It’s been 15 years since I was invited to attend a special event with a family in Hancock County. I’d written a story for the Division of Wildlife’s Wild Ohio magazine concerning the event, and I feel it may be a good time to step back and look at the traditions that were held so dearly in the hearts of the attendees. Together, let’s step back in time — beginning a little further back than that initial invitation.
Setting the stage
It’s 1909 and Hungarian partridge are being stocked in Ohio; the first forestry school is incorporated in Kent; and the news is out that Indianapolis has opened a racetrack which will host a 500-lap competition. The Red Sox traded Cy Young to the Cleveland Naps and the Naps’ star shortstop, Beal Ball, executes an unassisted triple play.
Freshly-minted Lincoln head pennies are finding their way into Ohioan’s pockets just as the federal government passes the 16th Amendment, establishing the first income tax to retrieve them. Cincinnati-born William Taft becomes the 27th president of the United States while engineers and contractors begin building a new naval base named Pearl Harbor.
These were surely topics as Hancock County residents Zay Clymer talked to his brother-in-laws Verne Powell and Pearl Reese, cousin Cecil and family friend Cleo Hissong.
Eventually, the discussion turned to the upcoming hunting seasons. They were accustomed to living off the land and understood hunting as a way of life, the harvest of another renewable crop on their farms. While the effort did put meat in the pantry, it also provided an opportunity to bring their families together.
The plan. Eventually, an idea emerged. Why not organize a family hunt, invite along some close friends and make a day of it? The plan was taken to their wives for their consideration, and the ladies got just as excited about the concept and added their own suggestion.
Couldn’t the women, at least the ones that didn’t take to chasing game, put a meal together for the returning hunters? It would give them a chance to catch up on the latest news and to test some favorite recipes. The plans were made and preparations began for the opening day of the 1909 upland game season and the “Hunt Supper.”
Anniversary celebration
More than a century has passed since that first event, and I was privileged to be invited as a guest for the 100th celebration and dinner. The meal rotates between the families, and that November day found me at the home of Jeff and Shari Whitman in Findlay. My first impression as I walked up to the door was the number of vehicles parked outside. My knock was answered, and I was graciously escorted to the living room where introductions began. While I hadn’t yet seen the kitchen, its presence was obvious as a home-cooked meal’s anticipation floated through the air.
As a wildlife officer who had served in Hancock County since 1983, I was familiar with some of the faces, but if judged by my reception, you would have mistaken me for family. Stories began to flow about the 14 hunters who pushed the brush that morning in hopes of game, how the year compared to the last and how the last 10 had compared to the last 50.
I had to visit the kitchen. The cooks were working hard to put the finishing touches on the meal. When asked what was on the menu, one of my hosts smiled as she said, “Same as last year.” I commented I hadn’t visited last year and asked what they had for dinner then. “Same as this year,” she said with a bit of a taunt. That’s when another Hunt Supper custom was revealed. During the preparation of that first meal in 1909, the ladies had put together a list of recipes that were favorites among family members. These were written down and a cookbook developed to be a guide for the next year’s festivities … and so the book has been passed along, and the meal has remained the same since its inception.
It was pointed out that some adjustments were made which added beef and pork to the fare. The group was growing too large to rely on the hunters to be the sole providers of the main course.
I admit that I was now looking forward to the meal. The menu included old fashioned apple salad, pheasant, oyster dressing, candied sweet potatoes, pork and beef. For dessert there were chocolate and pecan nut cakes.
Fond memories
I was introduced to “Buzz” Powell and his cousin Marie Radebaugh. At 92 and 93 years young, they had a wealth of stories. When I asked them about their fondest memories, Marie smiled and said that each year was as important as the others and that each family meeting brings new memories. She also told me that each year seems to also bring a new baby to the meal.
Buzz echoed her comments and added that not once during the 100-year history of the hunt was anyone ever hurt. Neither Buzz nor Marie remember ever missing a year during their entire lives, having been brought to their first Hunt Supper just as these new children arrived at this family tradition.
Family member and tree farmer Dave Reese, with his Cheshire grin, pointed out that this is the first time that a game warden ever attended. He added that Don “Bud” Ramge, who served as the Hancock County Game Protector from the 1950s until the mid-1970s always stopped to talk to them during the hunt but never for supper. It seems I was the first to add this to their history.
When the time came to eat, nearly 60 family members spanning five generations paused as a prayer blessed the meal. The “Hunt Supper” was served, and it was more than I’d expected. Kids ran from room-to-room, Ohio State football played in the background, loud conversations popped up in every corner, yet the smiles I saw were far louder. They talked about hunting, the meal and lost family members, as if they might walk into the room. I’ve got news for them…I believe they were all there.
The year 2009 marked the 100th Hunt Supper. The descendants of Zay Clymer, Verne Powell, Pearl Reese and Cleo Hissong probably never guessed that their idea would persist this long, that it would be used to harbor the deep family attachments felt among these new generations or that you and I would take this moment to honor their memory and dedication to celebrating our natural, renewable resources and how deeply they are rooted in our heritage.
So, there it is — a walk back in time at how a simple tradition can bring a family together for more than a century. They’ve now added 16 years onto that historical family event. I know that new faces have emerged while others must visit in spirit – though I’m certain they’re joining in the festivities. I’ve always found it to be true that love can be found in a grandmother’s recipe box.
“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”
— Gustav Mahler
