Thirty-four Bidwell cousins from eleven states and Ontario, Canada arrived at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square for the 2024 reunion. Cindy Bidwell and Danielle Bidwell of Iowa were the reunion hosts. We welcomed five first-time reunion attendees to the reunion!
Thursday was the official arrival day, but some Bidwell cousins came in early to settle in and enjoy the area. Reunion hosts treated the attendees to a delicious buffet dinner at the Red Iguana Red Tree Room in downtown Salt Lake City.
Friday morning began with a delicious group breakfast at the hotel. After a very short walk, we arrived at the FamilySearch Library, the largest genealogical library in the world! We spent the afternoon exploring, learning, and having fun! We began with an introduction and presentation telling us about the library followed by a presentation about the Son’s and Daughter’s of the American Revolution. After the orientation presentations were over, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the library. After lunch Bidwell cousins had the choice to go off on their own, work with a volunteer to research on the computers and make their fan charts, take a tour of the library, or participate in the Heritage Hunt. The Heritage Hunt was a favorite of many. Teams searched throughout the library to solve puzzles to crack great-great grandpa’s code. The competition was fierce!
Friday evening, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy dinner and a game night! We participated in “Bidwell Jeopardy” and “Bidwell Bingo.” Three couples (Cathy Bidwell-Moggy/Chris Moggy, Jim/Debbi Wilhelm, and Tina/John Bidwell) were chosen to participate in “The Bidwell Newlywed” game.
We shared a delicious breakfast on Saturday morning. Many raved about the delicious Kolaches. They derive from the Czech Republic and consist of a pastry with fruit filling surrounded by a puffy yeast dough or that same dough can be filled with deli meats and cheeses making the perfect breakfast sandwich!
The annual BFA Board Meeting followed breakfast. The meeting, which is usually held on Friday morning, has been changed to Saturday morning to allow BFA directors unable to travel to the reunion to join the meeting digitally. With the BFA business taken care of, we had a brief break followed by lunch in the Salt Lake Room. After lunch we met in the lobby to begin our guided tour of Temple Square. After the tour we had free time to explore the Church History Museum, the surrounding area of Salt Lake City, or just come back to the hotel to relax.
Saturday evening, we held our annual BFA Business meeting, banquet, and auction. BFA Director, Sandra Maslen elegantly led the installation ceremony of the 2024-25 officers and appointed positions. BFA Director, Linda Jakubowsky remembered those we lost with such grace and emotion as she read the BFA Memorial List. BFA Director, Carol Bidwell offered our dinner prayer. A delicious dinner was enjoyed by all. In addition to the traditional dessert, BFA 1st VP Zeb Bidwell and BFA Director, Amy Misawa-Bidwell, treated us to beautiful and delicious hand painted cookies from Los Angeles. The cookies were in the shapes of a family tree, the Bidwell crest, the Bidwell two-volume book set, and the mountains that surround Salt Lake City.
The BFA auction was ran by BFA Director, George Bidwell and his grandson, Max Moggy. When these two get together there is always great entertainment and much laughter. Highlights of the auction were a bid won by BFA Director Ann Cline, to choose someone to receive a serenade from “Chuck the Canuck!” (aka Max Moggy). Chuck did not disappoint as he sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow” to BFA President, Tina Bidwell! Max and George continued to entertain throughout the auction and at one point we even saw Max modeling a dress! Lynda Bidwell and Cathy Bidwell-Moggy served as recording secretaries for the auction.
Sunday morning’s tour began with boarding the bus for the Salt Lake City tour that included a stop to enjoy a performance from the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir! After the performance, the bus tour took us past the location of the 2002 Olympics, Heritage Park with views of the Pioneers of 1847 Monument, Mansions of Salt Lake City, and a stop at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. The Cathedral was complete in 1909. It is the only Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene. Our guide and bus driver offered interesting facts about Salt Lake during our tour.
After being dropped off at the hotel for a brief break, rides were arranged to go to the Natural History Museum of Utah. Many started with enjoying a delicious lunch at the Museum’s Canyon Café. After lunch we enjoyed a self-guided tour through the museum. The museum had outdoor options that offered stunning views of Salt Lake City.
We ended our evening with a group dinner at Squatter’s Pub. After dinner, Reunion Host Cindy Bidwell, offered her appreciation to everyone for attending the reunion. She expressed her happiness that our group had finally gone to the FamilySearch library as it was visited so many years ago by BFA founder, Joan Bidwell during her countless years of research for the BFA.
Thank you to Cindy Bidwell and Danielle Bidwell for a wonderful reunion! Thank you also to Zeb & Amy Bidwell for the help they gave to the reunion hosts. It was a wonderful reunion!
Attendees of the 2024 BFA Reunion – Salt Lake City, UT
(*denotes first reunion)
Arizona
Ann Cline
California
Katharine Bailey*
Zeb Bidwell and Amy Misawa-Bidwell
Miles Bidwell
Mya Bidwell
Ed and Kathy Wilhelm
Iowa
Cindy Bidwell
Danielle Bidwell
Linda Jakubowsky
Barb Lewison
Maryland
Pamela West
Minnesota
Carol Bidwell
New York
John and Tina Bidwell
Nan Egan
Sandra Maslen
Ohio
John and Sherry Parmenter
Oklahoma
Kevin White
Ontario, Canada
George and Lynda Bidwell
Cathy Bidwell-Moggy and Chris Moggy
Max Moggy
Janet Walther*
Oregon
Debbi and Jim Wilhelm
Pennsylvania
Shirley Aravich and Jim Rinker
Utah
Gabrielle Bidwell*
Russ and Cindy Taylor*