Childhood Friends Reunite for 20th Annual Luncheon at Elm Hurst Inn & Spa

Nine childhood friends hold their 20th annual Luncheon at Ingersoll's Elm Hurst Inn & Spa. Back row: (Left to right). Beverley Smith, Babara Eliott, Brenda Devlin, Pat Minler. Front row: (Left to right) Linda Trowell, Donna Haycock, Pat Kimberly, Mary MacIntyre, Elaine Nadalin. (Kyrah Smith photo)

Kyrah Smith, Echo Correspondent

On June 16, a group of lifelong friends gathered to host their 20th annual luncheon at Ingersoll’s Elm Hurst Inn & Spa.

“My public-school friends and I have held an annual luncheon for the last 20 years. That in itself is quite remarkable,” marvelled Linda Trowell, an award-winning local artist from Oxford County.

Trowell explains that she has known these women since the age of five, when they first attended the same one room public school, S.S. No. 6 Dereham, Verschoyle.

“Daughters of farm families in Oxford County, we have much in common,” Trowell said. “We joined 4-H clubs, attended the same church, and went to IDCI (Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute).”

Although the group remained close throughout their youth, life after graduation took them down various paths.

“Life took us in different directions, to other communities, careers, marriage…”

Trowell shared that when seven members of the original group turned 65, they agreed to meet again to reminisce about old times. What they did not expect was that the reunion would grow into an annual tradition, eventually attracting younger siblings and friends who wished to join as well.

Over the years, the luncheon has been held at various locations, but in recent years the Elm Hurst Inn has become the preferred gathering place.

“This year, we older ones will be 85, marking 20 years since our first reunion.”

Now marking such a milestone, the annual luncheon remains a meaningful reminder that while life may take people in different directions, true friendships have a way of finding their way back together. What began as a simple reunion has grown into a cherished tradition, carrying decades of shared memories from childhood into their 80s and beyond.