July 15th and 16th, 2005

Hampton Inn
2012 Eatonton Rd
Madison, GA 30650
(706) 342-9003

Make plans now to attend the 26th annual Dingler family reunion in Madison, a beautiful and historic town in central Georgia. When making reservations at the Hampton Inn, please specify that you are with the Dingler reunion to receive the special rate of $65 plus tax. The Hampton Inn provides a complimentary breakfast buffet, as well a small meeting room for the two days.

This year’s reunion is especially significant. We plan to hold a dedication ceremony at the gravesite of our Revolutionary War ancestor, Johannes Dingler. We encourage all Dingler descendants to attend this ceremony. This will be an excellent opportunity to acquaint younger generations with their heritage. The schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, July 15

No scheduled activities, though the meeting room will be open for informal visiting. Terry Cowan will bring his laptop and scanner to copy any old Dingler pictures that anyone wishes to preserve and share.

Saturday, July 16

10:00 AM – Dedication ceremony at gravesite of Johannes Dingler, Swords Cemetery, Swords Community (6 miles east of Madison)

1:00-300 PM – Attendees may wish to visit the studio of Charlie Dingler, noted blacksmith and artisan in nearby Monroe, Georgia. Others may want to use this time to visit the numerous shops in the downtown area, as well as the historic homes and neighborhoods of old Madison.

7:00-900 PM – Dinner and meeting at the Madison Market Center in downtown Madison. The family meeting will be held in the James Madison Hall. A buffet dinner will be catered. The cost for the dinner is $16 per adult (with children ages 4-12 at half price and children under 4 free).

Please make your hotel and dinner reservations as early as possible. If you plan to attend, please contact Terry Cowan (tc@tyler.net or 903-894-7935) with the number in your party, and he will notify the caterer.

See you there!

Mark your calendars! The 2005 Dingler Family reunion will take place July 15-16 in Madison, Georgia. More details will be available soon!

Another Dingler reunion has come and gone, and this year’s incarnation did not disappoint. I’ll be posting more about what we did and who was there along with plenty of photos, but it’ll be a few more days. I did want to take a moment and thank everyone who helped make this event so successful, especially our hosts, Bannester and Diane Harbin, and Terry Cowan.

If you didn’t make it to Rome, hopefully you will join us in Madison, Georgia, next year!

The 25th annual Dingler reunion will be in Rome, Georgia (Floyd County) on July 16 and 17, 2004.

Rome is a scenic city located 67 miles northwest of Atlanta and 66 miles south of Chattanooga. We appreciate reunion committee member Diane J. Harbin for arranging this year’s reunion. A guided tour of Rome is being arranged for Saturday morning. The meeting will be in the afternoon, instead of at night. Afterwards, we will adjourn to a nearby restaurant to enjoy a meal together.

A block of 30 rooms have been reserved for the reunion at the Holiday Inn. This facility is a resort-type hotel with indoor and outdoor pools and an excellent restaurant. Please make reservations by July 1st and make sure you mention that you are with the Dingler Family Reunion. The room rate is $70 per night for double or king and includes continental breakfast.

Holiday Inn Skytop Center
20 Hwy 411 SE
Rome, GA 30161
706-295-1100

Get Directions (provided by Mapquest)

See you there!

A total of 96 family members attended the 24th annual Dingler Reunion on July 18 and 19 in Madison, GA. We appreciate Lee and Elizabeth Winkles for handling the arrangements.

On Saturday, two groups explored the site of the old Johannes Dingler farm, located about 6 miles east of Madison. We engaged in interesting speculation as to the location of the homestead and burial place.

The Saturday night meeting was lively and productive. Several offered tributes to the late Martha Dingler Moore, the moving force behind the reunions for 23 years. Terry Cowan talked about the Dingler family’s connections with early Morgan County history. We discussed options for erecting a Revolutionary War monument for Johannes Dingler. The site of the original Dingler farm is now largely subdivided. Even if permission could be obtained to place a monument on the old farm, future access and maintenance could be a problem. A better option might be to place the monument in the nearby Swords Cemetery, located within a mile of the boundary of the original Dingler farm. (Also, the reunion was informed that the grave of Henry Dingler is being marked at Mt. Prospect Cemetery in Randolph County, AL). The membership was polled regarding future reunion sites. Most indicated a preference for Alabama or Georgia, and without a catered banquet. The membership approved bylaws for the family association. Finally, a research committee was formed to coordinate genealogical research and a reunion committee was formed to plan future reunions.