The Roush family has held 73 reunions in 14 different states. This weekend it's in Sharon.

The Roush (or Rausch) and Allied Families Association of America is marking its 291st year in America with a reunion banquet at 7 p.m. today at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 439 East Street, Sharon. A picnic, group picture and reunion auction are Saturday.

The association is a not-for-profit family organization that takes pride in its prolific history.

Secretary Jenean Roush-Jackson said "The reunions are more or less just family and allied, like children and grandchildren."

Four books have been published on the Roush family and a fifth is in the works. Their family roots trace back to Germany, but the family eventually settled in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania near the Ohio River, said Mrs. Roush-Jackson. She said there were nine brothers that fought in the Revolutionary War and decided to deal with family growth by changing some of the spellings of their names from Roush to Rausch. Just recently another portion of the family tree -- the Rouse's -- was discovered. All three families are relatives.

"We claim each other. We're all related," Mrs. Roush-Jackson said.

She said their reunions are always large, drawing family members from all over the United States. The association awards a scholarship each year at the reunion to a graduating high school family member. The winner of the $300 scholarship is determined by an education committee.

The first Roush reunion was held in 1926 in New Haven, W. Va. and ever since there has been one each year, with the exception of 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. The governor of Ohio spoke at the reunion in 1952 and about 5,000 people attended, Mrs. Roush-Jackson said.

The family donated items for an auction on Saturday to help foot the costs of their reunion. Reunion locations change each year and depend upon family members to host them.

The association reunion in Sharon is being hosted by Karen and Sheldon Roush of Mt. Lebanon, Pa.

The Penn-Ohio Singers will provide entertainment at the banquet Friday evening.