September 30, 2006
REPORT FROM NASHVILLE
Dear Kissam Family Association,
As the outgoing president of the Kissam
Family Association, I thought as my last official act as president it would be appropriate to report to the family on the
activities and actions at our 6th national reunion in Nashville earlier this month.
First and foremost, I am proud to announce that our new president is Dr. Barbara Kissam, recently of Wisconsin and
as of October of South Carolina. She is a 12th generation Kissam in
America, the daughter of former president William T. Kissam and his wife Jayne, the wife of Matt Williams and the mother to
Michael, Chris and Emily. Barbara was nominated by the board of the Association
and elected by acclamation by those in attendance in Nashville.
A more complete report of the reunion
will be forth coming in our next newsletter which I am also pleased to announce will be handled by our continuing secretary
Kathy Lake, also of South Carolina. I will also continue as treasurer, and to
date the board members are, Babette Kissam of South Carolina, William Paul Kissam of Texas, Dr. Edward B. Kissam of Florida,
Robert V. Kissam of Texas, Roger Kissam of New York, Kimberly Kissam of Massachusetts, Edward W. Kissam Jr. of Washington,
Russell Lord of Florida, J. Benjamin Kissam of South Carolina, William T. Kissam of Alabama and Todd Kissam of Virginia.
Pictures in the newsletter and on the website
will show 81 Kissams from 5 different generations of Kissams in America having an awfully good time receiving a proclamation
signed by the President of Vanderbilt University on Friday, cruising down the river on Saturday afternoon, stomping their
feet at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night and picnicking on the grounds of the Hermitage, the accessorial home of our 7th
President Andrew Jackson, on Sunday. It was great to see 9th
generation Cornelia Early from New York and Geneva Kissam from Arizona, wife of 9th generation Roscoe Kissam hooping
it up with 1 year old Bailey Lackey and other 13th generation cousins. And
those in attendance will never forget the “bib” dance at the Hermitage by William T. Kissam from South Carolina
and Nancy Huff of California. We are still investigating whether or not Nancy
actually won that raffle prize.
Besides the election of officers and board
members on Sunday and the hardy partying throughout the weekend, we did manage to squeeze in a breakfast family meeting on
Saturday and a worship service at breakfast on Sunday. At the Saturday meeting,
a DVD of the Kissam House in Huntington, Long Island showed the successful completion of the Kissam Kitchen Project financed
largely from contributions of members of the Kissam Family Association. A letter from the board of directors of the Huntington
Historical Society expressing their sincere thanks for the continuing support of their efforts to preserve the history of
the Kissam family was read.
There was also a report from the Kissam
family board meeting that had been held the day before and the announcement of a new opportunity for members of the Kissam
Family that will again support and benefit the Kissam House owned by the Huntington Historical Society and the location of
the Kissam Family in America History Room.
The family board announced and initiated
a Kissam Family Walkway project that will extend the existing brick walk at the Kissam House in Huntington. This new area will exist largely of bricks engraved with the names of Kissams in America from all 13 generations. Each engraved brick could be bought for $100 and the details of the campaign are enclosed
on the second sheet. The board pledged to raise the first $2,000 that would include
the names of the 17 members of the family that lived in that house in the last part of the 18th century and the
first half of the 19th century. Also included in that pledge is a large engraved blue stone designating the area
as the “Kissam Family Walkway” and bricks for John Kissam the progenitor of the family, 1644-1695, and his son
Daniel Kissam, 1669-1752. All Kissams in America descend from those first two
generations.
To date, over $3,000 has been raised,
including monies from the board pledge and bricks dedicated to individual family members.
It is the thinking of the board that members of the family can choose to honor an ancestor, a grandchild or other family
member. The engraving includes three lines of 14 characters each. An example of an engraving already received from Luther F. Hughes honoring his mother: MARVA LEE
KISSAM HUGHES
1910-1994
The brick walkway will be installed
when we have sold a minimum of 100 bricks. Once installed, new engraved bricks
can be added at any time. There will be almost 1000 bricks in the area of the
family walkway. We encourage family members to consider honoring members of your
immediate family and/or ancestors of particular significance to your family. Bricks
could be given as a gift to family members to mark anniversaries, birthdays or holidays.
Not only will your family have its name engraved with other members of this national family, but the walkway will enhance
the Kissam House property on Long Island for all those that visit.
Well, that’s about all the room I
have. I have enjoyed working with the family as your president and look forward
to being a part of the continuing effort to preserve and extol the history of our family.
Sincerely,
Robert “Toby” Kissam
