Ya gotta love Cumberland

What started out to be a fun day in downtown Cumberland, Maryland on my bicycle turned out to be thrilling! First stop was to see the scenic locomotive off, then some biking. While observing all the gears and iron parts inside the steam engine and the fireman oiling the works, I noticed the engineer climb down from the massive locomotive and walk towards the station with a couple of people. I hung out there beside the chugging steaming beast watching the fireman shovel coal into it’s belly and listening to locomotive enthusiasts pointing out and talking about what does what and observed them taking close-up photos of who knows what within and around the gears and wheels of the engine. It was about 15 minutes to departure time and the engineer returned with the others. It was then I realized the people he was with were members of his family. The younger man, his son or grandson perhaps, gave him a hug and said, “see you later, Pap, I’ll cut your grass for you”. Touched by the exchange, I quickly asked if I could take their photo. After allowing me to photograph them, the young man proudly said, “this is three generations here!” and he and his son departed.

Mr. Hovatter climbs up into the locomotive.

Inside the Locomotive

That’s when the thrilling part comes in… the engineer invited me (yes ME!… with all those locomotive affectionados there) up into the engine compartment. I did not need to be asked twice and quickly (but carefully) made the giant climb up into the cab. That’s when I realized a locomotive engineer’s job is not easy… he must sit right in front of 5000 degrees of burning coal (this is what the fireman said, "5000 degrees"; seems kind of high to me). Mr. Hovatter opened the doors of the fire box so I could see it and then he offered to take my photo. Thank you, Mr. Hovatter, for a thrilling Sunday morning! I will always remember the day you invited me into the engineer’s seat of the Cumberland to Frostburg scenic railroad steam locomotive.

Engine 734

"The light at the end of the tunnel may be an oncoming train"
All good things must come to an end… Mr. Hovatter said, “the boss is coming, he can be grouchy”, so I volunteered to climb down on the other side of the engine and cross in front to avoid getting caught; that’s when I got this shot of the front of this huge piece of machinery.

Engineer Mr. Hovatter

Cumberland's Snow Train

McFarlane Reunion July 7, 2007

July 5, 2007 Chere Athey, Barbara (McFarlane) Poyer, Linda (Johnson) Bailey, Rachel Poyer, Carolyn McFarlane and Beth (McFarlane) Rollins at Chere's Cumberland, MD home a few days before the reunion. We pored over memorabilia, shared stories from our childhood and had a lot of laughs.

Cumberland Scenic Train Station 7/6/2008

Steve Bailey and Mickey Kelly at lunch stop.
Niece & auntie - Rachel Poyer and Beth (McFarlane) Rollins
Sisters Linda (Johnson) Bailey & Cindy (Johnson) Kelly
Lydia & Ruth (Thrasher) Marsh on board scenic train
Lunch on the train - Mac Thrasher and his friend June (Steel) Clark
Sisters Carolyn and Barbara on the scenic train heading up to Frostburg and the Thrasher Carriage Museum.
On board the scenic locomotive - Chere & Don Athey, Lydia & Ruth Marsh
Frostburg terminus - here the train is on the turn table turning around to go back to Cumberland.
The day before the reunion, some of us rode the scenic steam locomotive from Cumberland to Frostburg wearing our McFarlane Reunion T-shirts with the James G. McFarlane family on front.

Visits during the McFarlane Reunion 2007

We were able to meet up with 3rd cousin (pharmacist) Jim Ritchie and his sister Norma (in the Presbyterian church yard). Linda Johnson Bailey, Norma & Jim Ritchie, Chere Thrasher Athey, Carolyn McFarlane
We visited little Aurora Thrasher and her mother April at the Queen City Creamery during the reunion weekend. Aurora's father is the late Josh Thrasher who died a couple of months prior, on April 15, 2007.

Tammy & Eric Watkins (cousin Cindy's daughter and her husband) at Shaw Mansion

Amanda McFarlane, granddaughter of David McFarlane & Chere @ Frostburg Memorial

Don Athey, Craig Marsh, Rachel Poyer, Ruth Marsh, Carolyn McFarlane, Steve Bailey, Beth McFarlane, Barbara Poyer, Chere Athey where we dined at Cumberland Country Club 7/6/2008.
Chere, Carolyn, Beth, Angie, Rachel, Barb & Linda in front of our grandparent's, Sam & Lizzie McFarlane's home on Watercliff St. in Lonaconing, MD.
Barb, Beth, Chere, Carolyn, Angie, Mark, Linda, Mac, Steve and Don at Old Coney cemetery, Knapps Meadow, MD.

