Swedish relatives travel to reunion
Can you imagine throwing a family get together and having 150 people show up? That's exactly what happened when the Thryselius family recently held a family reunion in Batavia.
"We had six relatives come from Sweden," said Marilyn Thryselius.
The reunion was the brainchild of Roger Thryselius who took a recent vacation to Sweden and spent time with relatives over there. When they expressed interest in coming to the United States, he organized the reunion. Marilyn's sister, Margaret Higgins was a big help since she could speak and write in Swedish.
"Our relatives from Sweden really enjoyed seeing Chicago, coming to Batavia and seeing Fabyan Park," Said Thryselius. "It was fun for the other family members to meet them too." The Swedish group didn't shirk their responsibilities when it came to making the reunion a success. They contributed to the reunion by making 400 Swedish meatballs.
"They thought that they had made too many, but there weren't any left," she added. "Everyone was asking for the recipe."
Big reunions aren't unusual for this close-knit family.
"When my mother was living, we would celebrate her birthday every year on the Fourth of July," said Thryselius. "We'd always have about 100 people come."
Behind the quarry
When I have visitors coming to Batavia, I always take them to the quarry. Not only is it a beautiful location but it also has a rich history. Formerly known as the Barker Stone Quarry, the popular spot was given to the Batavia Township Park Board in 1920 by Frederick H. Beach. The quarry benefitted from help from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s when laborers built the quarry stone dressing rooms and refreshment stand. Both Alice Swan and Helen Owens had fathers who worked on the quarry WPA projects.
"They didn't get paid but it wasn't charity," said Owens. "For a days work they would get staples such as beans, potatoes, flour and sugar."
Book it
Save your money and head down to the library on Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 27 for the Friends of the Batavia Public Library Fall Used Book Sale. All of the books will be priced from fifty cents to two dollars. Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
According to Daniel Russo, there will be two special promotions. Anyone who joins the Friends of the Library will be able to select five free books as a thank you gift.
On Saturday, shoppers can purchase a friends of the Library Tote Bag for twenty dollars and fill it with books for free. The Friends provide some great programs during the year, from the One Book One Batavia program to the scholarships for students who volunteer their time to the library. Plan now to attend this book sale and take advantage of the opportunity to pick up some great books.
Last call
Just a reminder: You have one more day to enter the Art in Your Ear song writing contest. Go to www.artinyoureye.com for more information. Share your talent!