Reunion Program
- Schedule{pdf]
Participants
Family History Slide ShowsBettie Zeisset Hoerman family
Henry Zeisset family
- Henry and Perseda [slides]
- narrative
[pdf]
- Timeline
[pdf]
- Descendants [slides]
- narrative [pdf]
Ray:
 2016 Zeisset Reunion attendees by family. Click to zoom in. |
Sixty-four
people participated in all or part of the 22nd biennial
Zeisset Family Reunion, July 29-31, 2016, in the Leonardville and Clay
Center,
Kansas.
Most
attendees were descendants
of Jakob Friedrich Zeisset and Margarethe Mueller Zeisset. Their six orphaned children immigrated to the
Leonardville area from Germany between 1885 and 1893.
The focus
Saturday was on Barbara (Bettie) Zeisset Hoerman and Henry
Zeisset, the two youngest of the six immigrant siblings.
The
2016 Zeisset Reunion began with an informal gathering at the Nelson's
Landing Restaurant in Leonardville Friday evening. The venue for
Saturday’s activities was Life’s Finer Moments Lodge, southwest of Clay
Center.
- Loretta Hoerman of Topeka
told stories about Bettie and Ludwig Hoerman and their descendants.
- Paul
Zeisset of Alexandria, VA, and Dwight Benninga of Clay Center told the
history of Henry and Perseda Zeisset and their descendants.
- The Rev. Kevin Larson of Leonardville discussed Leonardville History.
- Mary Ann Fowles and Stephanie Wolf, both of Clay Center,
presented a "Name that Tune" contest of music from the 1940's.
- Ray and Carolyn Zeisset of
Lincoln, NE, presented photos and stories from their recent trip to
Germany visiting places where Zeisset ancestors lived.
Sunday’s events were to have begun at the Leonardville United Methodist Cemetery, where five of the six immigrant siblings and many of their descendants are buried, but the planned memorial service was rained out. The group gathered at the Leonardville United Methodist Church for visiting, attending the morning service, and sharing a catered and potluck dinner. The Sunday afternoon program included a solo by Terry Nanninga of Axtell, a review of known history of the Zeisset family since 1718 by Loretta Hoerman, and a presentation on the history of the Protestant Reformation by Ray Zeisset, focusing on Mennonites and Huguenots and their relationship to Zeisset ancestors. The program was organized and emceed by Paul Zeisset.
The
oldest family member at the reunion was Merlin Potts of
Leonardville. Family members came from eight states and
from as far away as Alabama, Virginia, and Washington state. Ethel and
Sam
Smoots of Gig Harbor, WA, came the farthest distance.
The
largest group in attendance was 16 descendants of Bettie Zeisset
Hoerman. Other families included 15 from the Jacob Zeisset family, 8
from the Elizabeth Zeisset Weller family, 7 from the Bertha Zeisset Nanninga family, 6
from the
Louise Zeisset Swart family, 6 from the Henry Zeisset family, and
6 from the more distantly related Johann Zeisset family of Illinois.
The
program concluded with the singing of Blest Be the Tie That Binds.
Ray Zeisset, Secretary