Family tradition

SANDPOINT - The drudgery of early morning chores, the kinship of family dinners, the joy of long-awaited reunions: The Burnett family farm has seen a lot of living during the past 70 years.

It's an era that will soon come to a close. With the recent passing of his grandparents Art and Myrt Burnett, family member Greg Burnett said the farm will likely be sold soon. It will close the door on decades of generational memory and cherished tradition. But before it happens, there's still time for a few more final hurrahs.

Indeed, one occurred this weekend as five brothers - Don, Lyle, Herb, Mel and Lee Burnett - continued a 35-year family tradition by gathering together the weekend after Labor Day for some brotherly bonding. Joining them this year were their sons, and that's a combination good for several days of laughter, games and reminiscing.

It's a trip each brother has made a priority despite being scattered across Oregon, Washington, Utah, Montana and Idaho. Whether they find themselves combing the trails of national parks, hunting in the Oregon woods or simply laughing around a camp fire, each brother does his best to avoid the phrase, "There's always next year."

"A lot of people go through life saying, 'Oh, we need to do this. We need to do that,'" Mel Burnett said. "Well, just do it."

In the Burnett clan, family reunions are a regular occasion. It's born out of the belief that family members should actually see each other once in a while, and cousins should count each other among their best friends.

"The most interesting thing for us is catching up on each other's personal lives," Lee Burnett said.

This gathering, on the other hand, is a little different. It began 35 years ago when the sons of Art and Myrt Burnett decided to get together for a weekend in a cabin deep in the Oregon mountains. It soon became an annual occasion, and before they knew it, a new tradition had been born.

The choice opportunity for male bonding expanded yet again some years down the road when the brothers decided to bring their sons into the mix. It grew into a system where the clan would alternate an excursion for just the five brothers with a year that included the sons. The family can still remember many a night spent in the glow of a campfire, sharing jokes and stories.

"I remember a lot of laughter over the years," Herb Burnett said. "One time, the back of my head started hurting after a couple days because we'd been laughing so much."

One thing has remained consistent about the event: It's never cause for much stress or micro-managing. Each year, one of the brothers takes point in selecting a destination and making preliminary arrangements. Over the years, the tradition has brought the siblings to everywhere from Sacramento, Calif., and Yosemite National Park to the backroads of Montana and Oregon. They undertook each trip with an easy-going, take-life-as-it-comes attitude. On one occasion, the brother spent almost an entire day talking with a man they spotted sitting on his porch in Stevensville, Mont., just because he was an interesting individual.

"One thing we always try to do is look into the history of the places we visit," Mel Burnett said.

This year, the family went back to its roots, gathering at the Burnett farm for the first time in the tradition's history. While other family reunions have taken place there, this year was different. The knowledge that the farm may soon be leaving family hands is a sobering one, Greg Burnett said.

That reality brought out conversations of the old days, when Art and Myrt Burnett drove up in 1943 from Coeur d'Alene to start a new life as dairy farmers. All five of the Burnett sons grew up working that farm, feeding the cows and occasionally milking them by hand when the machines were down. It's a legacy the family agrees is worth remembering.

"Dad and Mom believed in working together and playing together," Don Burnett said. "I just can't remember too many times we played together, because we worked a lot."

Family traditions die hard, and there's little doubt the Burnett boys will be back in action next year. Whether or not the farm is still listed under the Burnett name is ultimately immaterial, as they'll still have their memories and their kinship to carry the family into the future.