The Dief(f)enbacher family reunites over 100 years after their first recorded family reunion

VERONA BEACH, N.Y. >> The first record of a Dief(f)enbacher family reunion dates back to 1920 in Utica, NY. Now, over 100 years later, the family has gathered again during the third weekend in July, 2021, to carry on the family’s historical legacy.

Verona Beach State Park, the location of the reunion, is where the family always used to convene, said family member Suzanne (Diefenbacher) Wize. Reconnecting felt like a particularly special event after most of 2020 was shut down to such activity, she said.

Family traveled from as far west as South Dakota, north as Michigan, south as Florida, and everywhere in between.

The Dief(f)enbacher family first established its roots in CNY back in 1856 when Engelhard Dief(f)enbacher, Suzanne’s 3rd great grandfather, moved to America, settling in Frankfort, NY, and opening stores there with another family member on the canal, which has since been filled in. The family spread to the Utica area, and that’s where Suzanne was born.

An interesting fact is that the Dief(f)enbacher name may appear with one or two f’s. “My grandfather, Raymond Osborn Diefenbacher, dropped one of the f’s in Dieffenbacher because it had 13 letters and he was very superstitious,” Suzanne explained.

The family visited their ancestor’s homes and gravesites at this year’s reunion.

The family of Jacob Dieffenbacher

SUBMITTED PHOTOS The Dieffenbacher family reunited the 3rd weekend in July, over 100 years since the first recorded family reunion in Utica in 1920.