NO. 55 www.harlanfamily.org Fall 2019 SHE TOOK A WAGON BUT WE TOOK A BUS CUZ AIN’T GOT TIME FOR THAT This haiku describes very briefly what took place in late June of this year in Missouri. Here’s the rest of the story! William J. and Dora Adams “On Wednesday morning, September 13, Harlan 1899, with sad hearts we bade farewell to a host of between 1929 and 1953 friends and our dear old home in the northeast have enjoyed an unusual closeness throughout their corner of Randolph County, the Eden of Missouri.” lives, despite being geographically scattered. From her death bed in November of 1957, Dora exacted a This was the opening line penned by my promise from her children that they would carry on great-grandmother, at the age of 20, in a journal she the tradition of annual family reunions. kept during an eleven-day covered wagon trip with Her children not only kept their promise but her parents, siblings, and the family dog, as they kept actual records of the ensuing reunions! Their relocated to what she described as “the Land of son William M. Harlan (1 Oct 1910 - 23 Mar 1995) Promise” in southern Missouri’s Howell County. kept detailed documentation showing the family The journal has been passed down through held reunions annually between 1958 and 1985, generations of Harlans. Its author, Dora Anna nearly all of them in Salisbury. Though locations Adams (22 Nov 1878 - 20 Nov 1957), would marry changed and a few years were skipped after 1985, William J. Harlan (30 Sept 1877 - 19 Sept 1948) just there have been at least fifty reunions since Dora’s after the turn of the century, in February of 1900. death, the most recent of which occurred this past (The Adams family had returned by then to June. Randolph County; the details surrounding the A few years ago, Dora and William’s oldest decision to move south and then return in a short grandchild, Virginia Harlan Hess of Independence, time are not known to us.) Missouri, began sharing her grandmother’s journal Dora and William, who raised five sons and entries via e-mail with three generations of Dora’s a daughter in Salisbury, Missouri, became the descendants. This was a fascinating glimpse into the grandparents of eighteen children and were adored life of a beloved grandmother, and a way for Dora’s by all of them. Family was important, and the great and great-great grandchildren to get to know Harlans hosted frequent get-togethers at their her and William, and to gain an understanding of Salisbury home after their children were grown and how Harlan family values have passed from one gone, which meant the eighteen cousins born generation to the next. 1 The diary entries, which covered a span of granddaughter who was born three months before decades, led to much correspondence and Dora departed this life. The baby in the photo is conversation, and eventually sparked an idea from Virginia’s daughter (and my sister), Susanne. Susie Dora’s granddaughter, Mary Margaret Harlan Olney picked up the reins in early 2019 and began re- of Mill Creek, Washington (daughter of reunion orchestrating the plans for Dora’s Trip, to honor the record-keeper Bill Harlan, if you’re keeping track.) memory of both her mother, Virginia, who had put Margy suggested the cousins plan a reunion in the her heart and soul into the original planning, and Midwest and retrace the route taken by Dora and that of the woman cradling her in the photograph, family in 1899 . but with more modern her great-grandmother, who had ventured out as a transportation than a covered wagon! 20-year-old woman in a covered wagon, in search of Cousin Virginia, who had started the whole a better life with her family. thing, jumped on that idea and because she lived in And so it was that members of four Missouri, volunteered to plan the trip for the generations, including seven of Dora’s summer of 2018. Designating herself and daughter grandchildren from seven different states, 33 in all, Susanne Hess Moon as “Harlan Head Honchos”, a gathered in Boonville, Missouri for a few days in whirlwind of plans was put into motion. late June to celebrate the legacy of our branch of the Correspondence flew back and forth by telephone, Harlan family. The main event was a chartered bus e-mail, snail mail, and texts, in the effort to get a trip that first took us north, closer to the original head count and settle on a date. Routes and starting point of Clifton Hill, and then circled back itineraries were established, secondary activities and made its way south along the same paths that planned, hotel inquiries made, and money Dora traveled so long ago