Stock image of a family/team set of hands.

The 2022 McKenna Reunion for the families of the late Charles and Clara McKenna was held on Sunday, August 7 at Taylor Park in Traer. Fifty family members attended the potluck dinner. Our president for this year, Kate Hopper, led a meeting after dinner. Charlie McKenna will be the president for the next reunion. Teresa Schlorholtz remains as the secretary/treasurer. Since it had been four years since our last reunion, we had lots of news shared.

It was announced that Alia Eckardt, daughter of Todd and Valerie Eckardt of Dallas, Texas and Cameron Palmer were married on July 24, 2021, in Aubrey, Texas. Alia is the granddaughter of Rita McKenna Eckardt and the late Don Eckardt. Rita lives in Houston, Texas and Alia and Cameron reside in Dallas, Texas. Murphy April Glasser was born on April 7, 2019, to Destinee Eckardt Glasser and Cass Glasser. Murphy is Rita’s great-granddaughter. The Glasser family lives in Fresno, California.

Mike and MaryAnn Carlson welcomed a grandson, Lucas Traw, on December 7, 2019. His great-grandparents are the late Glenn and Genevieve Carlson.

Dean and Monica McKenna shared that their son, Phillip, married Jamie Minard on August 22, 2020. Phillip and Jamie McKenna had a son, Coleson Dean McKenna, born on October 6, 2021. John and Pam Thiele reported that their daughter, Jennifer, and husband Luke Barnum had a son, Henry James Barnum, born on January 30, 2020. Jennifer and Luke Barnum welcomed twin daughters Norah Avery and Maggie Rae on June 9, 2022. Great-grandparents of these babies are Maxine McKenna and the late Harold McKenna. John and Pam Thiele also announced that their daughter, Laura Elizabeth Thiele, married Patrick Charles Evans in Fairbanks, Alaska on June 2, 2022.

Updates from Dick and Colette McKenna include the marriage of their granddaughter, Caitlin Kruckenberg, to Sean Butorac on June 2, 2018. This couple welcomed twins Hadassah Grace Butorac and Zion Deborah Butorac on January 23, 2020. On February 18, 2022, Kairos Judah Butorac was born. Their grandmother is Becky Kruckenberg. From the Lois Schmitt family, we learned that her son, Mark Schmitt, and his wife, Brenda, had two grandchildren born. Their daughter, Megan, and her husband, Kenneth Roessner had a son Calvin Robert Roessner born on August 23, 2019. They had a daughter, Virginia Marie Roessner, born March 8, 2022. Great-great-grandparents of these babies are the late Robert and Patricia McKenna.

The family was saddened by the loss of several family members in the last four years. Elaine Boylan died on October 23, 2019. Her husband is Gale Boylan. She was the daughter of the late John and Martha McKenna. Phyllis Malacek’s husband, Mike, died on November 25, 2020. He was the son-in-law of Maxine McKenna and the late Harold McKenna. Joe McKenna’s wife, Eileen, died on December 9, 2020. She was the daughter-in-law of the late Robert and Patricia McKenna. Patricia McKenna died on April 7, 2021. Mike and MaryAnn Carlson lost her oldest son, Dustin Traw, on April 20, 2021. His grandparents are the late Glenn and Genevieve Carlson.

The next reunion will be held in August 2024 at Taylor Park in Traer.