BRANNICK & MARY ELIZABETH RIGGS FAMILY REUNION 2024
BRANNICK AND MARY ELIZABETH RIGGS FAMILY REUNION
June 22, 2024 Willcox, Arizona
In early 2023 Sheila (Levine) Riggs suggested we have another Reunion like we had in 1979. We talked about it during our weekly Riggs Family History Zoom meeting and decided it was a very good idea, so we started planning. We would like to thank the many family members that registered ahead of time. The number of family planning to attend was encouraging to those who were involved in the planning of the reunion and helped us push forward.
On 22 June 2024 the Brannick and Mary Elizabeth (Robbins) Riggs family held a one-day Reunion celebration commemorating the arrival of the family into Cochise County, Arizona, one hundred and forty-five years ago (1879). This event took place at the Elks Club in Willcox, Arizona.
The day of the Reunion, it was a thrill to see the meeting room of the Elk’s club full and to know that they were all family. What fun to spend time with family you knew and to become acquainted with those you had not had occasion to meet before.
Descendants of Brannick and Mary Elizabeth’s family gathered from all over the United States to spend time enjoying and renewing old acquaintances, meeting new family and learning of their heritage. There were people from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington state. One couple even came all the way from Hawaii. In attendance were approximately 175 family members.
The walls of the hall were covered with large Family Tree posters designed by John B Riggs and printed by William E. Riggs. The posters contained family Trees starting with the Thomas and Rhoda (Casey) Riggs tree; the Brannick and Mary Elizabeth (Robbins) Riggs tree; then a tree for each of their 11 children and their descendants.
Also, there were eight Riggs family members in attendance who were descendants of Brannick’s brothers Thomas Riggs, Jr. and John Casey Riggs. Brannick and Mary Elizabeth had played a part in the lives of these nephews. These family members represented the families of Barney Kemp “Yuma Barney” Riggs and William Carroll “Chicosa Bill” Riggs. Their family Trees were also displayed on the wall. Theirs’ are interesting stories also. All of the Family Trees can be viewed on the Website below.
Set up of the on-line registration was accomplished by Mica (Riggs) Brinson and Brittany Haag. The finances were handled by Thomas and Buffi Riggs. On the day of the reunion at check-in family members were given name tags. This was facilitated by Frances (Stark) Brown/Speight, Barbara (Riggs) Gibson and Stephanie (Cisco) Sandt. Each child of Brannick and Mary Elizabeth was assigned a colored dot. When each person registered, their name tag had a corresponding-colored dot that identified which child they were descended from. The dots corresponded with colored dots for each child on the Brannick & Mary Elizabeth Riggs Family tree. Some families wore clothing corresponding to their families colored dot.
Between 9:00 and 10:00 there was lots of visiting, meeting new people and renewing old acquaintances. Families of different generations were able to engage in conversations as they learned about each other. Photographs of the families in attendance were taken by Michelle (Riggs) Haney. The Photographs have been put on the website and can be accessed below. You can download the pictures that you would like to have.
Beginning at 10:00 a program, consisting of stories of Brannick, Mary Elizabeth and their 11 children, was presented. The stories told were of some exciting things like Aunt Rhoda leading a group of cowboys and soldiers after some Indians that had attacked and tried to kill a neighbor of hers. Or the story of Uncle BK trying to kill a lobo wolf by running over him with his Model T Ford -- 3 times -- before he succeeded. Also, the story of Aunt Martha being struck by lightning on her way home from her Father’s funeral. The following family members told the stories:
Brannick Riggs: Told by his great-grandson, Brannick Lester Riggs.
Mary Elizabeth Riggs: Told by her great-granddaughter, Nancy
(Riggs) Sloan.
Thomas Jefferson Riggs: Told by his great-great-grandson, Scott
Neerings.
Rhoda Riggs: Told by her great-great-grandniece, Tina (Riggs)
Thompson.
William Monroe Riggs: Told by his great-great-granddaughter, Alanna (Riggs) Lonsdale.
Martha (Riggs) Stark: Told by her great-great-grandniece, Karissa Riggs.
Brannick Benjamin Riggs: Told by his great-great-grandson, Traver Riggs.
