dateline St. Louis - Sat, 5/10/97, 11:46PM: The St. Louis Capen Connection's century reunion was a resounding success under bell clear St. Louis skies with temperatures in the low to mid 70's. Eighty-six of one-hundred-forty-four living Capens were present along with thirty-two spouses and three dates, for a total of one-hundred twenty-one!
After lunch forty-nine golfers took advantage of the beautiful conditions as eleven foursomes and a fivesome competed furiously to win the event held in a scramble format. In introducing the golf awards ceremony, Denny Niedringhaus observed that Marj Sheldon had told him to have no concern about the weather despite our spring weekend rain cycle - she would handle that detail. As Denny observed, that kind of connection is impressive!
When the dust settled Jim Howe, III, Claire Evans, Jono Bitting and Lewis Willmuth copped the first prize with a remarkable 62. Marian Clifford won closest to the pin while Tim Bitting carried off the award for longest drive. However, the second place team - Ken Bitting, Jr., Jimmy Howe, IV, John Haffenreffer and Mary Foster - carried off the most sought after trophy presented by Cathy Howe and Becky Hailand, co-chairs of the prize committee. Each was presented with a replica of a device said to have dated well back into the last century and particularly useful to plumbers. These were handsomely decorated and inscribed with the Capen name. Third place went to the team of Marshall Evans, Cathy Howe, Terry Foster, Tom Bitting and Tommy Bitting, Jr., over vigorous protests for an illegal number of team members.
Ray Evans took top honors in the tennis round robin, winning the most games, while one of the senior Capens and master of the evening ceremonies, Bud Jones, finished a close second.
Perhaps the highlight of the afternoon events was the beautiful concert and games activities put on by Jane Wold for the little ones. With song and guitar she captivated the small group of us on hand, who were spellbound for forty minutes. Laurie Haffenreffer arranged this entertainment and her daughter, Annie, helped in leading the songs. It was simply enchanting.
Thanks to several hours of hard work by LaMay Capen Thompson, her husband, Ed, and with assistance from Addie Bitting and Dodie Brodhead, the Log was beautifully redecorated for the evening festivities, with tables resplendent with flowers, balloons, and colors. Before dinner, Jody Brodhead Moore provided us with a moving invocation. After dinner, not at all worn out by his vigorous afternoon tennis competition, Bud Jones ably mc'd the evening ceremonies, highlighted by the crowning of Marjorie Capen Foster Sheldon as the queen of the Capen court of love and beauty, to reign until the reconvening of this beautiful family at our next Century reunion meeting, fortunately now as soon as just a few years hence, when we will have the opportunity to greet the new 7th generation, which we just learned this evening is expected to make its first appearance in November!
With so many wonderful pieces of memorabilia on hand it is hard to judge the most remarkable. Certainly the large, four foot high by five foot wide painting / photograph of the entire George Dunn Capen family, probably taken in the summer of 1883, was the most readily viewed and admired by all. LaMay Capen Thompson has carefully guarded this treasure for the last forty years. LaMay reports that the Missouri Historical Society is most anxious to have it for their collection, which LaMay, and others, believe would be a very appropriate place for this historic picture to reside. However, there is still the matter of the restoration costs, estimated to be round $2,500, which we will be responsible for. Once restored, full size copies should be availble for those interested. Anyone wishing to participate in this undertaking should get in touch with LaMay.
A copy of a letter from George Dunn Capen to his fiancée, Frances Isabella Pond, given to Dodie Brodhead by Charles Pond Capen shortly before he (CPC) died, was perhaps the most breathtaking for those of us who had the chance to read it. Frances had apparently travelled to Quincy, Illinois, to join her family, who were spending part of the summer there - perhaps hoping to avoid finding themselves in the midst of a Civil War battle over St. Louis.
In the letter, written August 16, 1861, when he was twenty-three years old, George describes his efforts to get his compensation to the level of $1,000 per year from his employer - and respected friend - to whom he confides his intentions to be married. His friend reviews the very uncertain times, which George has described to Frances in the context of all the Union troops which have been flooding into St. Louis as the Civil War continues to unfold. His boss and friend suggests that any plans to marry should be deferred. With many underlinings and quotation marks, George tells Frances of his sadness over the realization that their carefully made and "most precious plans" have "blown-up" and tells her that despite the numerous pleadings of his father to return to the safety of New England, that he, George, will have no part of such a move, that he is deeply in love with Frances. He beautifully and lovingly reassures her that while delayed, their "precious plans" will be realized. They were married, in St. Louis, on May 8, 1862, less than nine months later.
After our "mc," Bud Jones, thanked Marj Sheldon and Dodie Brodhead for getting the ball rolling for the reunion a year ago, and thanked Buddy Brodhead (whose first job was with Geo D. Capen Insurance Agency, the first such agency west of the Mississippi) for arranging for us to hold the reunion at the Log Cabin Club - and after Marian Clifford thanked Bud Jones for being the one who nourished and brought to life the reunion flame - Bud Jones brought to a close our wonderdful evening by leading us in two enthusiastic singings of our reunion song, which he composed to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
A reunion time for the family
Take me out to the Cabin
Take me out to the Log
The Capens are there having lots of fun
Golf and tennis and kids on the run
Four generations in all
So it's one, two, three cheers for us
We are having a ball!