Karnis Family of Allenville Gather in Georgia

Descendants of the Karnis family of Allenville gathered for their annual reunion, which usually is held in Allenville, however, this year the reunion was in Dallas, Georgia, July 8 to 10. Pictured is a July, 1957 Karnis family reunion photograph of (from left) Frances, Ann, Walter, Vern, John, Cecelia “Ceil,” Josephine, and Gerry Karnis.

The second and third generations of the descendants of Frank and Anna Karnis of Allenville came together for the annual Karnis Kugelis Festival family reunion in Dallas, Georgia, Friday, July 8, to Sunday, July 10.

It was the first Karnis family reunion in Georgia, as the reunion was traditionally held in Allenville. The late Mr. and Mrs. Karnis had 10 children.

Being of Lithuanian descent, each of the family members contributed to the welcoming, lavish buffet of their favorite childhood foods known to the family as “Pashi Specialties.” Family members also enjoyed many playful contests, horseback riding, water skiing, fishing, and celebrating during the get-together.

The event was at the Neill and Billa Faucett family’s house.

Karnis family descendants who attended are as follows:

From the Karnis family: Pam and Erv Karnis Busch of St. Charles, Illinois; their son, Todd Busch, and his wife, Dawn, and their children, Mikala and Emma, of DeKalb, Illinois; Dawn Karnis Crispin and her husband Matt of Holiday, Florida; her son and his wife, C.J. and Lorna Seestadt, with their children, Kaelynn and Kiera of Romeoville, Illinois; Gale Karnis Zikis and her son Brian Phenegar, with his daughter, Brianne, and Brian’s girlfriend, Stacey; Ms. Zikis’ daughter Kerstin, and her two sons, Timothy and Zach Temmerman, of Downers Grove, Illinois; Gregg Karnis of Elk River, Minnesota; and Wayne and Elaine Karnis, with their daughter, Melanie, of Otto, Texas.

Attending from the Ann Loetz family: Bernadine Loetz Dosch of Grayling and her daughter Ann Dosch Berglund of Kalamazoo; and Ms. Dosch’s daughter, Karla Dosch Fisher of Farmington, with her three children, Luke, Alex, and Elizabeth Rose; Donald Loetz of Waynesville, North Carolina, with his son, Ben, and his wife, Sheila, along with their two children, David and Sophia, of Louisville, Kentucky; Mr. Loetz’s daughter, Renee Loetz Bissell, with her husband, Eric, and son, Eric Jr., and her daughter Amanda, of Cumming, Georgia; Patricia Loetz Jensen and her daughters, Rebecca Jensen and Rachel Jensen Faucett, with her husband, Jonathan, and their three children, Isabella, Jonah, and Murphy.

From the family of Gerry Kelly: Jim and Louise Kelly of St. Ignace, and Kay Kelly Bohls and her husband, Don, of Cheboygan.

From the family of Frances Lenkowski: her grandson, David Lenkowski of Chicago, who represented his father, Bill Lenkowski of Utah, and his family.

The next Karnis family reunion is scheduled for the second weekend of July, 2008, in Dallas, Georgia.