FAIRFIELD — In spite of the unrelenting rain, seventy Baum family members coming from New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida gathered at the Thomas Baum house near Fairfield, NC for the 47th annual reunion on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014.  The anticipated large food selection of barbeque, fried chicken, ham, beans, potato and other salads, deviled eggs, and many more family favorites including pone bread created quite a feast for all.  And, nearby in the old Baum house dining room, was a table filled with delicious desserts of every description for all to sample.

Walter and Clare Baum, along with Ann-Cabell Baum Andersen and husband, Bryan, welcomed all to the event which recognized the oldest family member present and the youngest, nine-month old Evelyn Rose Dudley.  As part of the program, Clare Baum picked several younger ones attending and traced them back to their ancestor, Thomas Baum, who had lived in that very house, ca. 1816.

Following that, R.S. Spencer, Jr. updated the family on the recent publication of a paperback edition of Currituck Legacy   The Baum Family of North Carolina   and mentioned a second book telling of the Baum family, Getting to Pine Island   An Outer Banks Odyssey. Sherye Baum Bergmann then commented on continuing efforts to complete the genealogical family tree so generations after those documented in Currituck Legacy can see where they fit into the family lines.

Winners of a silent auction featuring a vintage wooden sewing table, wooden Coke crates, various candlesticks, vases and a dough bowl were announced near the program’s end.

Everyone was invited to explore the historic house and its steep stairs to the second floor and to peruse reunion scrapbooks before they left.  Family group photographs and more lively conversations continued until all had departed in the rain with happy memories and with hopes to return for the 48th reunion planned for the first Sunday in August 2015.