Sad News

I just got word from Carol Klisz that Betty's husband Scottie passed away last night. He had been hospitalized since January. The family will have a memorial service, and more details will follow once they are available.

Please give your support and prayers to the family during this time.

Update: Scottie's obituary can be found here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newstimes/obituary.aspx?n=henry-c-scott&pid=150621872

--Eric

Reunion

Joy, Henry and I will not be able to attend the Reunion this year because of a scheduling conflict with a class Joy is taking. We're really disappointed because we look forward to it every year. We hope everyone else has a great time and maybe we'll see you next year!

Hubley Family

Sad news, Charlie Hubley's brother, Mike, died last week of pneumonia. Mike visited with the family one year at the Reunion, and was a really nice guy. Our hearts go out to the Hubleys during this difficult time.

Another Fun Reunion, send me your pictures!

We had a great time this year. The weather was nice and cool, and the food was great. Activities included golf, a trip to the beach, swimming, a pinata, and ice cream.

Be sure to reserve your cabins for next year if you have not already. Call the State Park Office today at (662) 226-4934, because the cabins get snapped up by other families quickly. You can also reserve them online and check availability here.

Also, if you have pictures, please upload them to Facebook, Flickr, or wherever, or just send them to me at my email address and I will post them. If you're not on Facebook, consider joining because we have a great group for the Reunion there. Click here to join (it's free).

Remembering past reunions

Here is a video from the 1991 Reunion

Facebook Group Created for Our Reunion

I created a Facebook group for the Schram Royal Reunion.

If you're not on Facebook, then join and then visit the group here.

It's a good way to view pictures and video from other people, read news, and stay connected with family.

Thanks
Eric

Asa Jerome Royal Jr.

Our beloved Asa passed away on February 18th. See the Clarion Ledger article on his life.

http://www.legacy.com/ClarionLedger/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=124370743

He was a great person and we'll all miss him greatly.

Baby Asa

Congratulations to Melissa and Jonesy who had their son, Asa, on Monday! Will post more details as I have them.

Joe Schram

I got this forwarded email from Carol and Denis:

All: I am writing this from Carol's e-mail address as she is up in DC with Joe.

Joe fell and hit his head and eye on Tuesday. Neighbors called 911 and he was transported to George Washington University Hospital. We arrived mid morning on Tuesday.
After a rough night Tuesday, he seems to be resting comfortably and has a pretty good idea of his situation. A scan revealed no broken bones but he does have arthritis in his legs and symptoms of dementia.

He says he does not have any pain and the therapist got him up on his feet today.

His insurance coverage specifies that 3 consecutive days of physical therapy are required prior to transfer to a rehabilitation facility. If all goes well, he could be moved on Monday. We are looking at locations in Bethesda and Chevy Chase.
The plan is for Joe to stay in rehab until he can handle himself in an Assisted Living facility. This could take a week or more depending on his progress.
As to Assisted Living, Carol and I have visited several locations in Richmond and have selected 3 that are suitable. Leaving his home of 45 years will not be easy for Joe.

Say a prayer for him.

Denis and Carol

2008 Reunion Pictures

Here are the pictures from the 2008 Reunion. Looking forward to next year. If you have any pictures to share, send them to me and I'll post them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schramroyal/sets/72157606559798407/

Thanks
Eric

New Baby Pendergrass!

Joy and I had our first child, Henry Lott Pendergrass, on April 7 at 9:31PM in Plano, TX. Henry was born at 7 pounds, 1 ounce, 19.5 inches, and is healthy and doing fine. Joy is recovering well, and we expect to go home soon.

We are overjoyed with our new baby, and can't wait for him to meet the rest of the family. We have uploaded pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schramroyal/sets/72157604441846298/


Thanks!

--Eric

New 2007 Pictures

Many thanks to Elaine Riffe for sending us a CD of Reunion pictures. I have posted these pictures on the Flickr site, and you can view them here.

Enjoy.

