Record-Setting Family
by Adam Strubhart ’17
Curtis related his perception of family, to the family atmosphere here at McKendree.
Senior Curtis Lilly and current graduate student Hailee Lilly ’16 came to McKendree University unaware of their family connection. Curtis is from Rock
Falls, Illinois and Hailee is from Sanford, N.C. The Lilly family is one of the largest
families in the country, and each year they host a reunion in Flat Top, W.V. Their
reunion held the Guinness World Record for largest family reunion for several years.
Curtis has not yet been able to attend the reunion, but he definitely plans to one
day. Curtis explained that his grandparents go every other year and sometimes run
into famous Lilly’s. One year, “a football star, Bob Lilly, a defensive lineman for
the Dallas Cowboys, was at the reunion.” Hailee attended the Lilly family reunion
when she was ten years old. “I remember the reunion being on top of a mountain that
was in West Virginia and all of my close relatives attending a huge dinner,” she said.
“Afterwards I got to play with all the kids. We played with water balloons and did
an egg toss. I also remember there were so many people, that there was no way we could
have met everyone in just the one day that we were there.” Similar to Curtis’s family,
Hailee’s grandparents attend the reunion every year.
Curtis and Hailee are both proud to be a Lilly. “Who isn’t proud of their last name?
In my town, it is a big thing, and everyone knows the Lilly’s,” said Curtis. Hailee
added, “Of course I am proud to be a Lilly. Why? I will tell you the same thing our
Lilly Reunion shirts exclaim, “It’s a Lilly thing, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Family means everything to me,” said Curtis. “Without family I would not be where
I am now.” Curtis related his perception of family, to the family atmosphere here
at McKendree. He has met many friends that he considers family, and some friends that
actually are family, like Hailee. Curtis explained how meeting Hailee in 2013 was
exciting because he did not know anyone when he came to McKendree. “It was really
like we had known each other the whole time.” Hailee recalled the lunch lady asking
her if her brother went to school at McKendree too because she saw two Lilly’s pop
up on her computer screen. “I laughed at her and replied back, “no”. I never thought
I would have a family member at McKendree since I was 14 hours away from home. Our
first encounter consisted of mostly reaffirming that we were really related to each
other. We talked about the countless emails we receive every day and requests on Facebook
regarding our family’s reunion and BAM, we were family.”
“These really are the years of your life and my McKendree family has been by my side
every step of the way,” said Hailee. “Whether that be pulling an all-nighter to cram
for an exam, sweating with my teammates at wrestling practice, or making friendships
that will last a lifetime. I unconditionally love my McKendree family.” While they
traveled almost 900 miles to meet for the first time, they will be forever connected
by their Lilly family and now their McKendree family."
While they traveled almost 900 miles to meet for the first time, they will be forever
connected by their Lilly family and now their McKendree family.
