Ken and Tippy Hirasaki are the proud parents of a new baby boy! Kaz Napat Hirasaki was born 19 days early on 12 Aug 03, weighing six pounds eleven ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Tippy had an easy delivery and all are doing well. Tippy's parents and sister came from Thailand to visit, arriving five days after the birth. Kaz is Japanese and is an abbreviation of Kazu which means peace. Napat is Thai and means smart.

We hear that Jon and Sylvia Barker have taken a cruise to Alaska this summer. Perhaps they will share some details and photos for another edition.

It was a unanimous first place purple ribbon winner!! This summer the World of Pentecost church in Lexington Park MD, had a pie baking contest for men only. There were 15-20 pies entered in the contest; some of the entries were: coconut cream, key lime, apple cinnamon walnut, chocolate peanut butter and apple. The winning pie was Janice Patterson’s English Apple Pie recipe baked by her son-in-law Thomas Peoples. Congratulations Tommy!!

In some not so happy news, Jeanette Dupree recently lost both her father and a cousin, Bill and Matthew Price respectively. Our sincere sympathies go out to Jeanette and Nathan, and their family for their loss.

Likewise, Dennis Patterson recently lost his mother Katherine; condolences go out to Dennis and the Patterson family.

Family Reunion News!

The Cain Family Reunion and ninety-third birthday celebration for Jessie was held 7 Jun 03 at Farmerville LA. We had a reasonable turn-out and I think those who attended rather enjoyed the day. A highlight for many of was getting to meet some family previously not met. Mark Cain (son of Buford and grandson of Fred), his wife Michelle, children Zack, Brittney and niece Natalie Campbell traveled all the way from west Texas for the day; we thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet them. Similarly, Mary Cain, the widow of Fred Burris Cain attended with friends and it was a pleasure to meet her too. And lastly, Jay and Judy Easley were new to several of us and we thoroughly enjoyed their company as well! We have enclosed some pictures made at the reunion—more may be found on the family website, in addition to the family quiz with answers (that was a reunion handout). Also if you would like to contribute pictures to either the next newsletter or web site please feel free to do so.

Reunion Quiz:

By request of reunion attendees here is the Cain Match-Up Game for children and spouses of Mary Lou Belle And Alan Cain which was a reunion handout. At the end of the quiz there is a link to answers if you need help.

1.                            loved to fish, heart of gold, preacher man.

2.                            loved family, made good bread pudding, teacakes, believed in good education, and loved Christmas.

3.                            ferry operator, railroad engineer, oil field gang pusher, foxhunter, good sense of humor, a real loving person.

4.                            amazing sweet disposition, hard worker in spite of handicap (glaucoma), greatly loved her family, talented seamstress.

5.                            watchmaker, quiet sense of humor, farmer and gardener.

6.                            trained her boys to help her keep a spotless house, good cook, especially the "best biscuits".

7.                            tool pusher, would do anything for you, favorite holiday, July 4th, celebrated with watermelons, homemade ice cream and a day full of games.

8.                            hard worker on farm and in oil field, believed in a good education, grew the biggest watermelons you ever saw.

9.                            loved to fish, loved company even when unannounced, songbird, loved her church and her family, great cook.

10.                          oilfield laborer, fisherman, chief cook and bottle washer, carpenter who catnapped after lunch on the floor, cute chuckles.

11.                          a "people" person who made you feel so welcome in her home, who loved life and loved to play tricks on her children.

12.                          hard worker, would give you the shirt off her back, loved her farm animals, one of her sayings for slow drivers, "why don't you park the car and walk over the hill".

13.                          worker in field, housewife, mother of two children of first husband, of German descent.

14.                          loved horses, always wanted family to come live with her, great fresh coconut cake baker and loved to give gifts.

15.                          electrician in a shipyard, refinery worker, farmer and gardener, good candidate for fastest pea sheller, after a big rain, "it came a toad strangler last night".

16.                          only one to graduate from high school, wanted to be a nurse, but became storekeeper and housewife, loved missionary work, you might hear her say, "sure nuff?".

17.                          loved to fish and hunt, oilfield laborer, skipper, great teaser of children.

18.                          sang a little "ditty" when counting down days left before he got married, "two more days and it won't be long", died of TB at 24 years old.

