Boyce family reunion celebrates 100 in a row

First Boyce reunion 1921. Family provided photo.

by Jean Boyce Klark

The Boyces of Michigan are getting excited! The 2019 Boyce family reunion will be held on Sunday, August 11, at the Stockbridge Veterans Park. What makes this one noteworthy is that the family is nearing 100 years of gathering for food, fun, laughter and lively conversation. 

Samuel and Sarah Cutter Boyce came to Michigan in 1835 from Steuben County, New York. Their descendants settled in the Stockbridge and North Lake communities, near Boyce Road and M-52 and also the North Lake/North Territorial Road areas. 

Samuel and Sarah had a total of 11 children. However, the Boyces in this area stemmed from just two branches of those 11: Benjamin and Emeline (Jacobs) Boyce and Spencer and Mary (Wallace) Boyce.

The 100th reunion committee has been working over the past several months to make the Boyce family members aware of the rich heritage they share with their ancestors. The first annual reunion was held on August 20, 1921, with ninety relatives coming from Jackson, Chelsea, Charlotte, Plainfield, Gregory, Dansville, Mason, Olivet, Ann Arbor and Detroit areas. A special poem was written by Edson Sherman for the occasion entitled, “Welcome, Cousins, Every One; all are welcome, barring none!” 

Many interesting facts and pictures have been uncovered and shared via a private Boyce Family Facebook page, and over the past three years many family members have written interesting and often amusing unheard family stories.

The entire park has been reserved with expectations that relatives from around the U.S. and even Canada will attend. A special program that will include family stories and skits will follow the potluck dinner. Old-fashioned and current day games for children are also planned.

Family member and author of this article, Jean Boyce, had this to say about the special event: “We are pleased that we can meet in the Village of Stockbridge where many of our ancestors started out when they came to Michigan. The color for the day will be blue shirts and tops, and many pictures will help preserve priceless memories of this special day.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email