Shurn Family Reunion History (1951-2025)
🌳 The Shurn Family Reunion – A Rich Heritage📜 Early Roots
The Shurn family legacy can be traced as far back as the 1840s, beginning with Drew Shurn and Emmaline Taylor.
🎉 The First Reunion – 1951
The Shurn Family Reunion began in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1951, held on Labor Day—a tradition that continues today.
👨👩👧👦 Founding Families
The very first gathering was small, including:
For the first five years, reunions alternated between South Bend, Indiana and Benton Harbor, Michigan.
By the sixth year, the reunion expanded into a traveling celebration, rotating among several cities.
📍 Current Rotation Cities
In September 1992, the Shurn Family Reunion adopted a constitution and became legally incorporated as The Shurn Family.
Thirteen officers were elected to the National Board of Directors, with the first meeting held in Nashville, TN during the reunion.
👑 First National-at-Large Officers
The Shurn family legacy can be traced as far back as the 1840s, beginning with Drew Shurn and Emmaline Taylor.
🎉 The First Reunion – 1951
The Shurn Family Reunion began in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1951, held on Labor Day—a tradition that continues today.
👨👩👧👦 Founding Families
The very first gathering was small, including:
- B.B. Shurn
- Eles Shurn
- Robert Shurn
- Fred Douglas Shurn
- Vinnie Shurn Crenshaw
- Annie Shurn Greer
- Lula Shurn Bogan
- Louise Shurn
- Sammie Shurn
For the first five years, reunions alternated between South Bend, Indiana and Benton Harbor, Michigan.
By the sixth year, the reunion expanded into a traveling celebration, rotating among several cities.
📍 Current Rotation Cities
- South Bend, IN
- Benton Harbor, MI
- Chicago, IL
- St. Louis, MO
- Colt, AR
- Detroit, MI
- Springfield, MA
- Nashville, TN
- Washington, D.C.
- Atlanta, GA
In September 1992, the Shurn Family Reunion adopted a constitution and became legally incorporated as The Shurn Family.
Thirteen officers were elected to the National Board of Directors, with the first meeting held in Nashville, TN during the reunion.
👑 First National-at-Large Officers
The goal of the board is to oversee the interest of each participating city, and to develop an organizational structure for governance. In 1993, the Shurn Family Reunion reached a new milestone and was featured in the spring issue of Reunion Magazine. The featured article stated our commitment to ensure a youthful perspective in the future by increasing the participation of youth in local chapters and the National Board of Directors, re-gentrification, education, conflict resolution, peace, love and unity.
In 1999, the Shurn Family Website (www.shurn.com) debuted. This initiative was made possible through the efforts of Barron Shurn, Arthur Shurn, and Fred D. Shurn, all of whom agreed to take the lead in developing the Shurn Family home page. A general agreement was made in which Fred D. Shurn would finance the project; Barron Shurn would serve as the senior technician; and Arthur Shurn would act as the Shurn Family Internet Committee project manager. Noricka Greyer, Eric Crenshaw, Rick Shurn, and Gwen Humphries all agreed to serve as members of the Shurn Family Internet Committee.
After 57 years, the Shurn Family tradition is alive and well and expected to grow and glow in the new millennium. To uphold our mission, it will take the love and support of the total family unit. As the old adages go: "If not us, then who; If not now, then when?" and "If we continue to do as we have always done, we'll continue to get what we have always gotten.” The sky is not our limit, it is our beginning. With love and family being the two main elements that keeps us tightly knit and woven together, we look forward to a bright and prosperous future..
The Reunions Magazine (reunionsmag.com) featured an article of the family in the Spring 1994 Vol 4 No 3 edition. The article was submitted by Dr. Joseph A Shurn.
In 1999, the Shurn Family Website (www.shurn.com) debuted. This initiative was made possible through the efforts of Barron Shurn, Arthur Shurn, and Fred D. Shurn, all of whom agreed to take the lead in developing the Shurn Family home page. A general agreement was made in which Fred D. Shurn would finance the project; Barron Shurn would serve as the senior technician; and Arthur Shurn would act as the Shurn Family Internet Committee project manager. Noricka Greyer, Eric Crenshaw, Rick Shurn, and Gwen Humphries all agreed to serve as members of the Shurn Family Internet Committee.
After 57 years, the Shurn Family tradition is alive and well and expected to grow and glow in the new millennium. To uphold our mission, it will take the love and support of the total family unit. As the old adages go: "If not us, then who; If not now, then when?" and "If we continue to do as we have always done, we'll continue to get what we have always gotten.” The sky is not our limit, it is our beginning. With love and family being the two main elements that keeps us tightly knit and woven together, we look forward to a bright and prosperous future..
The Reunions Magazine (reunionsmag.com) featured an article of the family in the Spring 1994 Vol 4 No 3 edition. The article was submitted by Dr. Joseph A Shurn.