Two years ago I advised to save July 25, 2026 for the Steeves Family Reunion in Steveston, British Columbia. It seems like that time flew by!
If your surname is Steeves, it is pretty much guaranteed that you’re a descendant of Johann Stief and Rachel Stahleker. Originally from Münsingen, Baden-Württemberg, the emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1749. In 1766, the relocated to what is now New Brunswick in 1766. Johann and Rachel had ten children, but their descendants are primarily through seven sons they had who were born in North America.
My wife’s great x 3 grandmother was a Steeves, through Johann and Rachel’s sons Christian and Frederick. (Hello pedigree collapse!) By the sheer twists and turns of life, we’ve ended up living in Steveston, a former fishing village that is now a suburb of Richmond, British Columbia. The village was founded by Manoah Steves, who dropped one of the Es from his surname when he moved west from the Maritimes.
Some notable Steeves Descendants
(Top Row): Manoah and Martha Steves; William Steeves, Father of Confederation; Jack Layton, former Leader of the Opposition in Canada; Alex Steeves, Boston Bruins forward.
(Bottom Row): Harold Steves, former Member of the Legislative Assembly in BC and former Richmond city councillor; Laurence Peter, educator and author; Janette Oke, author; John Steeves, former BC Supreme Court justice.
We attended the reunion, which took place at Garry Point Park in Steveston, only a few klicks from our house. We had been experiencing a heat wave the week of the reunion, but thankfully it abated for the day of the event. There was an impressive turnout, with a surprising number of attendees from out of town, including Ste(e)ves from other provinces and a few from the States. A lot of people seemed genuinely surprised to see we actually lived in Steveston, despite a good number of Ste(e)ves descendants who live in Richmond.
The event was pretty low-key. There were a few speeches, but for the most part people were left to socialize, check out a small selection of Steeves-related genealogy books, and partake in a fantastic cookout and potluck lunch. It was fun hearing people talk about how they were connected and which of the Stief sons from which they are descended. Of course, there was the obligatory group photo, but we are still awaiting our copy of the picture. As well, there was a celebratory cake!
For more information about the Steeves family history, check out the Steeves House Museum’s website, www.steeveshousemuseum.ca.
What fun!
Is Rick Steves, the wonderful travel guy, related?