Updated 2-10-08                    Ohio leg of the Harper Reunion June 27-2008                          

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Ohio– Friday, June 27, 2008
          This will be a day of gathering. Some of us will be driving or flying from the New York leg of the reunion. Some of us will be driving or flying in for just the Ohio leg of the reunion. Or, some of us who live in the Harpersfield, Ohio area will join the travelers for the reunion.
          Whatever your circumstance may be, you might want to consider research at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, 10825 East Boulevard– 216-721-5722. The library is open on Friday and Saturday from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. If you are not a member of the Western Reserve Historical Society, admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors and $5.00 for students. The fee includes entry to the History Museum and Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. All library guests must sign in at the Library Registration Desk and present two forms of identification such as a driver’s license, school ID, Social Security card, Work ID, etc. Members must present their current membership card. To park in the museum lot is a $8.00 flat fee. Lockers are available for personal belongings. You might want to go to the Western Reserve Historical Society web site to see what other attractions might be going on during our reunion: www.wrhs.org.
          Wine Tasting & Dinner at the Grand River Cellars– Our cousin Beverly Cowles who runs her own wine tour company has made arrangements for our evening at the winery. What a great place to get together for our first night in Ohio. Family Secretary/ Treasurer Julie Noble will accept reservations for the supper by your check; $12 per person. Wine tastings are 50 cents each. Wine will be at your own expense.
          Saturday, June 28, 2008
          Several activities will be offered in the morning so that you can choose how you want to send your time.
          1) A few have shown interest in a golf outing at one of the many near-by golf courses. Let us know if you want to have such an outing and let us know if you will need to rent golf clubs. Each person is responsible for their golf fees.
          2) Some of you have shown interest in visiting an Amish community. Betty Johns has set up a tour including lunch in an Amish home. We will gather at 9:30 AM in the Shandy Hall parking lot and expect to return about 3:00 PM. We plan to see horse-drawn buggies, a bulk food store and a cheese factory, maybe even pick up some homemade bread and salsa. The cost for the tour and lunch is $36. Minimum of 10 people on the tour for this price.
          3) The Geneva Public Library, 860 Sherman Street in Geneva, where the Ashtabula County Genealogical Society is housed is open on Saturday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. We will make certain that someone will be available to help you if you want to do some research there. Let us know on the reservation form.
          By 3:00 PM in the afternoon it would be grand for all of us to gather at the Old Unionville Cemetery, Rt. 84 and County Line Road diagonally across from the Old Tavern, where Alexander and Elizabeth Harper at buried. Beverly Cowles is working to get Elizabeth’s gravestone restored as she did Alexander’s for our reunion five years ago.
          Then on to Shandy Hall, 6333 South Ridge Road West (Rt. 84), Geneva for a tour of the old homestead before heading to the Harpersfield Community Center on Cork Cold Springs Road east of Hwy. 534 for our catered supper and family meeting. Guests may arrive at the Center as early as 4:00 PM to view our family genealogical books and visit with cousins. Family secretary/treasurer Julie Noble will take reservations via check for the meal, $15 per person. No alcohol provided.
          Sunday, June 29, 2008
          We hope many of you will join us for the church service at the Unionville United Church, 6870 South Ridge East in Unionville. This is the very special church that Harpers and other pioneer settlers started in the early 1800’s. The church has been growing the last few years under the direction of their enthusiastic pastor, Rev. Bob Cunningham. They always welcome the Harper family. In the summer, the service starts at 9:00 AM. After the service, several of us will gather at Best Friends for brunch. The restaurant is located on the north east corner of I-90 and Highway 534. Brunch is at your expense.
          Everyone is responsible for making their own room reservations in Ohio. We have reserved a block of 10 rooms in the new Lodge and Convention Center in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Highway 534 at 531. The room rate will be $149 per night plus tax. I encourage you to make your reservations now. You may cancel as late as 45 days before the reunion and receive no penalty. Scott Longert, Shandy Hall site manager, has worked with these folks to promote visits to Shandy Hall, and he hopes you will stay in the new facility: 440-466-7100, www.thelodgeatgeneva.com. Tell them you are with the Alexander Harper Family Society. Other places in the area you might check out are: The Lakehouse Inn (B&B) 440-466-8668 www.thelakehouseinn.com, WarnerConcord Farms(B&B) near Shandy Hall 440-428-4485 www.warner-concordfarms.com, Polly Harper Inn (B&B) 440-466-6283 www.pollyharperinn.com, Holiday Inn Express ($129 a night), Sleep Inn and Hampton Inn ($99 a night) – all three in Austinburg at the I-90 and Highway 45 intersection.
          
Everyone is responsible for providing their own transportation to and from Ohio. See air deal on back of this page. If you need transportation from the airport or around the Geneva area, let us know on the reservation form.
          
There is plenty of fun and discounts for families in Geneva-on-the-Lake: Adventure Zone, miniature golf, etc. There are parks along Lake Erie. You might even want to eat some buffalo products and/or send some to friends and family: Buck’s Grill & Bar is located on Hwy. 45 one fourth mile south of I-90. You can drive by the near-by bison farm, too.
                                                            
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