What a lovely day. St. Michael's was agog with O'Reilly's, Slatterys and Michaels and all their friends and neighbors.

The weather was perfect. Beth Dippel, the director of the Sheboygan County Research Center, had a slide show of pictures of Ireland blended with picture of the old residents, homesteads etc of the Parnell/St. Michael's area. We saw some Bowsers in the pictures.

Dolores's husband Ken is related to Beth Dippel. His mother was an O'Reilly. So Ken and Dolores and all Ken's brothers and sisters were there too.

Mother had a wonderful time reminising with many people there, including a Slattery, Bud Dwyer and Harold King. Many of these families were neighbors of the Bowsers and other have shirttail relationships with us. The Dwyers lived on the neighboring from to Grandma and Grandpa Bowser. Mother told Dolores and I a story about her first day at school. She and George Dwyer, Bud's older brother, started school the same year. At about noon, Grandma heard a wagon pulling up to the door. She went out and here was Mr Billy Dwyer, George's dad. He had Mother and George with him. Grandma asked him what happened at school, what was wrong. Mr. Dwyer said. "Nothing is wrong. A half a day is long enough for these little ones." Can you imagine, a rough and tough farmer so worried about his kid that he went to get him. That was the only time though. He was convinced to leave them there after that. Also, can you imagine that happening today? He'd have been arrested.

As we were leaving a gal named Kathleen Thompson stopped me. She had done a picture chart of her family and one of the pictures of what was a school class had two Bowser Girls on it. Stella and Maud. I took her out to Mother because I wasn't familiar with them. Neither was Mother but I did find them on the family tree as daughters of John Bowser, who is my Great Grandfather Joseph Bowser's brother. So I will send her that information. As we were talking I mentioned that we were also related to the Cliffords. She got all excited because she has a picture of Jeremiah Clifford, who is our great grandfather and is happy to have a home for. We can hardly wait to get it. It sounds great.

That was my day. I hope yours was as much fun. Mother and I will go again next year for sure.

Today's Cadfael Book of Days reading says. " He who has no scruple has always the advantage of those who keep the rule."

Hav a good week.

Mary