Account of the 2nd Clewell Family Reunion
The second reunion of the Clewell Family was held on August 24, 1904, in the old historic grove of Black Rock, near Nazareth, and almost within the shadow of the Schoeneck Moravian Church. The day again seemed to be mapped out by Providence for the event. Neither had the interest among the descendants in their reunions abated as was clearly manifested by the gathering crowd. At ten o’clock the president, Lewis B. Clewell called the meeting to order by making a brief address and on account of his feebleness requested 0. L. Fehr whom the Executive Committee had selected to succeed the Rev. L. P. Clewell, to preside at the meetings. The devotional exercises were conducted by Samuel D. Luckenbach and W. D. Seyfried. The election of officers resulted as follows: president, Lewis
B. Clewell, of Bethlehem, Pa.; vice-presidents BishopJ. M. Levering, of Bethlehem, Pa.; 0. L. Fehr, of Easton, Pa,; Monroe L. Clewell, of Easton, Pa.; secretary W. D. Seyfried, of Bethlehem, Pa.; treasurer William A. Siegfried, of Nazareth, Pa.
Mr. A. S. Bishop, of Bethlehem offered a resolution that the next reunion should be held in 1907, the time and place to be named by the Executive Committee. Mr. William H. Clewell of Berwick, Pa., offered a resolution of gratitude to the various committees and officers for their efforts in making the reunion such a success. The following resolutions were adopted in memory of Rev. Lewis P. Clewell.
WHEREAS, It has pleased an all wise Providence to remove from our midst the Rev. Lewis P. Clewell, a Vice-president of the Clewell Family Reunion, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the descendants of Franz and George Clewell through their Executive committee, desire at this time to record their deep feeling of regret over the loss which we have suffered in his death.
Lewis P. CIewell was called to his eternal rest on Saturday, January the 9th, 1904, to be forever with the Lord whom he so faithfully and efficiently served as a minister of the gospel within the fold of the Moravian church. Especially do we at this time deplore his demise as he was one of the strong men who labored so earnestly to arrange and bring to a successful completion the first re-union of the Clewell family, held last year at Schoeneck.
No labor was too severe, no task too irksome for him when it had reference to the Clewell family. As one of the Vice Presidents of the association he presided at many of the meetings of the Executive committee in an able and impartial manner.
RESOLVED, That we heartily sympathize with his widow and children in their great bereavement.
RESOLVED, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded by the secretary to his widow, and that they be spread in full on the minutes of the Executive Committee.
The rest of the afternoon was wholly given to social intercourse and the reception of those who came from a distance among whom were found descendants from Ohio, Washington, D. C., Berwick, Pa., Hartley Hall, Pa., Scranton, Pa., Philadelphia, Pa., and other places. Lunch was furnished for those who were not provided with the same and a concert was given by a sextette during the noon hour.
At two o’clock Harry E. Clewell, Esq., of Nazareth, Pa., gave an address of welcome in which he ably pointed out the benefits of a family reunion. A. S. Bishop of Bethlehem, Pa., eloquently responded by emphasizing the fraternal features of reunions and the great satisfaction of meeting friends. He contrasted the reunion of the descendants with the visits that Franz and
George Clewell made to each other with their large families an(1 closed with a Pennsylvania German poem suggestive of the scenes and conditions in those pioneer days.
The secretary’s report showed great progress on the history and a much larger family-tree than was dreamed of at the inception of the work. The program closed with the reading of an original Pennsylvania German poem by the president, Lewis B. Clewell which at the request of the Executive Committee is herewith published.
The collections of the day amounted to more than $112 and the large attendance which was about 1100 expressed their appreciation of the work of the Executive Committee and officers in words of praise as well as by their liberal contributions. The Executive Committee is composed of the following:
Executive Committee:
Thomas B.
Clewell
Allentown, Pa.
harry B.
Clewell
Nazareth, Pa.
Edwin H.
Clewell
Stockertown, Pa.
Walter S.
Clewell
Belfast, Pa.
Augustus
Bishop
Bethlehem, Pa.
James H. Fehr
Nazareth,Pa
FrancisC.Fehr
Nazareth, Pa
William H. Friebely
Nazareth, Pa.
Ephraim Loux
Nazareth, Pa.
Hon. C. A. Schneebeli
Nazareth, Pa.
Stephen A. Trein
Nazareth, Pa.
Eugene W.
Stocker
Nazareth, Pa.
Oliver A.
Clewell
Bethlehem, Pa.
Orlando B.
Dab
Bethlehem, Pa.
Thomas D.
Clewell
Bethlehem, Pa.
Eugene A.
Ran
Bethlehem, Pa.
William H.
Clewell
Berwick, Pa.
Samuel D. Luekenbach
Bethlehem, Pa.
Erwin J. Bruch
Bethlehem, Pa.
Rev. John H. Clewell, Ph. D Winston-Salem, N. C.
Albert B. Fehr
South Bethlehem, Pa.
Martin H.
Clewell
Allentown, Pa.
Alfred Vogenitz
Allentown,Pa
Howard J. Siegfried
Philadelphia, Pa.
THE GATHERING AT BLACK ROCK IN NAZARETH PA 1904