Thanksgiving is an American holiday that brings people together to pause, reflect, and give thanks for the blessings of the past year. Traditionally, its origins trace back to 1621, when Pilgrim settlers and the Wampanoag people of the Plymouth Rock region of Massachusetts gathered to celebrate a successful harvest. This moment of shared gratitude marked a triumph over the trials and tribulations that had tested the Plymouth Colony during its early years.
The formal establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday came much later. In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed November 26, as a day of Thanksgiving. However, the date varied for many years. It wasn’t until 1863, during the height of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving would be observed on the last Thursday of November.
Today, while customs differ across families and regions, one universal theme remains: food—and plenty of it.
In my family, Thanksgiving is not just a holiday; it’s the cornerstone of a tradition dating back over a century. In 1885, John Winger and his sons traveled west from Newton, Kan., to establish their homestead in what would become Stanton County. After building a 14x18 sod house, John sent for his family. That first Thanksgiving in western Kansas was modest, featuring salted pork, rutabaga, and other preserved foods they had managed to store. The winter that followed was brutal, marked by a 10-day blizzard that decimated their livestock. Despite these hardships, the family’s resilience and faith saw them through.
John Winger not only raised cattle and broomcorn but also took on multiple roles within the community. He plowed land, carried mail, served as a county commissioner, and was an active member of the Methodist church. His determination laid the foundation for the family’s enduring legacy.
As the Winger family grew, so did its traditions. From his first marriage, John had two sons: James and Jonas. After losing his first wife to scarlet fever, John remarried, and he and Mary welcomed seven more children: Bert (1886), Leroy (1887), Stella (Brown) (1890), twins Charlie and May (Walters) (1892), Clarence (1894), and Pearl (Josserand) (1896). The second generation of Wingers, many of whom had large families of their own, remained close despite some branching out to other parts of the country.
The Winger family’s annual Reunion became an official tradition in 1932, when John and Mary celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Forty-two family members and extended relatives attended the event. Later that year, John passed away, and Leroy declared, “You’re all welcome to my house for a little while.” This simple statement solidified the annual Winger Reunion. Even during the Great Depression, the family found ways to care for Grandma Winger, rotating her care among relatives until her passing in Pretty Prairie in 1936. In her honor, the Thanksgiving reunion became a permanent tradition, often joked about as an “unspoken vow” for anyone marrying into the Winger family.
Through the decades, the reunion has grown and evolved. While initially rotating locations between Johnson, Ulysses, Dodge City, and Pretty Prairie, the event now takes place primarily at the 4-H Building in Johnson. Each gathering begins with a prayer, a recounting of the Winger family’s history, and a roll call of branches in attendance. The highlight, of course, is the meal—a feast of main courses and desserts so abundant it could feed everyone twice over.
Though many of the original family members have passed on, the Winger Thanksgiving Reunion remains a cherished tradition nearly a century later. It serves as a reminder of the family’s resilience, unity, and gratitude through the years.
This Thanksgiving, whether your family has its own special traditions or simply gathers to share a meal, take a moment to reflect on the challenges and triumphs that have brought you to this day.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here