Of all the Zink-Graff reunions that were held over a period of more than fifty years, the 1927 reunion is the only one for which a complete set of records still exists. When viewed together, these records provide a good picture of what it was like to attend a reunion. They tell us who was invited, who came, who served as officers and on committees, what games they played, and who won them. 

    So go back in time and imagine yourself as a teenager in the roaring '20s, before the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression changed the way we lived.  On a hot day at the beginning of August 1927, you traveled with your family to Flint Park in Flint, Michigan. You arrived by late morning, in time to attend the business meeting.  It was presided over that year by Martin Zink of Detroit, who had been elected president at the 1926 reunion (probably after some arm-twisting because no-one else would volunteer). Parts of the meeting were boring, but that was a small price to pay for the more enjoyable parts of the reunion that you knew would follow. 

 

    After the meeting you had a chance to visit with cousins, some of whom you hadn't seen since the last reunion, and then you sat down to lunch.  It was pot-luck, with lots of delicious salads and casseroles and desserts.  You recognized some dishes that showed up on the serving table year after year, and had generous helpings of your favorites.  And no-one said anything when you passed over your mother's too-familiar casserole! One of the things you enjoyed most was the ice cream, which was provided at every reunion and was a special treat.

 

    After lunch you visited some more, and at 2:00 p.m. the games began.  You played the Balloon Game, for girls 10-15 years old, and your brother did the 50-yard dash, for boys 7-10 years old.  You did well, but your cousin Emma Bierlein of Flint won the Balloon Game.  And your little cousin Otto Graff Jr. nosed out your brother in the 50-yard dash (it was a good year for the Flint contingent!). 

 

    After the games, you played some more with the other children among the 140 members of the Zink and Graff families who attended the reunion.  Finally, it was time to go home, share the gossip that everyone picked up, and return to the regular routines of everyday life -- until the next year's reunion in Niagara Falls.  

    Click on the attachments for more details.