You may have noticed a few new faces around the Creston Valley over the August long weekend — that was because the Huscroft clan was celebrating its 120th family reunion. The Huscrofts first settled the Creston Valley in 1891 after a gruelling pilgrimage from the United States.
Over 200 descendants of Jane and William Roger Huscroft gathered at Lister Park between July 29 and 31. Family members travelled from as far away as Holland and England, while many others came from various parts of Canada and the U.S. we welcomed family members as young as seven weeks old and a sprightly 89 years young. Nicole Nixon and Trudy Huscroft worked for months, along with their volunteers, organizing this event.
The reunion began with a wine and cheese tasting on Friday evening and there was food, music and drinks throughout the weekend, ending late on Sunday afternoon with a potluck dinner put on by the locally residing Huscroft descendants.
A highlight of our reunion was the traditional airplane drop where Ken Huscroft (a second-generation Huscroft) gave the crowd a surprise paper drop, which contained candies and prizes for the children.
A high tea was presented to all of the second-generation Huscrofts and was served by the great-grandchildren. Those who attended were Nellie Hrisook, Ken Huscroft, Dawn Sommerfeld, Mick Husroft and Shirley Edis. Absent were Eva Harvey from Victoria and Mary Messinger from Creston.
Other highlights included a walking tour through Huscroft and Lister to show the visiting family members some significant landmarks and to share stories from their family’s historic past. Horse-drawn carriage rides, trap shooting, tug-of-war, a crosscut sawing competition and a pie-eating contest also entertained the families. Professional music was provided by family members during the weekend.
A silent auction was held on Saturday where local family members donated their crafts to be bid on. Proceeds will be donated in memory of the Huscroft family to go toward the Lister Park kitchen.
Our event was a huge success and we would like to thank all of our volunteers who made our reunion possible, and all the Huscroft descendants and their families who travelled near and far to attend this event. Each time we look at our custom medallions with the event’s name and date embossed in the wood, we will be filled with fond memories of a great weekend and a rich family heritage.
Photos were taken by Jeff Banman of Photos ’n Motion and can be viewed at www.jeffsphotosnmotion.com.
—BY NELLIE HRISOOK