REUNION 2026
Stouffville, ON, Canada
July 24 & 25, 2026
The Code H44 Casper Sherick/Shirk Story
The 2026 reunion is over. Many good connections were made by cousins from as far west and south as Victoria, BC and North Hollywood, CA. Kurt and Judy Schürch from Switzerland came the greatest distance. The youngest attendee Mackenzie-Rose Shirk was five years old. The oldest attendees were two ninety-one year olds - Jacqueline Bellamy and John Stouffer.
Stories and photos will appear in the November Schürch Newsletter. Photos will also appear on this page by the end of the summer.
The Markham Whitchurch-Stouffville area is where Casper Sherick/Shirk, H44, an older brother of Joseph H46, settled in 1804, along with 13 other families and individuals from Pennsylvania. This is their story.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
OUR SPEAKERS
Stephen Shirk: Stephen is our president, an avid historian, who did a great deal of legwork to find his own roots, and a descendant of Code H44.
Fred Robbins: Fred is a local historian who knows a great deal about the history of this area.
Larry Hogg: Larry is a retired CA, has anabaptist roots and oversees the Heise Hill Cemetery where Casper, H44, and several family members are buried.
Ruth Burkholder: Ruth married into an anabaptist family coming from an English home. She became very involved in this area and has a wealth of knowledge. She and Fred Robbins established the Stouffville Historical Society and ran it for twenty years until interest faded.
Isobel Fishley and Ann Barnsley: Isobel and Ann are sisters whose grandfather moved from Ontario to Saskatchewan to farm in 1904. They are descendants of H44.
Ken Sherk: Ken, Code N13D462 and his wife Erli experienced their first Heritage Tour and are pleased to show some highlights.
Catherine Hooker: Catherine grew up on a farm just east of this area. Her family had a mill
that was changed to a cider mill. It is a fascinating story of grit and determination.
