2007 – West Yellowstone, Montana

57^th Annual William Cazier Family Reunion

Friday, June 29th

Friday Gathering
The family gathered at the West Yellowstone city park starting at 3:00 pm. Eventually there were thirty in attendance. Connie and John Dalton the reunion hosts, welcomed us all and gave information on the activities. We shared good conversation, hotdogs and hamburgers. The air smelled of smoke from the fire that was burning in Yellowstone Park and gusts of wind made it necessary to hold onto our plates, but it was a good day to be outside with friends and family.

There was a little concern as the church where we were going to hold the Saturday meetings was being used as the evacuation center for the fire. The thought at the time was that we may need to meet in the park the next day. Some of the family went to the Playmill Theater for some good entertainment that evening.

Saturday June 30

Wolf & Bear Reserve
At 10:00 in the morning on Saturday most of us met at the Wolf & Bear Reserve. The reserve is a place for animals that no longer can survive in the wilderness. Some of the children were able to feed the bears by going into the habitat hiding food before the bears came out. I think that everyone that attended had a great time.

Lunch
Back at the city park we had a sandwich lunch. During lunch it was learned that the fire was under control and that the church was now available for our use.

Genealogy session
At 2:00 we gathered at the church for the Genealogy Meeting. Grant Creezie opened with a word of payer.

Gail talked about the different web sites www.cazier.net and www.cazier.org how they are being used and some of the information that is on them. Cazier.net contains the past reunion reports and news letters and is maintained by Andy Cazier the secretary/treasurer. Cazier.org has genealogy and history information and is maintained by Gail Cazier the genealogist.

Gail described an old letter about Caziers that was found in old house. Gail has compiled all of Fern and Mattie’s genealogy work and they are now available on CD. The index for the CDs can be found on www.cazier.org and the CDs are available for $10.00 plus shipping. Carol Reynolds talked about John Claude Cazier. We feel there is a need to contact him to do more work in France; more information will be put on web site. Carol talked about the Huguenots and the history and persecution of that time. Phillip spent time in Martinique off South America, then back to France, Belgium, Netherlands, New Amsterdam then Delaware. Gail talked about the new Family Search program, having four different data bases and able to combine people and will be better able to co-ordinate information. We had a conversation on DNA and how we can validate how we are related to other Caziers. See www.familytreedna.org for more information.

Executive Committee Meeting
We talked about Nauvoo and some possible things to do, possibly sending out an early newsletter with information on Family History locations and distances. What to do with the mailing list and the mailing cost. Last year 630 Newsletters were mailed to US addresses at 41 cents, 9 to Canada and one to Mexico at $1. At the time of the mailing we had twenty on the “E-mail only” list.

We again talked about ways to reduce the cost of the news letter. I was asked to look at the number of family that receives the newsletter but we aren’t sure search if they are there to possibly reduce the mailing list.

Saturday Evening Dinner and Program
Marilyn Creezie called all to order. We ate salad, roast potatoes, roast pork, and cheese cake for dessert. Andy reviewed last year’s reunion and gave an update on the Nauvoo reunion. Roll Call was taken with 48 in attendance. The number in attendance from the family lines were: James-0, Maranda-0, John-2, Benjamin-37, Elizabeth-0, Samuel-0, David-0, Charles Drake-9, and Rosannah-0. We went around the room having everyone introduce themselves. Hanna Smith played the flute and sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Kathleen Skinner sang and led the Family in the Cazier Song. Afterward everyone helped put up chairs.