains, this cemetery is the final resting place for pioneers who settled the Meadow Creek area of the Madison Valley, including many Hughes kinfolk as well as our Vincent relatives.
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ATTENDING THE 300 YEAR REUNION
July 19th, 1998
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DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM MILTON HUGHES
Pages 35 and 36
From the JOHN W. HUGHES / MILDRED (WINGATE) HUGHES family:
John W. Hughes, (at age 92 John was our oldest direct blood relative, also the guest of honor. John passed away in January, 2002). From Harrison, Montana.
Donald and Lillian Hughes, from Sandpoint Idaho.
Jennifer, Andy, and Heather Anderson, from Spokane, WA
D. Jeffry Hughes, from Libby, Mt.
Michael J. Hughes, from Portland, Oregon.
Lois and Jim Balke, Belgrade, Mt
Shirley Webster, Belgrade, Mt.
Rod, Cody, and Colton Balke, Belgrade, Mt.
John, Sheila, and Wesley Sikkenga, Belgrade, Mt.
Kathy Balke/Joshua Schaper, Belgrade, Mt.
From the WILLIAM R. HUGHES / GEORGIA (THOMPSON) HUGHES family:
Harry and Janice Hughes, Renton, WA.
Shirley, Albert, and Morgan Franz, Enumclaw, WA.
Virginia and Walter Erickson, Enumclaw, WA.
Sandy Hughes, Toni Salazar, Jodi Rutledge. Lori Roshau, Renton, WA.
From the INA HUGHES / HERSCHEL THOMPSON family:
Wanda Thompson Parkinson, Kerns, Utah.
Lesley Parker, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jennifer C. Parker, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jesse Kolstad, Salt Lake City, Utah
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DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS S. HUGHES
Pages 36 and 37
From the EDWIN HUGHES / MARGARET (HOWELLS) HUGHES family:
Lee and Karen Higgins Hughes, Bellevue, WA.
Dan Hughes, Seattle, WA.
Susan and Doug Ware, Renton, WA.
Doug Hughes, Everett. Wa.
Dave, Marge, and Alex Hughes, Great Falls, Va.
Mary Hughes and Mike Loder, Minneapolis, Mn.
From the LEWIS HUGHES / MILDRED (SPROUT) HUGHES family:
Larry and Claudette Hughes, McAllister, Mt.
From the MARJORIE HUGHES COWAN / LEE ROBERT COWAN family:
Gary and Dorothy Cowan, Houston, Texas.
Deane Cowan, Bozeman, Mt.
William R. Cowan, Bozeman, Mt.
From the ROBERT R. HUGHES / NAOMI (BETHEA) HUGHES family:
Bob and Naomi Hughes, Enumclaw, WA.
Robert V. (Bud) and Linda Hughes, Kirkland, Wa.
Dan, Charlene and Jeremy Hughes, Renton, WA.
Shelley (Hughes) and Dave Malcolm, Redmond, WA.
Dixie Hughes, Enumclaw, WA.
Mike Waterhouse, Enumclaw, WA.
Tracie, Camie, Adi, and Sean Morris, Bellingham, WA.
John, Micki, Rachael, Tabitha, Ellie, Sarah, Rebekah, John
McCandish (Mac), Hannah, and Emmalee King, Kent, WA.
From the THOMAS W. HUGHES / DARLENE (HARRIS) HUGHES family:
Tom and Darlene Hughes, Hamilton, Mt.
Terry and Cliff Reed, Corvallis, Mt.
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DESCENDANTS OF LORA HUGHES LADE
From the OWEN LADE / HELEN (SPROUT) LADE family:
Helen Lade, Bellingham, WA.
Susan and Christel Fredrikson, Yacalt, WA.
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