Kinfolk Gatherings LAKE ASHBY · JULY 2027

THE 10TH REUNION Every fifth summer since 1982

Kinfolk Family
Reunion 2027

Three long summer days on Lake Ashby. A fish fry on Friday, the big family photo on Saturday, pancakes and goodbyes on Sunday, and four generations under one string of lights.

Fri–Sun, July 16–18, 2027
Early birds from Thursday the 15th

Heron Point Lodge
Lake Ashby, Wisconsin

RSVP by May 1 See the weekend

Until we’re all together

–DAYS
–HOURS
–MIN
–SEC

Check-in opens Friday, July 16 at 3:00 pm in the lodge lobby.

128 family members have said yes

May 1

RSVPs close

June 1

Shirt orders close

June 15

Fees due & room blocks released

July 16

Check-in from 3:00 pm

Paddle boats moored at a dock

Boats at the launch

String lights glowing overhead at an evening gathering

The pavilion lights, 2022

45 SUMMERS

A note from the committee

Dear Kinfolks, near and far,

In the summer of 1982, Harold and June Kinfolk set two picnic tables behind the farmhouse in Oak Hill and invited everyone they were related to. Thirty-one people came. Nobody expected it to become a tradition, and yet here we are, planning the tenth one.

This July we are going back to Heron Point on Lake Ashby, where the last reunion went so well that we voted to return before the dishes were done. There are cabins on the water, a pavilion big enough for all of us and a fire circle where the ghost stories get a little taller every five years.

Bring your appetite, a folding chair and your stories. We will take care of the rest.

With love,

Carol, Denise, Marcus & Tasha

THE 2027 REUNION COMMITTEE

4 generations

41 households

13 states & provinces

The weekend

Four days, one lake, a lot of pie

Everything is optional except the family photo. Times are Central, and the dinner bell is loud.

FRIDAY, JULY 16

Welcome home

3:00 pm

Registration & welcome bags

Lodge lobby

Pick up name tags (colour-coded by branch), your reunion shirts and the weekend map.

All ages

4:30 pm

Family history table opens

Great room

Bring old photos and letters. Grace has a scanner and will hand the originals straight back.

6:00 pm

The Friday fish fry

Lakeside pavilion

Walleye and perch, coleslaw, rye bread and hush puppies, in Tom Carver’s honour. Vegetarian plates on request.

MealAll ages

8:00 pm

Welcome circle & roll call by branch

Fire circle on the point

Each branch stands up and cheers. It is as loud as it sounds.

9:00 pm

Campfire, s’mores & the loon story

Fire circle on the point

Uncle Walt tells it every reunion. It has never ended the same way twice.

All ages

Venue & lodging

Heron Point Lodge
on Lake Ashby

A 1930s lodge on its own point, with twenty-two cabins, a sand beach, a screened pavilion that seats 180 and a fire circle facing west for the sunsets.

Boathouse cabin on the lake

The great room, where the family table lives

Heron Point Lodge

4480 Heron Point Road, Ashby, Wisconsin
Front desk (715) 555-0190

GETTING HERE BY CAR

Chicago

4 h 10 min

Minneapolis

5 h 20 min

Madison

2 h 45 min

Nearest airport

1 h 10 min

Pick your kind of stay

Mention the Kinfolk reunion or use the group code below. Blocks are held until June 15.

Comfortable hotel room with a large bed6-9 min drive

HOTEL BLOCKS IN TOWN

Two hotels in Ashby

Ashby Harbor Inn$129/night

Queen or double-queen rooms, breakfast included, 6 minutes to the lodge.

GROUP CODEKINFOLK27

Lakeview Suites$149/night

Suites with kitchenettes and an indoor pool, 9 minutes away.

GROUP CODEASHBYR2027

Rooms in the block31 of 45 booked

Lakeside cabin among the pinesOn the point

CABINS AT HERON POINT

Lakeside cabins

Two-bedroom, sleeps 6$210/night

Screened porch, full kitchen, two-night minimum.

Four-bedroom, sleeps 10$340/night

Right on the water with its own fire pit. Perfect for a whole branch.