and described in detail in earmarked for a chartered bus to provide the moving her diaries. venue between Randolph and Howell counties, with Imagine our smiles and tears as we were stops along the way at landmarks described by Dora. thinking of Virginia, our recently departed In September of 2017, Virginia, nearing her matriarch, when our beautiful bus pulled up, and out 88th birthday, sent out a loving letter to her family stepped our driver, with detailed information about the reunion plans wearing a ballcap and a colorful map depicting the route of the with “Virginia” planned bus trip. She admonished all to make sure emblazoned along that no “doctor’s appointment, wedding, birth, the bill. He couldn’t death, or anything else” interfere with this event have known our which was to take place the following July, and story, but we knew joked that “I am so excited about it, I decided to it was Mom’s nod stick around another year.” to us that she was Alas, just three months later, I believe Dora with us in spirit. was waiting with open arms as Virginia, her eldest grandchild, joined the family fold already gathered Between stops, we enjoyed the comfort of our bus as in Heaven. Consequently, the next earthly reunion we tried to imagine the scenery along the same route between the cousins happened at a Celebration of as seen from a covered wagon 120 years ago. Life service for Virginia, held in January 2018, Conversation, songs, trivia quizzes and even the which was attended by eleven of the fourteen living movie “The Greatest Showman” kept us occupied. cousins. The decision was reluctantly made at that We were well-fed first at Burgers’ Smokehouse in time to cancel “Dora’s Trip”, due to the logistics California, where owners Morris and Dolores involved for so many cousins to travel from all Harlan Burger (Dolores was a member of the corners of the country to Missouri twice in a matter planning committee for the 1997 national reunion in of months, as well as growing health concerns with Mt. Pleasant, IA) provided us with first-class some of the cousins. service and gave us an interesting history of their Somewhere there is an old photograph of establishment, and then at Bootlegger’s BBQ in Dora Adams Harlan, holding the great- West Plains, our destination point. Even with stops, 2 our round trip took about 14 hours, compared to the California, Dorothy Harlan Sperry of Iowa, and one-way trip of eleven days made in 1899. We Mary Ann Harlan Graeve of Alabama. couldn’t help but picture Dora and her family I think it’s safe to say that Dora’s children marveling at the progress in transportation (an air- kept the promise made to her in 1957, and her conditioned bus, complete with bathroom and movie children’s children not only kept the torch lit but screen!) and all the modern conveniences they never held it high. I hope my generation and the ones dreamed of that we now take for granted. beyond continue to follow in these traditions and Our long weekend at a motel in Boonville will always remember those who walked life’s paths was filled with the things that make up all Harlan before we did, leaving a legacy of love in their family reunions; stories and reminiscences, games, a footprints. family skit, Harlan quizzes, food, fun, laughter, (Haiku and article written by Robin Hess) hugs, and maybe a few tears. Ruth Harlan Lamb of Independence brought her meticulously organized photo albums that contained memories of past THERE’S A HARLAN RUNNING family gatherings, which was a big hit. Ruth’s children Kathy Brick and Mike Lamb provided a FOR PRESIDENT! large galvanized tub, filled with bottles of soda submerged in ice, for an afternoon picnic in the He doesn’t have Harlan for a last name, but park. It was just the way we remembered the sodas there’s a Harlan descendant from Texas running for from those reunions in Salisbury long ago. And of President of the United States. Board member Fred course, there was watermelon! Harlan pointed this out at the recent Harlan Family board meeting with the following genealogy of the candidate. From the Green Book (the published Harlan genealogy) #1 George, #3 George, #11 James, #44 John, #207 Isaac, #797 Isaac, and #2720 John William Harlan. John married Sarah Minerva Beard. The Green Book states “no further record.” John and Sarah were the candidate’s great-great-great grandparents. Here is the continuation of the line to the candidate: John and Sarah had a daughter Lucinda Susan Harlan (1840-1888). Lucinda married Godfrey Dressler. They had a daughter O’Nora Belle Dressler. Nora married Newton Marion Jasper.