Click here to navigate to the answers.

Linda Hilburn was the guest of her niece and nephew, Theresa and Tommy Peoples at their Lexington Park MD home 5-14 April, just in time for the cherry blossom festival in D.C.

The vacation started off with a car tour of the capital mall the afternoon of arrival to see the cherry blossoms. President Bush was in the White House as indicated by the flag flying, but tours were not allowed at the time.

A trip to Virginia to visit Tommy's mother, Mrs. Helen Peoples, and her son, John, was on the agenda for the first part of the week. I was treated to a viewing of Helen's private antique collection of art, including cloisonne, various foreign wood carvings, family paintings and china as I got to know her better and visit in her home.

We had a very enjoyable ladies outing to visit President James Madison's home, Montpelier, and President Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, near Charlottesville.

A must for all, but especially ladies, is a visit to the former Emily Post's home, Hillwood Museum and Gardens, in Northwest D.C. The heir of the Post cereal fortune, collected among many art objects, prized Faberge eggs, Sevres china, Russian fine and decorative arts, holdings of Catherine the Great of Russia, French and European decorations.

Of course I attended very enjoyable services at Theresa & Tommy's church. Strausburg, Pennsylvania was next on the list to see the awesome drama of "Daniel, A Dream, A Den, a Deliverer" with a stop at a 5th generation Swiss chocolatier's shop on the way home.

Next, I was delighted to visit famous George Washington's Mt. Vernon where a million people a year tour.

The next day I was treated to visit Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, see the raising of the flag, the Francis Scott Key bridge, where just beyond Key wrote the poem during the War of 1812 that became "The Star-Spangled Banner".

Sunday, after early church, Theresa took me to see Point Lookout, a confederate fort, where we viewed the Potomac, and Patuxent rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. More was on the agenda, but as you can see it was very full. I feel very blessed.

1. Elmer Ward loved to fish, heart of gold, preacher man.

2. LouEtta Cain Edgmon loved family, made good bread pudding, teacakes, believed in good education, loved Christmas.

3. Fred Cain ferry operator, railroad engineer, oil field gang pusher, foxhunter, good sense of humor, a real loving person.

4. Minnie Cain Lasiter amazing sweet disposition, hard worker in spite of handicap (glaucoma), greatly loved her family, talented seamstress.

5. Meredith Hilburn watchmaker, quiet sense of humor, farmer and gardener.

6. Clara Cain trained her boys to help her keep a spotless house, good cook, especially the "best biscuits".

7. Henry Edgmon tool pusher, would do anything for you, favorite holiday, July 4th, celebrated with watermelons, homemade ice cream and a day full of games.

8. Brinkley “Bird” Lasiter hard worker on farm and in oil field, believed in a good education, grew the biggest watermelons you ever saw.

9. Ruth Cain Manning loved to fish, loved company even when unannounced, songbird, loved her church and her family, great cook.

10. Carl Barker oilfield laborer, fisherman, chief cook and bottlewasher, carpenter who catnapped after lunch on the floor, cute chuckles.

11. Rosie May Rebecca Cain Ward a "people" person who made you feel so welcome in her home, who loved life and loved to play tricks on her children.

12. Bessie Cain Longstreath hard worker, would give you the shirt off her back, loved her farm animals, one of her sayings for slow drivers, "why don't you park the car and walk over the hill".

13. Leona Dave Himar worker in field, housewife, mother of two children of first husband, of German descent.

14. Ada Cain Barker loved horses, always wanted family to come live with her, great fresh coconut cake baker and loved to give gifts.

15. Dallas Longstreath electrician in a shipyard, refinery worker, farmer and gardener, good candidate for fastest pea sheller, after a big rain, "it came a toad strangler last night".

16. Jessie Cain Hilburn only one to graduate from high school, wanted to be a nurse, but became storekeeper and housewife, loved missionary work, you might hear her say, "sure nuff?".

17. Olon Manning loved to fish and hunt, oilfield laborer, skipper, great teaser of children.

18. Willie Cain sang a little "ditty" when counting down days left before he got married, "two more days and it won't be long", died of TB at 24 years old.

Click here to return. Or click here to go to Linda's vacation story.