We visited churches, cemeteries and home sites of our ancestor's in the Georges Creek area. Here we 3 cousins are in front of the Presbyterian church in Lonaconing, MD where our McFarlanes attended, were married, baptized, buried.

McFarlane Reunion July 7, 2007

Some of the McFarlane reunion attendees

The Big Night

Cousins Samuel McFarlane Thrasher and Linda Johnson Bailey
Chere (who didn't wish to talk... notice Carolyn's grin) trying to give a bit of history on how we cousins got reunited and how it came to be that we covered so much genealogy territory in so little time.
Hostess extraordinaire Ruthie accepting her apron gift from Linda before the presentation.
Connor Watkins, Rachel Poyer, Cindy (Johnson) Kelly, Tammy (Kelly) Watkins
Arra & Anna May Bishop and Leah Marsh (tree in background)
Carolyn chatting with Flo & Paul Lease. Matt, Jack & Don look on.

Clever and creative cousin Linda made this fantastic family picture emblazoned apron for hostess Ruth (Thrasher) Marsh who opened up her beautiful home, Shaw Mansion, for cousins to stay during the reunion weekend. Ruth also cooked and served a sit down dinner for the entire reunion attendees.

Brother Jack Thrasher speaking to Flo Lease and Leah Marsh
Chere's children Dan and Angie and Dan's wife Tina pore over their family tree that stretched 30 ft., the entire length of Shaw Mansion's hall and around a corner for full display of all the McFarlanes and Stevensons that we had found so far (In 2008, we found even more!)

Family 1957 and 2007

Stevensons & McFarlanes Abt. 1957

Bottom-Linda Johnson, Chere Thrasher, Susane Cody, Jack Thrasher, Mac Thrasher Top-Beth McFarlane, Cindy Johnson, Pam Mont, Dave Powell, Steve Powell, Linda Mont, Carolyn McFarlane
Bottom-Sam McFarlane, Patsy McDowell, Ruth McFarlane Thrasher, Edna McFarlane Johnson, Nancy Mont. Top-Teddy Gillen, Lee McKenzie, Robert Gillen, Pauline Powell, Marie McKenzie
Cousins 1957 and 2007 Barbara (McFarlane) Poyer, Carolyn McFarlane, Linda (Johnson) Bailey, Chere (Thrasher) Athey, Cindy (Johnson) Kelly, Ruth (Thrasher) Marsh, Beth (McFarlane) Rollins taken on the front porch of Ruth's home, Shaw Mansion, Barton, MD where the reunion dinner/presentation took place.

Sanibel House

Don, Matt, and I spent a few hot summer days trimming trees and pulling weeds; then it was back to much cooler Western Maryland.

BBQ Party for Ruth

Sister Ruth paid Western Maryland a visit from Petaluma, CA 7/7 - 7/15/2008. Brother Mac (who lives in our home place in Knapps Meadow) threw a BBQ for her Friday night and did a spectacular job all by himself.

The Gang's All Here

We 4 Sibs, Ruth, Chere, Mac & Jack Thrasher at our home place in Knapps Meadow, now owned by brother Mac. The occasion was Mac's BBQ for Ruth. Taken in front of the chicken coop.

Our parents, Ruth (McFarlane) & John Thrasher, and Angie Blair

Vintage photo (abt. 1974) of our parents, Ruth & John Thrasher and Chere's daughter Angie Blair. I found this on Mac's desk in his den while giving Uncle Paul Thrasher a tour.

BBQ Chef Mac~Don, Janet, & Sheila

Fresh corn from Higson's Farm.

Janet Thrasher (Jack's wife), Ruth, and Sheila Robertson Thrasher (Paul's wife) 'round the campfire. Georges Creek Elementary in background.

"Love Birds" Janet & Jack Thrasher

Jack

Handsome Uncle Paul