BOOKING CODEHERON-KIN

Cabins held for us18 of 22 taken

Calm lake water at sunrise by the campgroundBudget friendly

CAMPING ON THE EAST SHORE

Tent & RV sites

Tent site$38/night

Fire ring, picnic table and a short walk to the bathhouse showers.

RV site with hookups$55/night

30/50-amp, water and sewer. Rigs up to 40 feet.

SITE CODECAMPKIN27

Sites held for us9 of 24 taken

Who’s coming

The list is getting long

128 family members confirmed
from 41 households

Toward the 160 we hope to see80%

13states & provinces

91years: Great-aunt Dot, our eldest

5months: baby June, our youngest

Add your household RSVPs close May 1

RSVPS BY FAMILY BRANCH

Pryor cousins27
Earl’s family22
Ray’s family19
Ruth’s branch (Carver)16
Peggy’s branch (Okafor)14
Samuel’s branch13
Walt’s branch9
Friends of the family8

ARRIVING ON

LATEST RSVPS

  • RLThe Lund family4 · Minneapolis, MN
  • GOGrace & Zoe Okafor2 · Atlanta, GA
  • DCDaniel & Priya Carver3 · Toronto, ON
  • DPDot Pryor1 · Oak Hill, OH

RSVP by May 1

Count your household in

One form per household. Your headcount, plates, shirts and estimated fees add up as you go.

1 Your household

2 Who’s coming

Adults18 and over · $452
Teens13 to 17 · $300
Kids4 to 12 · $152
Little onesUnder 4 · free1

3 Arrival & lodging

Which day will you get to the lake?

4 Saturday banquet meals

One plate per person aged 4 and up. Little ones eat from the kids’ buffet.

BBQ plateBrisket & chicken2
VegetarianGrilled vegetable stack0
Gluten-freePrepared separately0
Kids’ plateMac & cheese, sliders2

5 Reunion T-shirt sizes

One Lake Blue shirt is included for every registered person aged 4 and up. Other colours are in the shirt shop.

YS1
YM1
YL0
S0
M1
L1
XL0
2XL0

6 Anything else

We only use your details to plan the reunion. No payment is taken on this form.

Shirt shop

Reunion shirts, in five summer colours

Screen-printed on soft cotton blend by a print shop in Ashby. Order extra colours here, including for relatives who can’t make the trip; we will mail theirs.

Lake Blue · front

Soft & roomy

Cotton-poly blend, unisex fit, youth sizes too

Printed in Ashby

Two-colour print by a family-run shop

Order by June 1

Picked up Friday or mailed in July

Colour

Lake Blue Sunset Coral Warm Sand Pine Green Night Lake

Sizes & quantities

Youth · $16S0
Youth · $16M0
Youth · $16L0
Adult · $18S0
Adult · $18M1
Adult · $18L0

Plus $20

2XL0
3XL0
Size chart (chest width, inches)

Youth S 26 · M 28 · L 30. Adult S 34 · M 36 · L 38 · XL 40 · 2XL 42 · 3XL 44. When between sizes, size up — the fit is classic, not slim.

Delivery

1 shirt in Lake Blue$18

Orders close June 1. Pay with your registration fees.

Prefer checkout now? Buy this shirt in the shop with cart & secure checkout.

Fees & contributions

What it costs, and where it goes

Fees cover food, the pavilion and great room, one shirt each and the lake games. Lodging is booked and paid separately. Fees are due by June 15.

$45

Adults

18 and over

$30

Teens

13 to 17

$15

Kids

4 to 12

Free

Little ones

under 4

Every fee includes

  • Friday fish fry
  • Saturday breakfast, lunch & banquet
  • Sunday farewell brunch
  • One reunion T-shirt
  • Lake games, crafts & prizes
  • Digital memory book

Where each dollar goes

  • Food52%
  • Pavilion & great room21%
  • Shirts12%
  • Games & prizes8%
  • Memory book & photos7%

Based on a total reunion budget of $9,480. Denise posts the final accounts on this page after the weekend.

