The Vance Family Association holds a biennial (every two years) reunion and for 2019 the reunion dates will be October 10th through the 12th (checkouts on the 13th) in St. Louis, Missouri at the Pear Tree Inn near Union Station.
St. Louis is served by Lambert International Airport which is 18 miles from the Pear Tree Inn. There is a Metro Link which will take you from the airport to downtown Union Station for $4 and the hotel is a few blocks from Union Station. There are also a number of shuttle services (e.g. Go Best Express 314-222-5300) at the airport that range from $20-$25 per person one way and $38-$45 per person for two people round-trip to and from the hotel. If you are driving there is free parking for guests at the hotel but please register first in case you need a parking pass.
A block of rooms have been reserved at the hotel at $120/night plus 18% hotel tax; reservations must be made by September 8th and are subject to availability.
The hotel website is at https://www.druryhotels.com/locations/st-louis-mo/pear-tree-inn-st-louis-near-union-station. When you register online, use Group number 2383329 for the VFA room rate. Reservations can also be made by calling 1-800-325-0720 and referring to the Group number 2383329. Individual reservations must be canceled before 12:00pm on the day of arrival in order to avoid a non-refundable fee equal to one night’s room rate plus tax.
To attend the VFA reunion meetings you do need to be a current VFA member. Membership is $15 which includes electronic delivery of newsletters or $20 for postal delivery, and you can find more about membership and sign-up online or by mail starting at the VFA’s website at http://vancefamilyassociation.org/membership/.
Alternatively if you would prefer not to pay for 2019 membership you may also attend the reunion for a $15 fee which will also be applied as dues for the 2020 membership year; the only restriction there is you would not have a current member’s voting rights at the 2019 business meetings. If you would like to select this choice please contact me at davevance01@gmail.com.
The VFA’s dinner banquet and business meeting will be held on Saturday evening, October 12th at Lombardo’s Italian Restaurant, a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Dinner is an extra cost and menu selection and costs will be collected in advance; details were provided in the latest VFA newsletter but you can also contact me at davevance01@gmail.com if you would like to attend the dinner.
After dinner the VFA holds a business meeting to vote on officer positions, review financials, and handle other association business. This will be followed by a talk by the VFA’s DNA Advisor (that’s me!!) about the genetic genealogy of our Vance lines and an update on what we’ve learned through DNA analysis. Whether you’re already a member of our DNA project or just curious about what you can learn from DNA, this will be the opportunity to find out more!
Before Saturday evening the VFA members generally meet in smaller groups to compare genealogy research or talk about Vance-related items of interest, or take advantage of local tourism or genealogy research opportunities. If you want any tips for your own research, compare notes with anyone, or just want to collaborate with very experienced genealogists who are passionate about Vance genealogy, you won’t find a better time or place to do it!
So if you can make it to St. Louis between Oct. 10th and 12th 2019, please consider spending time at the VFA’s annual reunion. If you have any questions or need more information please feel free to contact me at davevance01@gmail.com.
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