1ST KEEFE FAMILY REUNION - DIARY NOTES FROM 1980

Sunny skies greeted the Keefes for their first family reunion which was held in Kinkora on August 8th and 9th, 1980. Plans and preparations for this big event began in the summer of 1979. A committee of three was formed, Earl Keefe, Leonard Keefe and Sister Marion Keefe with Earl as the Chairman. In December, 1979, the first notice of the reunion was sent and the second notice was sent in March, 1980, with a registration form attached. A tentative program of the first day was attached.

John Keefe and Angelina Monaghan were married July 1st, 1902 and they settled on the Keefe ancestral home. They had sixteen children, three of whom died in their early years. Some 130 descendants gathered to be present at the reunion and also to commemorate the settlement of the family in the Kinkora area.

The celebrations began with a Mass of Thanksgiving which was offered by Reverend Francis Corcoran in St. Malachy's Church, Kinkora at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 8th, 1980. Altar boys were Gregory Keefe, Christopher Keefe and Joey Murphy. Douglas Clorey was the organist and he & Marion Clorey with people's participation sang hymns during the Mass. The entrance hymns were: Jesus, My Lord, My God...We Thank You, Father...and Faith Of Our Fathers. The first reading Is. 63: 7-9 was read by Mary Jane Murphy and the second reading Col. 3: 12-17 was read by Danny Keefe. Father Corcoran gave the homily. The prayers of the faithful were read by: Marion Thom, Edith McLeod, John Curley, Coleen Dart and Ann Keefe. At the offertory Douglas played the organ very softly and Janice Keefe read while the following gifts were presented by family members:

• Ronald and Denise Keefe brought up marriage rings: We bring these marriage rings, a symbol of love's endlessness, reminding parents and children of the blessings of family life and especially of the gift of life itself.
• Geraldine Keefe brought up a list of members: In thanksgiving for the gift of life we ask each one present to offer a silent prayer as we, present a list of our family members.
• Robert Keefe brought up a picture of the deceased members: Blessed is he who dies in the Lord. Many of our family have gone to their eternal home. These we remember in a very special way as we present in their honor this memorial picture.
• Angela Curley and Brian Keefe brought up Breviary and Incense: We present to You, O Father, the breviary a symbol of the priesthood and the religious life and the burning incense a symbol of our prayer life and as a reminder of the importance of praying in our daily lives.
• James Keefe brought up the Canadian and American Flags:. We come forward with the Canadian and American flags. We are thankful to God for giving these two great countries an abundance of His spiritual blessings and temporal goods.
• Natalie Fawcett and Daniel Murphy brought up the Bread and Wine:. On this celebration of our reunion we offer You, O Lord, these gifts of bread and wine, produce of the land. As they are transformed into the Body and Blood of Your Son, we give thanks for the many times that we have shared, as a family, the Eucharist.

As each gift was presented Father Corcoran held it up for all to see then gave it to Joey Murphy who arranged it on a special table for that purpose.

After the Mass, the families attended a banquet at the beautiful new building in Kinkora, Kinkora Place. The banquet was catered by the Catholic Woman's League. Leonard Keefe was Master of Ceremonies. Leonard extended a welcome to all and asked Sister Marion to offer the invocation before the meal. During the banquet Leonard named the deceased members of the family. The head of each family then introduced his or her own family. Leonard extended Birthday Wishes to Benny Noonan whose birthday was August 8th. Sister Mary Angela gave a brief history of the Keefe family. Various speakers at the banquet were: Maurice Keefe, Mary McCardle Keefe, Paul Keefe, William Murphy, O'Leary Curley, Elmer Keefe, Alban Farmer and Father Corcoran.

After the banquet there was an "At Home" reception and dance for the many friends and relatives. The music for the occasion was rendered by Ed Matthews Band. Father Corcoran shared his musical talents with the band and the family. Shortly after 12:00am Birthday wishes were extended to Leonard Keefe and Angela Lynch.

On Saturday, August 9th at 1pm, all gathered at the farm of Earl & Mary Keefe. The children were entertained by pony rides & hay rides. The adults enjoyed them as well.

Later in the afternoon on August 9th, there was a picnic at Chelton Beach. A good number took advantage of the nice weather & beautiful beach and went swimming. Barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs were served. Marshmellows were toasted.

At 7:30pm on August 9th, all went back to Earl's for an evening of games, music and songs. Douglas Clorey played the accordian and Tom Dart the guitar. Marion Clorey conducted a special sing-song for the children. The beautiful rock garden which was lit with colored lights was enjoyed by all. The evening at Earl and Mary Keefe's was climaxed by a hugh bonfire.

In the evening of August 9th, some of the adults went to The Barn. The "Barn" was a restaurant and a place for entertainment. It was owned by Kevin Murphy, Kevin Keefe and Joe Trainor with Kevin Murphy as the manager and specialized in Irish music.

Note: The above diary notes regarding the events of our first Keefe Family Reunion in 1980 were written by an unknown relative who had attended the 1st Reunion but who at this point remains unidentified. That commentary is reprinted here in its entirety and its original form.