Everyone was Müllerleile on the Kasperhof
On Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, 2015, people of all ages with the surname or maiden name Müllerleile swarmed to Martin and Brigitte Müllerleile’s Kasperhof in Schuttertal. 182 registered participants came to the fourth Müllerleile reunion in Germany, the sixth in total, including thirty from the US and two from Canada. They met to celebrate together, to share family stories and to go through a varied entertainment program. Guests from overseas took educational tours of the area Thursday and Friday.
In 1997, 2003 and 2009, previous reunions had taken place at the Kasperhof. The first formal Muellerleile reunion ever, in July 1997 in Monticello, Iowa, and the second reunion in Mankato, Minnesota in 2011, were organized by Hollywood actress Marianne Muellerleile. She was also there this year for the fourth reunion at the Kasperhof. There were informal reunions in the eighties.
The Kasperhof reunion program started with a tour of the farm and continued with a timber-sawing competition and cow bingo, in which two cows decided who took the handsome prize home.
Deacon Andreas Wilhelm held a bilingual prayer service on Sunday morning in the Kasper barn. Mayor Carsten Gabbert welcomed the participants of the meeting on Saturday. Former mayor Bernhard Himmelsbach and his son, Urban, were among the guests on Sunday.
In opening act of the pre-reunion tour, Herbert Müllerleile showed how he cuts and hauls wood with Schwarzwälder Kaltblut horses in Litschental. Wolfgang Fehrenbach demonstrated how a blacksmith forges metal into the Litschentaler inn "Schwert."
Otto Himmelsbach and his theater troupe illustrated courtly life in the Hohengeroldseck castle. In St. Peter the visitors enjoyed a tour of the former abbey, in Gutach on the Rommelehof farm they met Hubert and Hildegard Müllerleile and rode from Weizen to Blumenau with the Sauschwänzlebahn – and old-time train.
The name Müllerleile was first mentioned in connection with the Kasperhof in 1465, according to the late local historian Gerhard Finkbeiner. A special part of this gathering was a 50 meter long 2 meters high hard copy pedigree, that American family member Susan Berberich created with Markus Müllerleile from Schuttertal. It contained more than 4000 names, extended over all the walls of the large barn.
The participants were able to complete the information directly on paper or on the computer.
Order reunion souvenirs here.
Reunion
Saturday, July 11, 2015, Schuttertal, Kasperhof farm
10:00 a.m. Exhibition of photos and the current version of the family tree, correct and amend it. The exhibition will be open throughout the reunion.
11:00 a.m. Welcome of attendees by host Martin Müllerleile from the Kasperhof. Handing over of the memorial plaquette to the Kasperhof family by Marianne Muellerleile. Self-introduction of some of the participating families.
Noon. Lunch. 12:30 a.m. Mayor Gabbert greets the attendees.
Thereafter guided tour of the Kasperhof. Wood sawing competition. Purchase of special souvenirs in the Kasperhof shop.
4:30 p.m. Coffee brake. Cutting the Müllerleile cake.
6:00 p.m. Cow-Bingo.
7:00 p.m. Watch videos of Marianne Muellerleile and of the first reunion in Monticello.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
8:30 a.m. Worship Service at the Kasperhof with deacon Andreas Wilhelm..
Followed by brunch and open door.
1:30 p.m. Official photo of all attendees. Continue social hour.
4:00 p.m. Family reunion ends.
Pre-Reunion
Wednesday, July 8, 2015 Schuttertal
As of 6 p.m. Informal get-together of attendees who have arrived by then. Landgasthaus "Zur Eiche" in Schuttertal. Official welcome at 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
7:30 a.m. Schuttertal center, departure for train and history tour with one bus to Weizen.
Abt. 11:00 a.m. Arrival Weizen railway station
11:45 a.m. Departure from railway station Weizen with historic Sauschwänzlebahn on one of Germany’s most scenic railway routes. Arrival railway station Blomberg 12:51 a.m.
1:00 p.m. lunch at Hotel Jägerhaus in St. Peter im Schwarzwald.
4:00 p.m. St. Peter, tour of baroque ancient monastery Kloster St. Peter auf dem Schwarzwald.
7:00 p.m. Gutach Rommelehof, run by Müllerleile family with farm tour and supper.
10 p.m. Departure for Schuttertal.
Friday, July 10, 2015
10:00 a.m. Departure for Müllerleile heritage tour from Gasthof Schutterblick, starting with the scenic Hintererhof in the Litschental in Seelbach, meet Herbert Müllerleile.
Followed by tour of the sword hammer mill in the Litschental, the ancient weaponry of the counts of Hohengeroldseck. There guided tour.
Noon. Lunch in Gasthaus Schwert. After lunch departure for Hohengeroldseck castle ruin.
3 p.m. Special event on Hohengeroldseck ruin with fanfares, storytellers, fencing duel, medieval weapons, bagpipe player, prisoners, co-ordinated by Otto Himmelsbach.
7 p.m. Dörlinbach, supper at Jägertonihof.
Müllerleile Family photo 2015 at the Kasperhof in Schuttertal, taken by Wilhelm Billharz
Download of the picture here or klick on the photo.