I thought you all might like to see some the pictures I took at the Barker family reunion last Saturday. I cant begin to express how much I enjoyed meeting everyone there. Going back to Virginia touched a part of my soul that I had been homesick for without even knowing it, and I felt right at home with all of you. I guess that is the thing about family isn't it.

My only regret is that I didn't get more shots of individuals and families, and that I didn't write down the names of everyone I talked to. As a result I'm left the memories of many dear faces and only a few names. But please believe that if you and I had a conversation, it was something special to me. Maybe we can get together again someday, preferably before another hundred years.

Thank you for listening to me sing and play my songs. I had such a lump in my throat looking at everyone from the stage that I almost couldn't sing without choking up. Darn that Barker sentimentality. I appreciate your indulgence with my struggle to maintain my composure.

A special thanks to Pastor Mike Coonley of the Mendota Baptist Church for letting me sing a couple at the service on Sunday. At least that went pretty well.

Enjoy the pictures and I hope you find yourself and other loved ones among them. Taking this trip with mom and dad meant the world to me, because of you. Take care of yourself and each other and God bless.

With much love and gratitude Sarah Barker Huhn

Please note my new e-mail address. (jkbarker01@centurytel.net)

The Great Barker Reunion in Mendota, VA on Nov 25th, 2006 was a great success. I hope you all had a good time too. Bill Barker and all his kin from Oklahoma made this happen. We were only expecting 20-30 people and nearly 80 people attended! I don't think I was the only one surprised by this. Like me, I saw many of you wide eyed and amazed as if it were a Barker "Woodstock!" Tell me if I'm wrong! Regardless, Bill planned it so well and the program was so flexible that we could have accommodated a couple of hundred more people! I've attended other family reunions who practice every year and believe we Barkers certainly made up for lost time on that one reunion day. We benefited from the interest of many cousins drawn to Mendota that day by the neglect of a whole century. Those others who couldn't attend but who have researched and contributed so much over the years have asked me to update my page and tell them about it. It was so amazing that only now can I reflect and collect my thoughts about it. You all can get my thanks from mention of you time and again as a source on this page. Whether you attended or not, you are the history of Barker history.

The morning of the reunion, there were so many people when I arrived that I wondered if I'd get a chance to talk to everyone who had contributed to our Barker family history. Sadly, I was not able to meet and talk to everyone. I've dreamed of the reunion for years and when the day actually arrived I simply didn't have the time to do everything I wanted. I've had a Web page for years and have plastered my words and my picture on it which possibly made me the most recognizable person there. Like me, many of you were from out of town and perhaps didn't personally know many other people who attended. If so, I hope you found any of so many other cousins with a wealth of information and stories and kinship who were there. I could have spent the next couple of weeks scanning and recording all the wonderful memories, fancy scrapbooks and notes that were with you in the Mendota Community Center that day. There were a lot of thanks due to many that time prevented. If I missed talking to you, e-mail me - we've got some catching up to do!

Before lunch, Rev. Coonley, pastor of the Mendota Baptist Church, which is so essential to our Barker family history, provided us with a wonderful prayer. After lunch, Constance Barker presented her well prepared and interesting family history presentation - Barkers who moved to Missouri. She used Microsoft Powerpoint and it was better than any Powerpoint presentation I've ever seen.

Later, we moved to the auditorium and Bill introduced me as the first speaker. I was not prepared. I was only expecting a small group and I was somewhat overwhelmed by our numbers. Besides, I felt like I have been "speaking" ceaselessly for the last 9 years and I should give others a chance. Beforehand, I was certain I could extemporize regardless of the number of people and circumstances and fit into the program as needed. When you all put me to the test, all I could think of was to thank everyone who had contributed so much information over the years. Oh well, it was brief but to the point. Our family history will be better if it's a group project. I think of it as a grand book with many authors and still growing.

After that, Jim Barker presented his Barkers who moved to Oklahoma and showed us how we fit in with the rest of American history and what became of us as many Barkers left Mendota years ago. Yes, like other American families many Barkers moved west and Jim Barker gave us another prime example. Like Constance Barker, there's something about those westward bound Barker descendants that give them a keen interest in family history. Since they were separated by distance generations ago that perhaps they don't take kinship for granted.

Next, two great local historians, Wayne McConnell and Bill Porter spoke. They were both very humorous, factual and spirited and it almost seemed like a debate at times! They kept us captivated with interest. Their years of research transported us to earlier times. I felt absolutely honored by their efforts.

After that, while I was still basking in honor and thinking, "Damn, what a great reunion!", Bill Barker introduced Sarah Barker Hahn as "saving the best for last." I pondered, "Is Bill exaggerating?" I only met Sarah the night before at dinner in Abingdon and had never heard her play before. On Saturday afternoon, when she walked alone to microphone to close the reunion I was a little apprehensive. After a minute, I realized she was performing her own original material and we all settled down to her one lovely voice - one guitar magic. Not only did she thoroughly entertain us but her every song and her every lyric was appropriate to a family reunion of long lost cousins. Bill was not exaggerating. I'm not either.

I linked Sarah's reunion photo page and blog page to this page where you can find her take of the reunion and see the pictures of the reunion there. If you took any pictures and want to share, please e-mail them to Sarah so we all can view them.

John Kelly Barker