3rdreunion
 2003 Reunion
 Our Family

On August 28, 1728, Johann Jacob Bankert, age 11, arrived in Philadelphia with his father, Christofel, and his mother and sisters. He married Esther Sell in 1742. They had 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters; 6 of each survived to adulthood. Many of his children and their descendants remained in the Frederick/Carroll County and Baltimore, Maryland and York/Adams County, Pennsylvania region.
Except for his middle son, Christopher, who sold his inheritance in 1803/1804 and moved out to Ohio with his children, primarily to Butler, Warren, and Montgomery Counties, along with many of the same families they had intermarried with in the East. Connected families include, but are not limited to:  Butt, Barkelow, Bachman, Cassel, Catrow, Deardoff, Dotterer, Erb, Gebhart, Keister, Kercher, Kemp, Kitzmiller, Koontz, Lohr, Long, Lucas, Mittelkauff, Morningstar, Nail, Rohrer, Sell, Selby, Shriver, Shuey, Stull, and Yingling.

Over the last 200+ years, our family continued to travel west, intermarry with other pioneer families, and generally participate in the great American story.  The study of family history is the study of American history -- who we are and where we came from. Our story is the American story!

Family History Reunion 2003

Please make plans to attend the Bankert/Banker/Bankard Family History reunion on August 23 & 24, 2003. The reunion will once again be held in the downstairs social hall of St. Mary's United Church of Christ, 1441 E. Mayberry Rd. in Silver Run north of Westminster. Activities begin at 6:00 PM on Saturday, August 23, with a meet-and-greet followed by dinner and keynote speakers, Dr. Gary Stein and Jan Bankert, with this year's featured story, The Second Generation.

Sunday morning will include attendance at the UCC church service ("Old Jacob's" church) for those who wish to attend, followed by the cemetery walk and lecture by researcher Jan Bankert. Lunch will be served at noon. The afternoon's activities will include a family history workshop for children, as review of the history of Jacob's mill property for those interested in the origins of the family, and an opportunity to share pictures and documents relating to the family.

Artifact Display

Please let us know if you have any items relating to our/your family history, such as old books, Bibles, clothing, personal effects, pictures, family tree displays, etc., for our Artifact Table.  Remember, it doesn't have to be 100 years old to be part of your history.

All activities require reservations and payment in advance. The Saturday dinner is $12.00, and lunch on Sunday is $6.00. A nominal contribution for the use of the UCC hall is requested. All reservations should be made no later than August 15, 2003. Send reservation requests (see below) and make checks payable to to Roberta Banker Stein, 308 Wampler Court, Westminster, MD 21158. Phone: 410-751-9424.

Children's Family History Workshop

New this year is a children's session, taught by a certified Social Studies teacher, designed to help young people begin the study of their families. Children participating in this session should bring pictures of themselves and other members of their immediate family (including pets). A contribution of $5.00 per child for materials is appreciated.

There are several hotels and campgrounds in the area. Look for accommodations in Westminster, MD, through Comfort Inn and Best Western, or call us and we will help you find accommodations.

Our family heritage is one to be proud of. Please come and share your part of it with the others. We look forward to your participation.

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