The 2012 Nagel Family Reunion was held in Gainsville, Texas on August 10, 11, 12 at the Lone Oak Ranch Retreat and hosted by Doyle and Brenda Maggard.  I was there and got to see and visit with many, many of the Nagel family who came to enjoy the festivities. I am a Nagel.  Nagel was my Mother Jane Maggard's maiden name.  Henry and Anna Nagel were my grandparents.  I need to make a list of everyone in my huge family so I don't leave anyone out.  I know from Uncle Eilert's family that Steve brought much of his family and that Rollie and Cinda and husband Mike Becker were there.  I know from my Uncle Herb's family was Kim and husband Mike Brace and daughters Allison and Sara and Kim's granddaughters. Many of my mother Jane's family were there.  Uncle Bud and his daughter Rhonda were there.  From my Aunt Verna's family Bruce and Sue Trost came and I sat next to Denise Hole and her son James in church.  Also from Aunt Verna and Uncle Carl's family was Sandy and husband Gailyn Boeschling.  My Aunt Dorothy and husband Bob Evans was there and Dorothy's three daughters, Janet Sammons, Chris Blackwell and husband Joe and Cynthia Logan.

My son (...whose real name is Robert Michael but who goes by the name of Mike--which is also the name that my husband goes by, so to differentiate, I often say Mike2--except among family.) whose childhood nickname is "Sonny" and I drove to Trophy Club, Texas early (on Monday, August 6) because we wanted

Robert Michael Timothy Lee Brewer, is it any wonder they all call him Sonny!?!

to visit with my dad and my brother Gary and his wife, Judy from Delaware.  They'd arrived at my Dad's house, the last stop on their summertime 'trek' out to California (to see their new granddaughter Amelia for the first time and their sons Danny and Gary and their wives and children) and would be staying at my Dad's house until after the 2012 Nagel Family Reunion.  My Dad  is 92, and will celebrate his 93rd birthday this year.  My older

L.M. "Jack" Maggard was born November 19, 1919

Gary Maggard's birthday is June 12

Charla holding Amelia while Isabel does her own thing.

brother Gary was born in 1942.  Gary and his wife, Judy live in Bear Delaware close to his daughter Tammy Benbrook and her husband David.  They have two grandsons there, too, named Darrel (19) and Kyle (15).  They were not able to come to this year's Nagel Reunion and neither were Gary's son Gary (nor, wife, Stacy and sons David, Brandon, Noah and Luke) or son Danny (wife Sarah and  4 year old twins Kyler and Kaylin)  But Son Justin with his new wife Val were there and so was daughter Charla Alino with her husband Ignacio and daughters Isabel (2) and Amelia (about 1/3 of a year old).  

Gary Bonar and Gary Maggard

My older sister Marjean (born in 1944 and died in 1993) had children there including her son Gary Bonar with his son Andrew.  Marjean's daughter is named Jana, and her husband is Jeff  Sciba and they have sons Ethan (17) and Austin (8) and a daughter Abbigayle Jane (6).  as well as son Jack Bonar with his wife Amy and daughters Katy (16) and Emma (11).  I am the middle child with two older siblings and three younger ones.  My brother Doyle is 3 years my junior.  He and his wife Brenda hosted the reunion at the Lone Oak Ranch Retreat next door to his farm.  They finished building their 'farmhouse' and moved into it before New Years of 2012.  A big part of the fun at the reunion was visiting the farm and taking a tour of their beautiful house.  There was a huge water cooler blowing onto the patio outside making it almost pleasant to sit in the 

The water cooled patio overlooks the barns, pond and pastures.  Sitting outside are (left) Dorothy Evans, Kim Brace, Allison Bush, Sara Batchelder, Mike Brace, Stan Maggard, Jason Helal and Jack Maggard

hundred degree heat and visit comfortably!  Down at the barns there were chickens and horses and a donkey to see.  Lots of people were going down to the pond and fishing from the dock there.  Absolutely nothing was missing!  Doyle's son Kenny lives closeby and was able to be at the reunion all 3 days.  I grabbed the chance to visit with him and I know Sonny did too because Kenny is one of our favorite people!  Anne Helal and her husband Jason were there and I got a nice visit with her and her mother Brenda at the same time!  Anne and Brenda and my deceased daughter were close and it is pleasant to see what wonderful people Eva was close to.  I recognized Jason's singing in church and didn't resist telling him after the service what a beautiful voice he has. Anne and Jason's children Jordan, Logan and Alexis grew up so much since the last time I saw them I had a hard time not to say so.  Jordan spent some time entertaining the family with his guitar and singing.  Logan was the perfect gentleman and Alexis was taller than me, but still a youngster, I could tell, by the fact that she was everywhere and had energy that I'd love for her to share with me!  

