Zell and Miller family tradition reunion

Twenty-two years ago the Descendents of the Zell and Miller families of Ashton gathered for a family reunion. That reunion has become a family tradition that is held bi-annually with each of the family descendants taking turns hosting.

The 2012 reunion was held at the Crestview Convention Center in Fremont, Nebraska with 315 members attending and Mark and Rachel Miller acting as host for the Lyle Miller family.

Five siblings of the Lester Miller family were able to attend. They were Florence (Miller) and Gene Kish of Valley City, ND; Beverly (Miller) Holt of Moose Lake, MN; Carol (Miller) and Levern Swenson of Mesa, AZ; Linda (Miller) Beggs of Lancaster, CA; and Darlys (Miller) Kloss of Hitchcock, SD.

Also represented were the wives of the later Lyle Miller, Dorothy Miller of Rapid City, SD and Raymond Miller, Jeanne Miller of Sioux Falls, SD and grandchildren Mark and Rachel Miller of Omaha, Nebraska; Shandra and Jim Housley of Gorham, Kansas, Bryan Miller of Brookings, SD, Dawn Ulaminck of Ghent, MN, Dana and Cory Schoffelman of Topeka, KS, Loren Swenson of Granite Falls, MN, and Teresa Houseal of Doland, SD.

The family activities featured a cribbage contest of which Bryan Miller won the Coveted Cribbage Board, as well as baseball, swimming, hiking, and puzzles.

The traveling family tree wall hanging went home with the Carol Miller Swenson family for the 2014 reunion. The location of that is yet to be determined.

The oldest in attendance was Gene Kish, 89, and the youngest was Cade Schoffelman 2-1/2 years old. Two birthdays were acknowledged. They were Carol’s 80th birthday and Gene Kish’s 90th birthday.