Juhnke Family Reunion
&
Juhnke Family History & Family Tree Book

Juhnke Family Reunion Report

Seventy-five members of the extended Juhnke family attended the reunion in the Hutchinson Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center on August 17 and 18, 2007. They came from California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Kansas.

The attendees were descendants of a brother and sister, Carl F. W. Juhnke and Fredericka Juhnke, who came from Germany to America in1869-70. Both Carl and Frances were married in Yankton, South Dakota, and later moved with their families to Kansas. Their descendants are scattered across North America.

Coming the greatest distance to the reunion were Peter and Brigitte Juhnke and their sons, Dominique and Patrick, from Germany. According to a tradition in Peter Juhnke's family, the Juhnkes originated in the Netherlands. They were a Protestant family that fled eastward to Prussia to avoid persecution by the Spanish Catholics in the Netherlands. Family genealogists are attempting to establish connections between various branches of the Juhnke family in Europe and America.

The oldest Juhnke family member in attendance was Elsie Juhnke Graber of Pretty Prairie, who recently had celebrated her ninety-first birthday.

Reunion activities included the telling of family stories, viewing photograph albums and artifacts, singing songs, taking a family quiz, and much conversation. Jerry Juhnke presented an illustrated lecture on history of the family.

The Juhnke reunion planning committee consisted of Jerry Juhnke and Jim Juhnke of Wichita, and Paul Holloway of rural McPherson. Jerry Juhnke is compiling a new family history and record book to expand and update a loose-leaf record published in 1995.
-- Jim Juhnke

The rest of the information regarding the 2007 Juhnke Family Reunion (below and links)
was compiled in advance of the reunion.

The descendants of Carl F. W. and Francis (Kaufman) Juhnke, the descendants of Karl and Fredrieka (Juhnke) Suenram, and the descendants Albert and Fredricka (Juhnke) Knopf held a family reunion on August 17 & 18, 2007, at the Grand Prairie Hotel in Hutchinson, Kansas. Individual family gatherings will be held in the Odyssey Atrium within the hotel on the evening of Friday, August 17, 2007 with a combined family gathering and dinner the morning of Saturday, August 18, 2007. Family members are welcome to plan other afternoon, evening and Sunday activities as desired. Major attractions in Hutchinson include the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center which boasts the largest collection of space artifacts outside of the Smithsonian, and the Kansas Underground Salt Museum where visitors can tour a working salt mine and salt museum over 600 feet below the surface.

In conjunction with the reunion, a family history and family tree book is being produced for the descendants of Karl and Fredrieka (Juhnke) Suenram, Albert and Fredricka (Juhnke) Knopf, and Carl F. W. and Francis (Kaufman) Juhnke. See the link for further details.

• Reunion Activities
• Accommodations
• Area Attractions
• Can You Help?

Reunion Activities

Friday evening, August 17, 2007: Plan to meet and visit with cousins and long lost relatives in the Odyssey Atrium at the Prairie Grand Hotel (see information on accommodations, below). You can plan to spend Friday night at the hotel at a special "Juhnke family reunion" room rate of $89.

Saturday at 10:30 AM, August 18, 2007: Family reunion meeting with entertainment, family news, games and other activities. Pick up your copy of the new Juhnke Family History and Tree Book (publication details will be available later). Learn more about the Juhnke family.

Saturday at 12:00 PM, August 18, 2007: Chuck Wagon Family Cookout buffet dinner for the entire family. Visit the Juhnke memorabilia and artifact table. See pictures of the family on display.

Saturday afternoon, evening and Sunday: Plan area activities with other family members. See the links below for area attractions.

Costs: To cover the cost of the reunion meeting room, the Chuck Wagon Family Cookout buffet dinner, and other reunion expenses, a contribution of $18 is requested for each person age 13 and older, and $10 for each child ages 5 through 12. There is no meal charge or reunion expense charge for children ages zero through 4.

Reservations: Please make your hotel reservations now. Additional instructions for the reunion will be posted soon.

Top of the page

Accommodations

The reunion will be held at the Grand Prairie Hotel & Convention Center. To reserve a room at the Grand Prairie Hotel, please call one of the numbers below. Be certain to ask for the special "Juhnke Family Reunion" room rate.

Grand Prairie Hotel & Convention Center
1400 North Lorraine Street
Hutchinson, KS 67501

Toll-Free: (866) KS-SPLASH
Local: (620) 669-9311
Fax: (620) 669-9830

For the Friday Night Get-together, a great place to renew old acquaintances with other family members is in the Odyssey Atrium, a wide area between rooms with seating. No reservations are necessary in this area, but you may want to consider having one of the cousins rent a room on the first floor that opens to the Atrium. This room might serve as a meeting place and a place for refreshments. Families with young children might consider using one of the family suites with a separate kids room to save some money and make it a special night with other cousins.

You are welcome anytime during the hotel stay to visit the Grand Prairie Hotel's Kansas SplashDown Indoor Water Park. Kids of all ages will enjoy this 20,000 sq. ft. space theme water park that includes:

• A rocket booster splash
• Spectacular tube and body slides
• A relaxing lazy river
• Water basketball
• Children's activity pool
• A poolside snack bar
• And a waterfall spa.

Top of the page

Area Attractions

• Hutchinson attractions at http://www.visithutch.com/
• Kansas Cosmosphere at http://www.cosmo.org/
• Hutchinson Art Center at http://www.hutchinsonartcenter.com/
• Kansas Underground Salt Museum at 620-662-1184
• Reno County Museum at http://www.renocomuseum.org/
• Yoder Amish Community at http://www.yoderkansas.com/
• Hedricks Exotic Animal Farm at http://www.hedricks.com/
• Dillon Nature Center at http://www.hutchrec.com/
• Hutchinson's Historic Fox Theatre at http://www.hutchinsonfox.com/
• Hutchinson Zoo at http://www.hutchgov.com/zoo/

Top of the page

Can you help?

We would appreciate volunteers of all kinds - people to help plan with the reunion committee, to coordinate events at the reunion, to provide entertainment at the reunion, to set up a Juhnke memorabilia and artifact table, to collect additional data, etc.

If you want to help, please call or E-mail one of the following and let them know your interests.

Please send your E-mail address to Jerry Juhnke at Juhnke500@AOL.com if you wish to receive E-mail updates on the reunion and book progress.

Top of the page

Last updated March 16, 2008.