FAMILY GATHERING: The 51^st Baum reunion was held at the Fairfield United Methodist Church Family Life building Aug. 5. This year’s event brought together 86 family members, ages 6-weeks old and up, coming from North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Arizona. The Baum family traces back to Abraham Baum I, who arrived in Currituck about 1709 from England, having left the Palatinate region of Germany. Those attending the reunion are descendants of one of Abraham I’s great-grandsons, Thomas Baum, who settled in Hyde County near Fairfield about 1816. R.S. Spencer Jr. (top photo) speaks about Hyde County books with Clare and Walter Baum standing nearby. The delicious selection of family favorites (bottom photo) served at the reunion.