Kim Brace said something that made Stan's crew all laugh!  That's Tammy Nagel in the left hand corner and all smiles are Derek Maggard, Jason and Chelsea Gould and Conni Maggard

Stan Maggard

My brother, ten years younger, Stan and his wife Conni were there, with son Derek and daughter Chelsea Gould and her husband Jason. They stayed up late to watch the meteor shower and whenever you'd look for Jason or Chelsea they were looking at bugs so you know they had a good time!  Stan's oldest son Jake was there with his wife Carrie and daughter Lauren (11) and son Brennan (8) and new baby boy (9 mos).  My 

Alex is teaching Blake the ropes to mobility!

brother twenty years younger, Bryan and his wife Denise were there with their two little ones Alex and Katy Jane.  Bryan loves to fish, so much of the time there was someone fishing at the dock who knew where everything was, and Alex knows his way around not just the fishing dock, but the whole farm, and the house too.  He got a chance to visit with everyone because all us adults were standing in line to hear what he had to say.  Katy Jane is quieter, but she was dressed cute as a button, adorable in her different hats and when she talked to me she was as full of questions as Alex used to be, so when she gets older there might be two or three who can answer every question.  Sometimes Doyle doesn't know and says "ask Brenda" or Brenda doesn't know and says "ask Doyle" but it didn't take me long to figure out the thing to do was to 'ask Alex!'  

Doyle Maggard

The Retreat was included a hotel and western style houses, a Dance Hall and Barroom an eating place and  outside I saw a swimming pool and a petting zoo and a church.  We all broke bread together on Saturday at a noonday meal and Saturday night before nature sent the Leonides meteor shower there was a wagon ride that traveled along the perimeter of the entire ranch, through the woods and swamps, over the bridge, down by the cows and the horses and (at one point you could look out and see Doyle's huge house and all his barns and the fishing pond) and ended up on the road in front of the hotel where everyone was sitting outside at the tables, past the swimming pool and back where it started at the Cafe in front of the yellow and white cottage where Steve Nagel and his family were staying.  And everyone got a chance to ride before it got dark enough to light the bonfire.  Another good time!  I started out sitting on a log next to my Uncle Bud (who will be 88 on August 19) and his daughter Rhonda and ended up sitting on a different log next to my Dad and Allison Bush and Sara Batchelder who were being served roasted marshmallows by Denise Hole (Aunt Verna's son Bruce's daughter) 's son James because Sara liked them burnt and they kept catching fire.  I laughed and loved it all and was worn out still wanting to stay longer when it was time to go back and take a shower and tumble into my bed.  

Bud Nagel and Bruce Trost

Henry Nagel's family includes Evans, Logans, Beckers, Blackwells, Boeschlings as well as Nagels.

With the church as a backdrop, Mike Brace looks on while Steve and Elsie greet family including Dorothy Evans and daughter Cynthia Logan.  (That's Rollie Nagel who's almost out of the picture!)

On Sunday there was a church service.  The non-denominational congregation that is building the church up the road held a complete service for us and welcomed all us Nagel family in to sing the praises of the Lord.  The sermon was exactly the right thing to say to so many of us there.  It started out with us reading bible verses where our savior tells us not to fret or worry because worrying never helps and it could harm.  The sermon went on to tell us to be patient and never to lose our faith.  Put it into the hands of the Lord with prayer and the right results will follow even though sometimes we can't see it coming or we can only see it when we look back and realize that things could have gone differently.  It was altogether beautiful and moving and the perfect end to a perfect family reunion.

Brenda Maggard chats with Sandy and Gailyn Boeschling

My cousin Cynthia and me!

Dorothy Evans with daughters Janet Sammons, Cynthia Logan and Christine Blackwell

This beautiful view provided by the livingroom windows of Brenda and Doyle's house crosses the patio with it's umbrella tables and flows down to the pond and the barns and across the whole of the farm!