Due by June 15 Full refund until June 15 Shirts included

The Grandma June Fund

June never let anyone miss a reunion over money, and neither will we. Gifts to the fund cover fees and gas for families who need a hand. Nobody is named, ever.

$1,860 of $2,50074%

Pay fees or give $50 online

For organisers: connect a payment link here. Make checks out to “Kinfolk Reunion Fund” and mail to Denise Kinfolk, 1418 Maple Court, Naperville, IL 60540.

The family tree

Harold & June’s line, four generations on

Earl’s, Ray’s and the Pryor families have their own pages in the memory book. Spot a mistake or a missing baby? Tell Carol.

  • Generation 1
  • Generation 2
  • Generation 3
  • Generation 4
HW Harold Kinfolk1929–2011 1951 JW June Pryor Kinfolk1932–2020

Ruth Kinfolk Carver & Tom Carver

b. 1952 · Tom 1950–2023 · 9 descendants

Michael Carver & Anita Carver

EliNora

Carol Carver Beck & James Beck

SadieOwenLily

Daniel Carver & Priya Carver

Asha

Samuel Kinfolk & Denise Kinfolk

b. 1955 · 7 descendants

Marcus Kinfolk & Tasha Kinfolk

JordanMaya

Angela Kinfolk Reyes & Luis Reyes

SofiaMateo

Nathan Kinfolk

Margaret “Peggy” Okafor & Emeka Okafor

b. 1958 · 8 descendants

Chidi Okafor & Hannah Okafor

AmaraTheoJune

Grace Okafor

Zoe

Sammy Okafor & Leah Brandt

Ruby

Walter “Walt” Kinfolk & Linda Kinfolk

b. 1963 · 4 descendants

Rebecca Kinfolk Lund & Erik Lund

AstridHenry

Tyler Kinfolk

Good questions

Before you
pack the car

If your question isn’t here, Carol has probably answered it twice already and will happily answer it again.

Who is invited?−

Every descendant of Harold and June Kinfolk and of Harold’s brothers Earl and Ray, the Pryor cousins, and all of their spouses and partners. Close friends who feel like family are welcome too. If you are wondering whether you count, you do.

Can we come for just one day?+

Yes — Saturday is the day if you can only pick one: the family photo is at 11:00 am and the banquet is at 6:00 pm. Day-trippers pay the same daily fee and get the same shirt.

Are dogs allowed?+

Dogs are welcome on leash outdoors and in tents and RVs, but not in the lodge rooms, the great room or the pavilion during meals. Walt’s labrador Biscuit will be there to enforce the rules.

Is the venue accessible?+

The lodge, great room, pavilion and bathhouse are step-free with accessible restrooms. The beach and fire circle are reached by a packed-gravel path. Tell us on the RSVP what you need and Marcus will sort it.

Is the lake safe for kids?+

The swim beach is roped and sandy with a gentle slope, and there are two certified lifeguards on duty Saturday afternoon. Outside those hours, kids swim with an adult buddy. Life jackets are free at the east dock.

What if we have to cancel?+

Full refund of fees and shirt orders until June 15 — just reply to any committee email. After that we have already paid the caterer, but we will mail your shirts and memory book.

Will there be phone signal and Wi-Fi?+

Patchy signal, decent lodge Wi-Fi. Enough to post the family photo, not enough to work through it — which is rather the point. The lodge lobby has the strongest connection and the best rocking chairs.

Organisers

The 2027 reunion committee

Four cousins, one group chat, and a spreadsheet with too many tabs. Reach the right person directly.

DW

Denise Kinfolk

TREASURER

Fees, refunds, checks by mail and the Grandma June Fund.

(630) 555-0127

MW

Marcus Kinfolk

LODGING & TRAVEL

Room blocks, cabins, accessible cabins and rides from the airport.

(312) 555-0163

TW

Tasha Kinfolk

SHIRTS & KIDS’ ACTIVITIES

Shirt orders, the craft tent, the lake games and volunteer shifts.

(312) 555-0188

Got photos from past reunions?

Grace is gathering them for the Saturday slideshow and the memory book.