Going home...and family reunions

My favorite definition of home is the following: any place of residence or refuge: a heavenly home.

I've been thinking about home more often lately because of Opp Fest and Absolutely Andalusia Homecoming next month. My family tries to have a reunion once a year - and sometimes it happens and others it doesn't. This year's reunion is centered around Andalusia's homecoming and the homecoming at our church - Mobley Creek.

I always enjoy seeing faces I haven't seen in months or sometimes years. The excitement of seeing the people I remember from Thanksgiving reunions many years ago makes me long for those days again.

When we can get together and eat and sing a few old hymns, we truly know we've all come home. My family is my refuge and my home.

The Wards - my mom's side of the family - have always been supportive and strong in their faith. My great granddaddy, Bill Ward was a baptist preacher and a farmer. Even though I never got to meet him, I feel as though I know him because of my Uncle Donald and stories I've heard about him from other uncles.

I'm always thankful that my family keeps growing and yet through technology we somehow keep up with each other.

I have so many fond memories of reunions in the past.

Thanksgiving morning I'd wake up early and watch the Macy's parade before Mom and Uncle Clyde decided it was time to head up the road to Aunt Vivian and Uncle William's house. The kids played football or tag or some other country game that didn't require a tv. We played in the dirt. We hid behind our mother's legs or behind trees or bushes in the yard.

The food was the best part! Everyone brought their favorite dishes and the men brought tables and chairs from the church for everyone. The eating would start about noon and the visiting would go on all afternoon - probably because there was lots of catching up to do and us kids didn't want to go home!

There are so many of our family that aren't with us anymore and not a day goes by that I don't remember one of them.

But we carry on and come home to Mobley Creek to see each other when we can.

November 13, 2010 we will have our next reunion. I'm already excited to see everyone and take pictures.

I know that going home for that weekend will truly make me feel like I belong somewhere.

Family history and good times

Family! Wow. I really never realized how many people are in my extended family until yesterday.

We had our Ward reunion yesterday and seeing people I haven't seen in years makes me very happy and excited about the future.

Let me explain about my family and how I'm a Ward. My mom was a Ward before she married the first time. She married a Loften and then after he passed away, she married my father. My mom, Edna Earl Taylor nee Ward, was the youngest of three children born to Barnett Seth and Esther Vivian Ward. My grandfather, Barnett was the oldest of 10 children born to William Elias and Hattie Mae Ward. My great grandfather was a preacher and a very good man. I really wish I could have known him.

Those who gathered at the reunion are descendants of William Elias and Hattie Mae Ward nee Knowles. The ten children they had are as follows: Barnett Seth, James Worth, Lucy Elizabeth, William Elias Jr., Mildred, Myrtle Mae, Bessie, Richard Jackson, Wyley Donald, and Doyle Omega. My great grandfather was the son of John "Jack" and Lucy (Godwin) Ward. He was the fourth from the oldest of eleven children. All of this information can be found in my Uncle Donald Ward's book "The Folks from Pea Ridge."

Many of the family got together and made leaves for their families so we can put together a family tree. The kids colored them and several people filled out the information on the leaves. It was a great project that we will get to see flourish as the years go by. Many of the older children will get married and have their own leaves and own families added later on.

There were about 145 people at the old home place today. It's amazing to see the family's roots and hear stories about things that happened in days gone by. My great grandfather ran a farm, raised 10 children and preached the word through the Great Depression. From my Uncle Donald's pamphlet "Uncle Bill as I Knew Him," I've learned my great grandfather was a very giving man and also very intelligent. He was very open minded about religion and often spoke or sang in other churches.

There were 14 of us there from my granddaddy's side of the family. My granddady's children, Gloria, Clyde and Edna are all deceased now, but my Aunt Gloria's children are pictured here with her husband, Robert Gafford. From the back row are Angie Wright, Jason Wright and Ramona Wright. Second row from the left are Raleigh Gafford, Kelsey Bates, Robert Gafford, Regina Bates and Amber Wright. Third row from the left are Randi Sadler, Tyler Nellums, and Savannah (Jason's wife's daughter). Bottom row from left are Kaitlyn Bates and Lyndee Sadler. I'm hoping I have all of these last names right, but I'm going to double check later and make corrections as needed. I am the only one not in the picture and am the only child from my mom's branch of the family.

I have watched all of the kids grow up and I am starting to feel rather old now that they are almost grown. Kelsey is the oldest of the kids - she just turned 18 last month. Tyler is the second oldest and will be 16 in February. Kaitlyn is 13 and the twins, Randi and Lyndee just turned 12 this month.


Kelsey, me and Kaitlyn on the back porch at the old home place.


Tyler and me sitting in the kitchen at the old home place.

As I'm growing older, I've come to realize the importance of family history. You have to know your roots and where you've come from. My family has a lot of amazing history even if we aren't all famous or have life changing jobs. We have touched lives through the branches that spread out far and wide over the southern states. We've lost several great people in the past few years and though we might miss them, we carry on. We think of them and remember them when we gather together as a family and we share our memories of them and hold them dear in our hearts.