Steve McAdams and Mary McAdams – son and daughter of the late Chub and Margaret McAdams – kick off the Scottish Highland Games Saturday morning, July 9, 2022, in Tightwad, Missouri.

This year’s annual McAdams Family Reunion in Tightwad, Missouri, celebrated the family’s Scottish heritage with kilts, Highland Games, and good times galore. The 23rd annual family gathering was held July 7-10, 2022, at Hickory Hollow Resort in Tightwad.

The descendants of the late Charles “Chub” and Margaret (McGlone) McAdams enjoyed a variety of festivities, including swimming, antiquing, campfire cookouts and story time, and visiting area Lake of the Ozarks/Clinton/Warsaw, Missouri, eateries and tourist attractions. On Saturday morning, July 9, the family donned their Scottish attire for a McAdams family style example of the Highland Games. Youth and adults took part in a safe version of the caber toss, boulder throw, and hay toss. Winning these events were: children – Charisma Escala (caber toss), Joe Crawford (boulder throw), and Nikki Brown (hay toss); and adult – Cooper Sielaff (boulder throw). Since the caber and hay bag were made out of extra light materials, the adults only participated in the boulder throw. The children threw a small weighted ball and the adults threw a bowling ball. It was much heavier and harder to throw than initially thought. The children participants received small trophies for their efforts. On Saturday evening, the family gathered for a delicious meal catered by Rollin’ Smoke BBQ and Catering (owned and operated by Cindy McAdams Dean, Steve Riska, and Ryder Dean). Following the dinner, the family gathered around the campfire once again for snacks, drinks of various assortments, and a test of their singing skills. The video recorder (someone’s phone) came out and several members were given lines to sing from the song “Family” by Mother Mother. Besides the song, each family made get-well-soon recordings and all were sent to an ill family member.

As happens with all gatherings, sadly everyone had to go home on Sunday morning. Several family members stopped in Clinton to enjoy one last breakfast together until everyone can meet again next year.

McAdams family members in attendance included: Tarkio, Missouri – Mary McAdams and Megan McAdams; Kansas City, Missouri – Amy (Troy) Sielaff and children Cooper, Kinnick, and Roger Sielaff, Jamie (Abby) McAdams and children Emma and Finn McAdams, and Maggie (Ryan) Crawford and children Joe, Sam, Cate, and baby Eleanor (born two days after the reunion); Smithville, Missouri – Russ McAdams; Independence, Missouri – Joe McAdams, Patrick McAdams and children Charlie and Sharon McAdams, and Barb McAdams; Warrensburg, Missouri – Cindy Dean (Steve Riska) and son Ryder Dean; Webb City, Missouri – Steve (Betty) McAdams; Chillicothe, Missouri – Lesley Block-McAdams and son Dylan McAdams; Falls City, Nebraska – Frank Simmonds; Omaha, Nebraska – Sandy (Mike) Sundberg and children Tim (Harlie) Sundberg and Joe Sundberg (and friend Sean), Kathleen (Glenn) Smith and son Alex Smith, and Danny McAdams; Denver, Colorado – Patty Esters (Craig Russell) and granddaughter Charisma Escala; Sioux Falls, South Dakota – Mary McAdams-Plummer; Milbank, South Dakota – Ashley Plummer; Estherville, Iowa – Tiffany Plummer; Claremore, Oklahoma – Amanda Sundberg (and friend Kim Mozley) and children Brooklynn and Braxton, and family friend Alica; Rockledge, Florida – Mindy Brown and children Andrew, Erin, and Nikki Brown; and special guest appearance made by Outlander star Sam Heughan (a/k/a Jamie Fraser)(a/k/a a banner-like-material picture version of Jamie Fraser).