Jessica Pendergrass

This letter from from Patricia summarizes the hard times Allen and Bonnie Pendergrass have been going through with the trial of the woman responsible for their daughter, and our cousin, Jessica's death:

Dear Family and Friends of the Schram-Royal Family Reunion,

I am writing to give you an update on the trial of Jessica Pendergrass' death and to ask for your help in comforting Allen and Bonnie Pendergrass during this very difficult time in their lives.

I know some of you might not personally know Allen, Bonnie or Jessica or their stories. They rarely attend the reunion every year. Allen is the late Aunt Sis's (Celia Pendergrass) youngest son, and my dad's (John Pendergrass) brother. Jessica was Allen and Bonnie's only child.

Jessica was killed by a drunk driver a little over a year ago. This past week Allen and Bonnie endured a five day trial involving the manslaughter charge against the perpetrator. The verdict for the woman returned "not guilty," because the state of Tennessee did not take a blood-alcohol test in the ER room and could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this woman was drunk. There were witnesses from the casino who said they saw her drinking many drinks and nurses and doctors from the hospital in Memphis who said they smelled alcohol on her breath, but their testimonies weren't sufficient.

I can't imagine what Allen and Bonnie are feeling at this time…

I am writing because I want to encourage you to reach out to them at this very sad time. A sympathy card is a wonderful gesture to show them that they are not going through this alone, but have friends and family who are thinking and caring for them.

There address is:

[EP: address withheld for privacy reasons. Family members, write to me if you need the address]

Though it can be difficult to know what to say in a situation like this, my friends who've lost loved ones assure me that all gestures mean a great deal.

Feel free to contact me with further questions: [EP: email for Patricia's phone number].

By His Grace,
Patricia Pendergrass

Running, coffee on this year

There will be a running event again on Saturday morning this year. Following the run will be a gourmet coffee + pastries social.

Post your reunion photos

You can upload your own pictures from past reunions to the reunion website if you have a Flickr account.

Just visit the Schram Royal Group and join the group.

--Eric

Update Cabin Reservations by Jan. 14

New reservation policies at all MS State Parks require cabin reservations to be made through ReserveAmerica with a $50 deposit.

Hugh White State Park set a deadline of January 14 for us to go online to www.reserveAmerica.com and do this. This must be done for our existing reservations, or they will be cancelled.

Please ensure you do this by January 14, 2007 so your cabin reservation for the 2007 Reunion will remain in effect.

More 2006 Pictures

Melissa Jones sent me a disc full of 2006 Reunion photos. I have posted them and you can see them by clicking "View the Photos" on the right.

Thanks Melissa!

2006 Reunion and new photos

We had a great time at this year's reunion. I didn't take any pictures, but Allen did, and you can see them by clicking the "View the Photos" link on the right.

Thanks to everyone who donated money to support the website. It is much appreciated and has pretty much covered the costs for this year.

If you have any pictures you'd like to share, either send them to me in email or I can tell you how to upload them to the site. It's easy.

You can also add comments to the pictures if you know who is in them.

New for this year's Reunion...

There are some exciting new features at this year's Reunion. Among them are Karaoke, Saturday Morning Coffee House, and Golf.

Elizabeth Townsend will provide a Karaoke machine. Everyone, regardless of natural talent, is encouraged to participate. No word on whether American Idol scouts will be present.

Denis Klisz, John Pendergrass, and Eric & Joy Pendergrass will organize a post-jog gourmet coffee and pastry event, scheduled for Saturday morning. Everyone is welcome, regardless of participation in the fun run. The event will start between 9 and 10AM.

Golf has been a favorite of several Reunion attendees in the past. Bob Gifford and Robert Royal will hit the links at some point during the weekend. Contact them if you are interested.

Website imploded

The web hosting company I've been using for a couple of years has apparently gone out of business.

I've put up a temporary website with all the photos using the Flickr service until I can find another permanent home. Any donations would help the process, as I will need to pay to get reliable hosting.

Thanks!