James Jay Riggs: Told by his great-great-grandson, Conner Leavens.
Mary Frances (Riggs) Stark: Told by her granddaughter, Frances (Stark) Brown/Speight.
John Casey Riggs: Told by his great-great-grandson, Grant Smith.
Lucy (Riggs) Moore: Told by her great-great-granddaughter, Mary Kate Scott.
Barney Kemp Riggs “BK”: Told by his great-great-grandson, Cory Thompson.
Edith Bessie Riggs: Told by her great grand-niece, Nancy (Riggs) Sloan.
We would like to thank the younger generation of family members that did a super job of making this an enjoyable part of the Reunion as they shared the stories about Brannick and Mary Elizabeth and the stories of their direct ancestors. The stories were taken from the website and can be found in “Mary Elizabeth: My Story” in the Family History section of the Website.
At 11:30 a delicious meal was served consisting of brisket, salads, rolls, beans and cookies. Good Beef for a ranching family! We would like to thank Michelle, Andy Stark and the Elks Club kitchen staff for preparing and serving an enjoyable meal.
Again, visiting time! A Western theme center piece, made by Donnie Riggs, was at the center of each table. A Heart made of “Barbed Wire”, made by cousins from the “Chicosa Bill” family, was added to the center piece.
After lunch the program resumed. Many interesting things were shared about Brannick, Mary and their children and their life in Arizona. John R. Riggs, Great Grandson of Barney Kemp “Yuma Barney” Riggs and Mary Lou Hughes, Great granddaughter of William Carroll “Chicosa Bill” Riggs, both nephews of Brannick, shared stories about their family and how we are all tied together. Also, there was a presentation by Suzanne Moody, a member of the staff at the Chiricahua National Monument, about Edward Murray Riggs and his wife Lillian who helped develop the Faraway Guest Ranch in the mouth of Bonito Canyon and were instrumental in getting the area made a National Monument. When the program ended there was more visiting time.
Entertainment was provided for the younger children during the day. They participated in things like making butter by shaking cream in a pint jar the way Mary Elizabeth used to do. The inside games consisted of Ring Toss, Giant Checkers, Bean Bag Toss and Coloring Cowboy pages. After lunch the kids went outside and participated in Roping Steer heads on bales of hay with ropes and Hula Hoops, Stick Horse races, Stick Horses around an obstacle course, Gunny Sack Races and to cool off they played Drip, Drip, Drop, similar to Duck, Duck, Goose only with water.
During the day there were 2 separate video’s available for people to view. One was the video, “The Riggs Heritage”, narrated by Rex Allen, prepared by Jim and Jana Riggs for the 1979 Riggs Family Reunion. The 2nd video, compiled by Barbara (Riggs) Gibson, (which is on the Brannick and Mary Elizabeth Riggs Family Facebook group page) contains excerpts from the Brannick Riggs Family website. There was also a display of Family memorabilia.
As we worked to gather history and stories of Brannick and Mary Elizabeth, we realized that education was very important to them. They made sure their children attended school, even if they had to build the school by their home and hire a teacher just for their family. Even though they had to go away for College, 7 of their 11 children went to college for higher education. The suggestion was made that a Scholarship fund be started to provide a scholarship each year. Items such as Quilts, an Afghan, Paintings, a Stained-Glass picture, etc. were donated by Family members and a “Silent Auction” was held during the Reunion. A little over $4,000.00 was raised through the auction. This resulted in a good beginning for being able to invest and build a scholarship fund. The Silent Auction link below will give you more information about the items in the auction and who donated them. Brannick L. & LaVonne Riggs were responsible for monitoring the Silent Auction.
Brannick and Mary Elizabeth Riggs left an exemplary Legacy for their posterity. Lessons were learned by their family from watching the manner in which Brannick and Mary Elizabeth conducted their lives. They learned from their own mistakes and trials and the lessons were passed down through the generations. No one would go wrong if they followed the example set by this couple. This information was gathered from Great Grandmother’s Diary, the book “Our El Dorado” by John Casey Riggs, and from stories told by family through the years. The Legacy printout was put together by Nancy (Riggs) Sloan, Deanna (Riggs) Smith and her husband Danny Smith. As we finished the program each family was given a printed Family Legacy Keepsake. A Tea Towel with a picture of Home Ranch in 1879 was given to each family at check-in.
