Oldham Reunion
The third Oldham reunion was held Wednesday, August 9th in the beautiful and pleasant Highland Park, the property of mine host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Oldham of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
Early the guests began to arrive from trolleys east and west, from carriages, surreys and autos. There were reported ninety-eight in all.
The day was spent in informal talks, recitation of poems original and second hand, boating, swimming, eating, drinking but no dancing.
The noon hour having come the retiring president, Mr. W.M. Oldham, with becoming grace and characteristic modesty, called the meeting to order. God's blessing was invoked upon the bountifully loaded tables, and then after all had done justice to the dinner, prayer was offered. Mr. A.K. Jones in his pleasing way gave the address of welcome, to which Mrs. Annie E. Oldham of Columbus responded with wit and humor. Mr. Samuel Oldham of Zanesville, read the following original poems:
"The Mother of Jesus"
"Never hath there been another
Name so loving as that of mother;
Never by sigh or word or token,
Never by angel voices spoken;
One so deeply, truly human
One so sweetly womanly woman,
As Mary, Jesus' mother.
By the Holy Evangel spoken,
List! The heavenly silence broken,
And through all the realms of light,
Glorious vision vast to sight,
Swell the anthems more than human
Of one sweetly womanly woman.
As Mary Jesus' mother.
When the Holy God Child came,
Jesus, the heavenly passion flame,
From all the un-numbered tribes of earth,
Gathered at his wondrous birth.
None so deeply, truly human
As Mary Jesus' mother.
With Thee sweet Mother, heaven allied,
Jesus' fame will ever abide
Beyond the bounds of time and tears,
Of wasting death and passing years.
None so sweetly womanly woman,
As Mary Jesus' mother."
"The Muskingum"
How oft by thy blue waters, Oh beautiful river
I've wandered in days that long have gone by;
Through scenes of delight that I'll cherish forever
And joys that will live in my heart till I die.
How oft I have stood where the mists gathered o'er thee;
Foam flecked thy waters as they, rippled on by,
And many a lure in the deep pools below me,
I have cast for the bass that lingered near by.
And when the line ran out with a whir from the reel
The captive's wild leap to escape from the tail;
The swift flight for tumultuous waters I would feel,
What joy and delight there was in the fail.
When at length on the green sward the bright beauty lay,
The delight of the angler, a captive and spoil;
He felt in his heart how blessed was the day
And how rich a reward he had won for his toil.
Bright were thy hillsides where the summer days lingered
Till the sunlight changed them to crimson and gold,
When from thy blue waters a fairy deft fingered,
White robed them in mists and hid them in its folds.
Still thy waters rippled and laughing went by
Till the morn came over the hills as of old,
And kissed thee with the rosy bright lips of the sky.
While the oaks were blushing and the maples were gold.
The friends who were near me in the mists of the morn,
Some have crossed over and are hid from the view;
Others remain and like sheaves of ripe corn,
Will be gathered in tun and pass over too.
But thou wilt remain, Oh beautiful river
A joy and a delight when out hearts have grown cold,
When we have parted and parted for ever;
till thy mists will be fretted with maples of gold."
The following officers were elected W.H. Oldham, president; J.A. Oldham vice president and treasurer; J.L. Oldham, secretary.
Those present were: Mrs. J. Boyce, Mrs. Wm. Oldham, Sarah Oldham, Luella Leech Oldham, Annie M. Brown, Jennie Whitehead, Harriett Bushfield of Cambridge, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oldham, and Phoebe AJ. Oldham of Zanesville, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Brittian, Mr. and Mrs. S.M. Oldham, Mrs. Olive Lattimer, Walter Welsh, F. M. Blade, Elsie Blade, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Oldham, Mrs Frank Oldham, William Oldham, Mrs A.R. Stewart, Mr and Mrs W.M. Oldham, W.E. Oldham, Mrs. Elizabeth Jeston and son Herman of Columbus; Mr and Mrs B.F. Oldham, W.E. Oldham and Mabel Oldham of Birmingham, Alabama; Clara Bennet of Alexandria, Ohio; Mrs. Jennie Luce and son Harold of Cumberland, Ohio; S.C. Oldham and family, Mrs. Sarah Marling, J.A. Oldham and wife, B.F. Middleton and family, A.E. Jones and family, J.L. Oldham and wife and Rev. and Mrs. A. K. Strane of Reynoldsburg.
NOTE- This was a copy from a newspaper article found in an album owned by my g. g. aunt Sadie Marling Oldham Cook who traveled to Coupeville, Island Co., Washington from Cambridge, Guernsey Co., Ohio about 1858 and died 1915. There was no date on the article but all the years after 1858 and up to 1915 that had Wed. Aug 9th in them was 1865,1871, 1876, 1882, 1893, 1899, 1905 and 1911.....marcie