Ogden • Under a starlit sky in Fort Buenaventura park, several dozen men and women with a shared passion emerged from tepees and formed a half circle around a campfire.

After a few short memorials and a Shoshone prayer, the U.S. military veterans in the group folded an aged, tattered flag and with respect burned it in memory of a longtime friend.

The ceremony Saturday was in honor of Weber County Parks and Recreation Director Tim Maycock, 53, who died Aug. 7 in a motorcycle accident near Mirror Lake. Maycock was a supporter of the Rendezvous gatherings held at the park each spring and fall.

By Sunday, more than 600 had attended the Labor Day Rendezvous at the Ogden fort. The event continues today.

Visitors may explore a replica of Fort Buenaventura, built by trapper Miles Goodyear and sold to Mormons who expanded the settlement that later became known as Ogden. There also will be demonstrations of primitive crafts such as pottery fired in hot ashes of a campfire, bead and jewelry work, and as many stories as demonstrators care to share.

On Saturday, events paused to honor Weber County native Maycock, who was laid to rest in the Ben Lomond Cemetery.

Rick Lee, who spent years trying to connect with his American Indian roots, offered the prayer.

Lee's late father, who had suffered discrimination and great pain, had said little of their mixed heritage. But Lee remembered his grandmother, a Northern Shoshone, from his boyhood. He traveled to Fort Hall, an Idaho reservation of the Shoshone and Bannock people, where he was welcomed and taught.

"Native Americans are warm and welcoming to anyone interested in their culture," he said. "For me, they helped me learn about my heritage and myself."

Lee, of West Jordan, displayed jewelry made from beads of glass, wood, shell and bone, strung together with sinew.

What Rendezvous participants have in common is a love of history, said Rendezvous organizer Richard Luke. He was given the title of "booshway," from the French word, "bourgeois," named for the trading company man in charge of the Rendezvous.

Lynn Cozzens, of Ogden, showed how he makes primitive pottery. He begins by cleaning natural clay, sometimes sprinkled with quartz, and formed into utensils by hand. The canteens, cups and bowls are fired in a simple campfire and heated to 1,800 degrees. The pieces are lead-free because they are not glazed, he said. Pots are so hard they can be used as cookware atop hot stoves.

"This isn't a hobby," Cozzens said of his work. "It's a passion for something that's been in use for thousands of years."

J.R. Stotts, of South Weber, showed how he stitches together thousands of tiny beads to fashion pictures of landscapes, animals and people. He draws the images, transfers them to graph paper and uses it as a template for his work.

Visitor Soo-kinne "Sue" Minnock, whose mother was Cherokee and father Shoshone, said she would like to see more American Indians at future events "because they were a big part of the Rendezvous."

Anyone wishing to participate should call the Weber County Parks and Recreation Department at 801-399-8491 and ask for Ashley. The next Rendezvous is set for Easter weekend.

dawn@sltrib.com —

Labor Day Rendezvous

P Where • Fort Buenaventura, 2450 A Ave., Ogden.

What • Demonstrations from fur trading era.

When • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., today

Cost • $2 per person or $10 per family.

For more information • www.co.weber.ut.us/parks.