Melfort Saskatchewan July 12 - 15, 2007

Over seventy earthly descendants and one heavenly ancestor of Isaac Nelson Hurd I and Elizabeth Andrews Hurd attended the ninth Hurd family reunion at the Melfort Wildlife Federation Clubhouse from July 12 to 15. The triennial reunion is hosted by the descendants of Isaac Nelson Hurd II and Mary Elizabeth Crawford.
Those attending came from six provinces between White Rock, British Columbia and Picadilly, New Brunswick.
The Hurd Family History Tour bus travelled to Hurd farms and landmarks in the Leather River and Arborfield areas. Forty-four family members explored Veteran Lands Act lands previously farmed by Errol (Lizzie) and Vincent (Stella) Hurd at Leather River and a tract of land rented by Clinton (Marjorie) Hurd. Sons and daughters of Errol, Vincent and Clinton read and told stories about the farms and buildings in the Leather River area.
The bus arrived in Arborfield in time for its passengers to enjoy lunch at the Pearl Café. Bernice Hurd presented a birthday cake to her daughter, Eva Hurd Cooper and her sister Edythe Meeks.
The group spent a few quiet moments in the Arborfield United Church where the communion table is dedicated in memory of Isaac Nelson and Mary Elizabeth Hurd who died in 1943 and 1940 respectively. The Arborfield Cemetery was the next destination.
As people were gathered around the gravestones of Mary and Isaac Hurd and their daughter Eva who died in 1951, the “ghost” of Isaac’s great grandmother, Anna Hawley Hurd, came rushing upon them and explained how excited she was to attend a Hurd Reunion. After all, she had been watching over the Hurds for the last 175 years! She told the dramatic story about her husband, Phineas Hurd, who had been abducted from their home in 1776 because of his loyalty to Britain during the American Revolution. Eventually, Anna became a widow with ten children and twins who were born a few weeks later. It is believed that Phineas and many other loyalist prisoners were burned in a boat moored on the Bennington River in Vermont near their home. Anna and several of her children migrated to the Augusta township in Upper Canada where she is now buried in the Blue Church Cemetery in Prescott, Ontario. Before Anna departed from the earthly crowd of Hurds, she noted that her descendants, the Hawleys, are also buried in the Arborfield cemetery.
The next stop was the Norman Peddie farm east of the cemetery. This was the farm site of Mary and Isaac Hurd from 1931 until their deaths in the early forties. Family members were in awe of the barn and two storey garage built by Isaac. Norman’s son, Rick, owns the land, previously farmed by Oscar and Joyce Hurd from 1939 to 1944.
The tired but happy passengers shared many stories about these pioneering days in the Carrot River Valley. Driving past the William and Mary McGown farm at Runciman brought back many memories of the McGown Picnics held here in the 1950s. The McGown and Hurd families were related through the marriage of Isaac Nelson Hurd II’s sister, Mary Ella Hurd, to William McGown.
One very popular tradition of the Hurd Reunion is the Auction. Items are donated by the people attending and, in turn, are auctioned, at outrageous prices during an hilarious evening. The proceeds are used to pay reunion expenses and to maintain ancestral graves.
The baby photo icebreaker along with board games, golfing, swimming, outdoor games, and much eating contributed to the merriment of the reunion. A remembering time during the first morning provided an opportunity to share news and to recognize the births, deaths, marriages and retirements in the last three years.
A family meeting was held to set up the planning group for 2010. Volunteers from each branch of the family include: Kateri Clark, Ottawa; Bill and Mary Hurd, Outlook; Dean Hurd, Tisdale; Lawrence Hurd, White Rock; Wendy Hurd, Melfort; Orpha Morley, Winnipeg; Jean Rittinger, Regina. This group will investigate potential locations in Saskatchewan for the July 2010 event.