Hastings Hotel and Convention Center - update

First, the good news: we believe the problems with the Hastings Hotel and Convention Center are fixed, or being fixed.   HOTEL INFO:  402-463-6721   http://www.hotelhastings.com/

A little background:
We had some feedback from folks who saw a series of critical comments about the facility we've booked for the reunion. We looked into it. Turns out that the comments accurately reflected that the hotel had suffered from neglect several months ago. The current managers acknowledge that there were real problems.

The owner lives in Colorado and had been depending on the on-site manager to keep things running smoothly. Several key staff members lacked experience in hotel operations at this scope and the place had "gone downhill", the restaurant and the lounge had both closed, customers were disappointed and vocal.

When the owner checked back, she was at least surprised as we understand it. A bunch of new folks are in place and it appears she spent some serious funds on  the recovery effort.

Rita and I visited the hotel recently and spent some time with two of the new managers. Our main contact was Lisa whose official and main title is Catering Manager of the catering business operating out of the hotel kitchen. She described her other duties as "anything else that goes on." She readily acknowledged the earlier problems and described the work that has gone on and continues to get things back in order. The other contact was the manager of the front desk, also new to the facility but less well versed in the prior problems.

Our observations:

The restaurant was reopened in April. It is called "281" (the highway number). It is a spacious open space done mainly in white and sectioned off by open areas and an center "gezebo" unit with a large table. We had lunch - it is not an extensive lunch menu but there is a good variety. Breakfast is an all-day thing.

The lounge has re-opened as a sports bar. It is not huge but one can guess it would be a hoot on a Nebraska  football Saturday with 60 or so people.

Workmen were still in the pool area. Refurbishing the main pool was complete; they were working on the wading pool appearing to be within a day or two of done there too.

There is a private meeting room that accommodates large groups warranting the "convention center" in the name.

The desk manager opened two rooms for us. They are not spectacular but better than you might expect at this price range. They were clean, fresh, well furnished and equipped. Nothing to critique there.

This hotel is the main (probably only) facility around Hastings making a serious run at a "full-service" hotel with in-house restaurant, lounge, pool, meeting rooms, etc. They are a clear first choice for groups needing any sizable meeting space.

Contact me if you have any questions - Jerry Johnson 402-773-0222 or jjhnsn@windstream.net

The Family Group Sheet for James D. and Rhoda (Walton) Rowlison

2013 Rowlison Reunion - July 19 - 22 in Hastings, Nebraska

The 2013 edition of the biennial reunion of the Rowlison family will be held on July 19-22 in Hastings, Nebraska.

We've booked the Hastings Hotel and Convention Center located at 2205 Osborne Dr. E. just off Highway 281 in the north part of Hastings.

We have a block of rooms reserved at a rate of $89.99 per night with a booking deadline of June 19, 2013; extra rooms will be released to a waiting list of Softball Tournament folks on that day.

I will be contacting our many cousins by email or snail mail shortly. Contact me with any questions, etc. at jjhnsn@windstream.net or P. O. Box 508 in Sutton, NE 68979.

2011 Reunion - Colorado Springs

The descendants of James Demetris Rowlison and Rhoda Walton held their biennial reunion in Colorado Springs during the weekend of July 22 - 24, 2011. A smaller than usual group attended with no loss of enthusiasm as a smaller group. About 35 people attended.

The highlight of the weekend was the dinner and show at the Flying W Ranch - since destroyed in the Waldo Canyon fire on June 26, 2012. See:  http://www.gazette.com/articles/ranch-140885-reportedly-waldo.html

We enjoyed visiting at the hotel on Saturday, all day and headed out to a restaurant for dinner Saturday evening.

Our only glitch of the weekend was when Lena missed the briefing on start time for the dinner and she and Roscoe arrived a couple of hours early. Actually it was not that much of a glitch as they took advantage of the extra time and caught a fine nap.

