Happy birthday wishes to Don Coleman, who recently turned 75.

Memorial Day is rapidly approaching: Rotarians are getting ready for their massive Wine Fest at the Snow King Sports and Events Center; people are cleaning out their campers from their spring break trip and preparing to head out for some rest and relaxation in the great outdoors while taking the great indoors with them; and it is time for the annual family reunion for the descendants of Nick Wilson.

Nick and his brother Sylvester were early settlers of the Jackson Hole area: Nick lived with the Shoshone Indians as Chief Washakie’s blood brother and later rode for the Pony Express before settling here.

Twila Goodrick, married to Dee Goodrick, whose grandfather was “Uncle Nick,” emailed to issue a general invitation to the “Uncle Nick Wilson” descendants’ family reunion that will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend in the Antler Motel conference room on Pearl Avenue. Members of Sylvester’s family will also be attending.

Any other old-timers who want to come and visit are welcome to do so.

This year the group plans to gather for the Bar-T-5 covered wagon ride from Uncle Nick’s cabin on Saturday evening, and then, on Sunday, after Cowboy Church, meet in the Antler conference room for food, visiting and viewing many books, photos and genealogy papers, as well as Uncle Nick’s rifle and the spurs the Indians made and gave to him.Those items are usually brought by Ray Goodrick’s daughter Terri Lynn Daniel and his granddaughter Jenny, who come up from Green River. There is also other family memorabilia and the very interesting family tree that is added to each year. Many will visit the Bar J Chuckwagon in the evening and of course attend the cemetery services Monday morning.

Several years ago more than 70 descendants of Sylvester and Uncle Nick gathered to pay tribute to their heritage over Memorial Day weekend. This year one of the nieces who lives in Rock Springs, Eunice Fay, will be coming with her husband and younger daughter for the first time. A brother and sister and some families from Washington state on the Sylvester side will also be coming for the first time.

Twila sadly reports that over the past year the family has lost Barney Ray (Goodrick) Gaddo, of Rock Springs, and Eva Goodrick Taylor, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Uncle Nick’s youngest grandson, Eddie Joe Wilson, will not be attending this year because he is going to be at the Cavalry Camp and ride in the reenactment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. They will miss him but hope for a full report next year.

In the past reunion attendees have participated in many activities. One year they installed a new sign for the South Park Cemetery where both Sylvester and Uncle Nick are buried. Bobby Goodrick (Jackson High School Class of ’79) organized the paperwork with the county and picked up the posts and cement. Randy and Marta Wilson brought the sign and drill, and John Wilson provided the posthole digger. Four of Uncle Nick’s eight grandsons who remained alive at the time attended, including one who came from Alaska.

Many reunion attendees ride the Bar-T-5 covered wagons on the Saturday evening. One year they all wore Pony Express Messenger badges that Dell Ariel Goodrick, DDS (Twila and Dee’s son) had found at the Mountain Man Rendezvous. Steve Wilson was picked from the audience on one occasion to play Grandpa in the Bar-T-5 version of “Comin’ Round the Mountain.” Everyone usually has a real good time on those evenings. One year the great-great-grandsons of Nick Wilson, Colton and Dalton Grooms-Floyd, rode in the bumper seat of Clarene Law’s vintage auto in the Memorial Day parade.

Many names have been added to the Wilson family tree over the years, including Steve and Darlene Leek and family, from Underwood, Wash., and Cordova, Calif.; the families of twins Roselyn and Karolyn Reed, from Colorado Springs, Colo., Las Vegas and Modesto, Calif.; Tim and Mona Wilson, from Ferndale, Wash.; Sally and John Dalton, Sylvester’s great-granddaughter, from Fairview, Utah; Reva Dell Boyer, and daughter Dawnette and granddaughter Carissa, of Victor, Idaho; Alvira Sturlin and daughters Gloria and Rose Marie Marble, of Buffalo; and Carol Goe, Lori and Lexi May, Jim, Robert, Margaret and Dalton Goodrick, of Jackson.

Twila is looking forward to enjoying the parade and other Old West Days festivities and seeing everyone again.

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Ceci Clover writes weekly on the doings and doers in and around Jackson Hole. Submissions may be sent to circlingthesquare@hotmail.com or call 733-8348.