Please enjoy the following downloadable items on the Brannick Riggs Family website (brannickriggsfamily.com): Family Photos, printable Guide for a Tour of the Riggs Settlement and Southern Arizona, a Recording of the Reunion, a Video that describes the Brannick Riggs Website, pictures of the Family Trees and the Family Legacy Keepsake and Tea Towel.
“A Thanks to All” goes out from the Reunion Committee to the many people that worked so hard to plan and organize this Reunion. The Reunion would not have been possible without the time and effort that went into the planning and executing of this special event. We appreciate all who were wiling to give of their time and expertise to accomplish this huge task. It took many people from the various families who shared their time, family information and skills to organize this very successful Reunion.
We would like to recognize the following people for their invaluable help. We could not have accomplished this huge task without the help of:
Advisory and Organizing Committee:
Chair: John B Riggs
Members: Sheila (Levine) Riggs, Barbara (Riggs) Gibson, Nancy (Riggs) Sloan, Frances (Stark) Brown/Speight, Mary (Sweetser) Hayes, Brannick L. Riggs, Cynthia (Thomas) Haag, Andy Stark, Mary Lou Hughes, John R. Riggs, William Earl Riggs
Venue, Food and Accommodations Committee:
Chair: Sheila (Levine) Riggs
Members: Barbara (Riggs) Gibson, Nancy (Riggs) Sloan, Frances (Stark) Brown/Speight, Mary (Sweetser) Hayes, Brannick L. Riggs, Cynthia (Thomas) Haag, Andy Stark, Mary Lou Hughes, John R. Riggs, William Earl Riggs
Marketing and Advertising Committee:
Chair: Mica (Riggs) Brinson
Members: Brittany Haag, Barbara (Riggs) Gibson
Reunion Registration / Name Tags Committee:
Chair: Stephanie (Cisco) Sandt
Members: Frances (Stark) Brown/Speight. Barbara (Riggs) Gibson
Family Tree Posters Committee:
Chair: John B Riggs
Members: William E. Riggs
Silent Auction Committee:
Chair: Brannick L Riggs
Members: John B Riggs, Mary (Sweetser) Hayes, Mary Lou Hughes
Family History Tour / Places of Interest Committee:
Chair: John B Riggs
Members: Nancy (Riggs) Sloan, Sheila (Levine) Riggs
Legacy Keepsake / Tea Towel Committee:
Chair: Nancy (Riggs) Sloan
Members: Deanna (Riggs) Smith, Danny Smith
Set Up Committee:
Chair: Sheila (Levine) Riggs
Members: Don Riggs (Center pieces), Vern and Stephanie (Cisco) Sandt, Jim and Barbara (Riggs) Gibson, John B Riggs, John R. Riggs, William Earl Riggs, Thomas Riggs, David & Michelle (Riggs) Haney, Traver Riggs, Andy Stark, Jenna Riggs, Treisa (Riggs)Taylor, Tanya (Sloan), Alan and Jamie Teeples, Nancy (Riggs) Sloan, Trena (Sloan) Quick, Chuck Brown, Brannick and LaVonne Riggs, Mary (Sweetser) Hayes, Danny and Grant Smith
Reunion Program / Entertainment Committee:
Chair: Nancy (Riggs) Sloan
Members: Chuck Brown (Master of Ceremony), Barbara (Riggs) Gibson, Thomas Riggs, David and Michelle (Riggs) Haney, Traver Riggs, Andy Stark, Sheila (Levine) Riggs, Brannick and LaVonne Riggs
Children’s Entertainment Committee:
Chair: Deanna (Riggs) Smith
Members: Stephanie (Cisco) Sandt, Jenna Riggs, Stacie (Ferguson) Riggs, Treisa (Riggs) Taylor, Tanya (Sloan), Alan and Jamie Teeples and Rebecca Teeples
Clean-up:
Everyone helped.
A huge thanks to everyone that registered and attended!
*The family photos are password protected for privacy. If you would like to view these photos, please fill out this form to request access.
