It takes a ranch to host Rogers family reunion

<p>Close-knit families with generations of descendents are not uncommon in and around Petaluma. </p><p>Keeping close and staying in touch with everyone can pose a problem for those families who’ve outgrown the dining room table, the add-on family room, or the spacious back yard, which was one of the obstacles facing cousins Phyliss Sharrow, Lauren Bettinelli, and 10 additional cousins who formed the committee planning the recent Rogers family reunion. </p><p>If you’re unfamiliar with the Rogers name you might recognize some of their relatives whose surnames include Dolcini, Gallagher, McIsaac, Bettinelli and Cheda. If those don’t ring a bell it’s probable some of the other 60-plus family names who attended the gathering would. </p><p>They’re all ancestors of James Henry Rogers and his wife, Elizabeth. Rogers was the only child of Nicasio Valley settlers George and Mary Rogers, and his wife was the daughter of Nicasio pioneer dairyman and prominent land owner William Redding. James and “Lizzie” Rogers, who married in 1890, were the parents of 12 children, six boys and six girls, and have a lineage of 434 descendents both living and deceased. Those 12 children are known collectively as “The Twelve” to the four generations that have followed. </p><p>“They were the closest family we’ve ever seen. All the brothers and sisters would pitch in to help each other, then they’d party hard afterward,” recalled Sharrow, the daughter of the youngest of the 12 offspring, Clarence “Jiggs” Rogers, who was raised, along with her brother, Fredric, on her parents’ Nicasio ranch. “The Twelve” are all gone now, but their tradition of togetherness is still being fulfilled by their descendents with periodic family reunions, the most recent of which was held in a wooded glen on the Chileno Valley ranch of Leroy Dolcini. </p><p>Over time, many of the family members retained their agrarian heritage while others branched off into a wide range of careers, including teachers, a pharmacist, a thoracic surgeon, a high school football coach, a funeral director, an insurance agent, many farm-related occupations and one or two descendents who’ve “just disappeared.” They were widely known in this area since all but one of the original 12 families considered Petaluma their town to live, shop, or do business in. </p><p>Lauren Bettinelli, whose mother, Loretta, was the Rogers’ 10th born child, contributed considerable expertise to the committee, having helped plan a similar reunion for the Bettinelli clan several years ago. A former elementary school teacher who retired after 31 years at Cherry Valley School, Lauren lived on a Point Reyes dairy ranch before his parents moved to Petaluma, where his father, Laurence, worked at Pacific Guano and Kresky Manufacturing, and his mother taught at Lincoln Primary and McNear School.</p><p>“We had such a fun time doing the planning. It became hard to stay focused on topics, we kept drifting,” said Sharrow. Fortunately, another cousin, Sandy Hall, kept scrupulous notes of all the meetings. To keep it simple, they planned to barbecue chicken and hot dogs, with everyone obliged to bring a side dish and beverages of choice. On the day of the event the food was bountiful. Three tables were set up just for the salads, which included that reliable standby of older generations, green and orange Jello. Darlene Dolcini Lafranchi brought “pots and pots” of home-cooked beans and others brought homemade pies and cakes.</p><p>A chart of the extensive Rogers family tree was on display along with poster boards affixed with numerous family photographs. Everyone wore name tags, which had the number corresponding with which of “The Twelve” they had descended from, and greeters helped familiarize newcomers with each other. Of the nearly 300 attendees, the eldest was Dorothy Rogers Hall, 82, and the youngest was McKenzie Mann, just two months old. Unbridled energy abounded, with more than 60 children under the age of 12 rambling about. At the end of the celebration, the leftover food was thoughtfully wrapped and donated to the Petaluma Kitchen.</p><p><i>(Harlan Osborne’s column, Toolin’ Around Town, appears every two weeks. Contact him at harlan@sonic.net)</i></p>