PEMBERVILLE — After being postponed twice, the 100th Bruning family reunion took place on Sunday, making it one of the biggest reunions in memory.

The first Bruning reunion took place in 1920. It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic safety reasons.

The family has its roots in Linne, Germany, through Herman Heinrich Oberbruning, who moved to Elmore in 1860 and soon after to Pemberville. The farmer shortened his name to Bruning. The original farmhouse, with the land, is still in the family.

Bob Bruning, 90, who grew up on that farm, is a great grandson of Oberbruning.

“I hope to meet a lot of relatives we’ve never met before,” Bob said on Friday, while setting up for Sunday’s reunion. “Maybe we can instill in them the value of still having family reunions to pass on to the next generation. There aren’t many reunions anymore. I think a lot of young people have lost interest in them.”

Bob was a banker 35 years, and is currently a Realtor.

“When I was growing up, that was the highlight of my summer, my family reunion,” Joanne Bruning, Bob’s wife, said. “It really says a lot that so many people are coming from so far away. They are making the trip despite $5 gas. They clearly have interest.”

Joanne worked for Bowling Green State University with the University Activities Organization.

They agreed that people are pulled in a lot of different directions today, but the pandemic delays may have helped increase attendance for this year’s event.

“I think, with the experience of COVID the last few years, there’s just a different value with the ability to get together and be able to meet your family members and valuing that time together. It means something different now than it did just two years ago,” said Kelsey Moyer, Bob and Joanne’s granddaughter.

She also works at BGSU, in faculty development.

There were 120 family members expected, coming from eight states.

“We did not anticipate that we would get family from eight states,” Lisa Meyers, Bob and Joanne’s daughter, said. “We had to move it. Luckily the legion hall was available. Usually we have it at the shelter house, which is like eight picnic tables.”

Meyers is also at BGSU, working in the Provost’s Office.

“We really have to give Penny Bruning the credit for this. She was the driving force,” Meyers said. “She lives in Columbus. She is planning on being here and wearing the traditional German dress. She will be fully decked out.”

Penny is the one who pushed to make a big deal out of the 100th reunion. Part of that will include commemorative T-shirts, German flags, copies of the extensive genealogy documentation, in book form. The family roots have been traced back to the 1100s.

Part of that book is a photo of the first minutes, written by Uri Bruning, for what would become the annual Pemberville event. They have copies of the two pages of notes, along with a photo of Uri, as part of a basketball team he played on.

Over the course of the weekend, several different activities were arranged, including a tour of Pemberville, showing points of family interest, both related to the research of genealogy and the daily lives of family members.

On the list of locations was the Pemberville Cemetery, Beeker’s General Store, built by Froney and Bruning, the Pemberville Opera House, Eli H. Mason Memorial Park, the Pemberville Train Depot, Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the One Room Schoolhouse.

August Bruning, Bob’s grandfather, helped dig the basement, with his team of horses, for the church building. It was dedicated in 1909. Bruning family members have worshiped there since the congregation began in 1862.

However, the Bruning homestead is the centerpiece, with the big red barn and the large white house. It has been in the family for 162 years and is where Bob grew up. David and Jerry Bruning still farm corn, wheat and soybeans on the land today.

Bob commented on the changes he has seen in his life, which may have been most remarkable to his Heinrich.

“We still utilized horses for picking up loose hay and pulling,” Bob said about growing up on the farm in the 1930s.

He couldn’t remember what breed they were, but the family does have a photo.

“All I remember is their names, Maude and Jim. They were large draft horses, but not Budweiser horses,” Bob said, recalling that they also had a tractor. “It was a McCormick Deering 10-20 tractor. We used it along with the horses.”