Garner Reunion, 1886

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Exerpt from the Huntingdon County Monitor Newspaper: October 7, 1886
"Happy Reunion-Garner" 

There were seven hundred and fifty persons present at the reunion of the
Garner family, held Thursday of the last week, on the old homestead, in
Penn Township, now occupied by Scott Garner. It proved a grand success.
Every preparation had been made to have all participants feel at home.
By 10 o'clock a.m. all the relatives and invited guests had assembled
and after social singing and praise Rev. H.S. Garner delivered an
historical address delineating the genealogy, movements and material
prosperity of the decendents of John Michael Garner, who was born in
Wittenberg, Germany, in 1728, and who came to America at ten years of
age, married September 24, 1769, to Catherine Seiss, a native of
Switzerland, lived near Antietam Creek, in the neighborhood of
Sharpsburg, Md., till in the autumn of 1788, when he with his family
moved via Bloody Run to Woodcock Valley, Huntingdon County, Pa.,
purchased the "improvements" on a tract of land containing 279 acres and
59 perches from Robert Whitnerd and obtained the deed therefor, June 20,
1749, from John Penn, the older, and John Penn the younger, on payment
of (pound symbol)112 and 5 shillings. On this farm he and his wife
passed the remainder of their days. No record of the time of thier
departure, but according to tradition the former died between 1805 and
1810, and the later some years later. Their remains rest in the "Frank
Graveyard" near the homestead, 1-1/4 miles northeast of Marklesburg. The
descendents are widely scattered, but many still reside in Woodcock
Valley. His family consisted of seven children: John, John Michael, John
Matthew, Susan, Anna Mary, George, Hohn Philip, (the latter being born
on the old homestead in 1790.) and all of whom are dead and buried in
Blair and Huntingdon counties. There were 67 grand-children, 41 of whom
are living, 16 of whom were present at the reunion; 345 great
grandchildren, 864 great-great grandchildren, and 152 great-great-great
grandchildren. The church representation is 740 Lutheran, 347 Reformed,
and 235 members of six other denominations. 41 served as soldiers in the
war. 

NOTE: While the newspaper article stated the deed was obtained June 20,
1749, the genealogy history prepared at the time for dissemination at
the reunion shows the date as being June 20, 1794. An error apparently
was made by the typesetter of the Huntingdon Monitor.