It was a fine dinner followed by the usual fundraising auction conducted by the family huckster, BJ of Illinois.

Our section of the house at the Flying W show.

Waiting for the show

There was more rainbow than rain that night.

Lena's 100th Birthday

HAPPY 100th Birthday, LENA

Lena and her new boy friend Roscoe at our evening at the Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs July 22, 2011

Lena Alma Rowlison was born August 24, 1912 in Logan Township, Sheridan County, Kansas. All of the Rowlison and Walton (and I'm sure Bryan) families wish her the best of birthdays. We all wish we could be at the birthday party on Sunday the 26th.

Our family tree is noted for the longevity of many members with a good number of "nonagenarians."  As far as I know, and I welcome corrections, Lena is the third to reach the centenarian milestone.

Pearl Goesch (Winnie Pearl Rowlison) (11 Aug 1879 - 1 Nov 1982) was the daughter of Merritt (or Merit, or Uncle Met) Walton and Zenah Ann Strait. Many of us attended Pearl's 100th birthday party in Edgar in 1979. Pearl was a niece of Rhoda (Walton) Rowlison and was first cousin of Lena's father.

Hazel Blanche (Rowlison) Nelson (15 Aug 1901 - 19 Dec 2004) was the daughter of George Abraham Rowlison and Clara Ethel Clements and was Lena's first cousin. I just happened to be visiting Nebraska the week of Hazel's 100th birthday and had the good fortune of spending an hour or so with her in the home in Geneva.

Lena is the last of her generation, my mother's generation within the James and Rhoda Rowlison family and as far as I know, the last of that generation in the Isaiah Walton and Eliza Jane Hall family as well.

Lena's father was Gustavus Adolphus (Uncle Dolph) Rowlison (1866 - 1919), the first child of James and Rhoda Rowlison born in Indiana before they began their extended migration to Missouri, Iowa, multiple Nebraska farms and finally to Hoxie, Kansas. Dolph followed his parents through the complete trek to Kansas where many of his descendants live today.

Her mother was Madge Bryan (1880 - 1959) whose family I have not (yet) researched.

Lena was the sixth of eight children born to the Bryans.

As to Lena's health, her grand niece and frequent visitor Linda reports that Lena continues to do well. Lena has weakening vision but otherwise is in good health. I can attest, based on visits at reunions in 2007, 2009 and 2011 that Lena holds up her end of the conversation very well.

If you'd like to join us in wishing Lena a happy 100th birthday by sending a card, please email me at jjhnsn@windstream.net and I will send you her mailing address.

Happy Birthday, Lena

2013 Rowlison Reunion preliminary information

Our next reunion will be in Hastings, Nebraska probably in late July, 2013 - exact date not set yet.

Nebraska was the overwhelming choice of the group in Colorado Springs in 2011. James & Rhoda lived on four farms in the Edgar area during their migration from Indiana to Hoxie, Kansas. Clay County, Nebraska and surrounding area was the center of the Rowlison and Walton families and remains so to a great extent today.

Rhoda (Walton) Rowlison is buried in the Ong, Nebraska cemetery. Her father, Isaiah Walton and one of her brothers are buried in the Marshall Union Cemetery north of Edgar. Maggie Alice (Rowlison) Cassell and Martha Anna (Annie) (Rowlison) Cassell, daughters of James & Rhoda are buried side-by-side along with their Cassell brother husbands in the Edgar Cemetery.

I have located three of the four sites of the farms where they lived in the Edgar area. Kids numbers 8, 9, and 10, James, Roy and Mabel were all born on those Edgar area farms.

The reunion will be held in Hastings with a day trip into Clay County to visit those sites of family interest. We will post details as soon as we settle on them.

2011 Rowlison Reunion - July 22-24 in Colorado Springs

The 2011 Reunion of the descendants of James D. & Rhoda Rowlison will be held in Colorado Springs on July 22-24. Contact me at jjhnsn@windstream.net for more information.