There are certain events in our nation's history with which we can all relate. The latest was Sept. 11, 2001. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard the news, and so can almost everyone else who was old enough to understand what was happening. Both of my parents can remember where they were on November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated, yet powerful events like these are conspicuously absent from the record of our family history.

If you can remember any of these events, please take the time to record your thoughts so that future generations can know how these events influenced members the Fenner family.

If you do not live in the United States, please share an event which has had a large impact on your nation.

Send stories to the editor at fennertree@aol.com.

"My wife Kathy, my son Rich and I were in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City with tens of thousands of other 'pilgrims' on the day the Pope [John Paul II] died.  The Dallas Morning News interviewed Kathy and Rich (Catholics) and the interview was picked up by the United Press and printed in newspapers through out the United States.  The mood in the Square ranged from somber to jubilant as the masses sang, chanted, cried and prayed in a farewell to and celebration of the only Pope most of the young crowd had ever known."

"I was at work, preparing to go to a 9:00 meeting ... the meeting never took place. I went into Boston to pick up my wife from work, and the streets were eerily vacant — just a couple of state police cruisers and no other cars." – George Festa

"I was at a funeral in Washington, DC at St. John's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Park, adjacent to the White House. The Secret Service cleared out the area, which also included the Hay-Adams Hotel, within minutes. Looking back at the White House, we saw the snipers, always on duty but rarely visible, now lined up all along the perimeter of the roof — as though Washington, DC were Yugoslavia." – Pam Markham

"I remember walking into my first period classroom and the TV was on and a few classmates were watching it. None of us knew exactly what was going on; I thought that it was an action movie playing on the TV until one of the news reporters came on! Nobody (not even my teacher) knew what to do, so we all sat there and watched the events unfold. Since I had the same teacher most of the day I watched it all, and I remember everyone sitting there in silence when people started jumping out of the burning buildings — it was horrible!" – Steven Schroeder

"Some people that I knew had made large stockpiles of goods to prepare for an uncertain disaster. My church had a small stockpile of food and other emergency items, just to be safe. When it came time for the clock to turn, I was at Bronson Park in Kalamazoo. Prince's "Party Like it's 1999" was popular (and fitting) at the time, and it got plenty of airtime that night. I remember that it was snowing, and I had a feeling of uncertainty — I had prepared for nothing, but I wouldn't have been surprised if the city had suddenly been plunged into darkness. The whole event felt surreal, even after nothing happened. Over the next several hours, the news broadcast the turnover as it traveled around the globe, all without tragedy. It was the biggest disaster in history that never happened." – Chris Fenner

My mother and brother were in Sitka, Alaska and I was with my family in Anchorage, Alaska. I had four children at that time and we shook, rattled, and rolled for about five minutes.  Fortunately, we were all fine — as was our home — but not so for many families in Anchorage who lost their homes. Many in other parts of the state lost family members and their entire villiages. It was a day I will never forget. – Nancy Fenner Ferko

"My room-mate and I were having breakfast at our regular restaurant stop in Anaheim, CA, prior to going to work, when the TV over the counter began to recount the JFK shooting. People in the restaurant were stunned to silence, broken only by a few sobs of disbelief. These circumstances were repeated a week later when we were watching the police taking Lee Harvey Oswald from the Police Station to court and Jack Ruby stepped out of the crowd and shot him." – Dave Fenner

We were living in Willmar, Minnesota and I was taking a break at a training meeting for financial advisors when the local jewler called us into his store to listen to the radio as the events played out. I remember lots of questions being asked between the 4-5 of us that shared this infamous date in history. Questions like: Now what do we do? Who's behind this act and of course ....WHY? This was the first piece of history that I remember living through. It's almost like America started to "unwind" as far as what was (or is) shocking. – Jim Fenner

"I was at a conservative boarding school in Connecticut. I thought the girls were joking when they told me because I was the only person in my class whose father voted for JFK. My father in fact worked for President Kennedy as a White House advisor and was a key planner of the President's funeral." – Pam Markham

I was working at a shoe factory when I was 17 years old, when we heard the news that President Kennedy was assassinated in Texas. All my coworkers cried and carried on for the whole day, and for days afterward. – Eileen (Fenner) Duhaime

Is there another event that should be on this list? Tell me about it. fennertree@aol.com