Keeping it all in the very large Cote family
By Karen Mann JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

Theresa and Rene Cote are the oldest surviving members of the Cote family that numbers over 240 members. COURTESY PHOTO

It is not a rare occasion for the Knights of Columbus in Leominster to be packed with 240 people sitting around 32 tables for an afternoon luncheon.

It is a rare occasion, however, when those 240 are all related.

"We all had to wear name tags so we knew who we were," said 83-year-old Rene Cote, of Westminster. "I met a lot of nieces and nephews that I didn't know or met a long time ago."

Last month, five generations of the Cote family got together for a family reunion. "Terrie's Special Celebration," was planned by 77- year-old Theresa of Lunenburg.

"It was such a crowd, you know," said Rene. "We talked and had entertainment, and had good food. It was a very nice day."

"It was a huge, huge success," said Theresa. "It was a fantastic day in spite of the weather [it snowed the first half of the day]."

The youngest of 17 siblings, she and brother Rene are the only two surviving siblings of the first generation.

The 240 members of the Cote family, which gathered recently for a family reunion, filled two photos. COURTESY PHOTO

"We are scattered all over the country, but we are mostly concentrated in Fitchburg, Ashby, Leominster, and Lunenburg," said Theresa.

The pair's father, Hector, who was born in New Hampshire, moved to Canada. That is where he met his future-wife, Adelias, and in 1922 he moved to West Fitchburg with a few of the children.

"When he had enough, he brought the rest of the family back," said Theresa, who was born in Fitchburg.

The family owned Cote and Sons Bakery in Cleghorn. Both parents died in 1970.

In 2001, Theresa decided to plan a family reunion, which took place in Saima Park.

"There were less people there," said Theresa.

For the reunion this winter, Theresa spent two years tracking down family members, she said mostly through the power of the Internet, and planning the celebration.

Theresa tracked over 400 people in the family, from her older brother, 83-year-old Rene, to 11-week-old Samuel Morgan.

Theresa also spent time putting together media items for the generations of Cotes. "Where I Am" is a document she made that is a family tree and "Celebrations" is the DVD she made of the first second and third generations.

She says she has 6,500 different pictures of various family members, and she printed 800-900 to arrange in a binder according to family.

"She is a fanatic with pictures, I think her computer is ready to bust," said Rene.

Theresa said people are already asking for her to plan another reunion for next year,

"We usually only see each other at funerals," said Theresa. "This was a very happy occasion. People told me how much they liked it."