Old residents of Fairmont and lower Robeson county cannot remember a more largely attended nor a more successful family reunion than the one held there Thursday in the People’s Tobacco warehouse.
For the first time in 24 years, five of the six living brothers and the two living daughters of the late Hugh G. Mitchell gathered in Fairmont, which is only three miles from the place of the old Mitchell homestead, and where once was a scene of pure Southern home life and extension farming operations. Southern Robeson can boast of no better people than the Mitchells, and the other states which harbor some of them should feel proud of their inheritance of real genuine citizenship. The immediate members of the family living are, in order of birth:
A.G. Mitchell, planter of Fairmont;
Nazareth R. Mitchell of Delano, California, who has made good in the baking and trucking business;
W.L. Mitchell of Hickory, who is a banker and farmer and until recently connected with a large wholesale feed concern;
J.T. Mitchell of Dallas, Texas, insurance and real estate dealer;
John H. Mitchell of Bennetsville, S.C., who could not be present at the reunion on account of important business, a traveling salesman;
Mrs. Lizzie Stafford of Latta, S.C., and
Mrs. E.B. Hayes, Fairmont.
At least 200 relatives by blood and marriage attended the affair. The presence of “Uncle” Alex Fullmore and wife, “Aunt Nancy,” and a few other colored people of the antebellum days added much to the reunion. While talking to “Uncle Alex,” who has been for the past few years a partial paralytic, it was learned that he had spent many years on the old Mitchell place, and played a great part in the life of the surviving members of the family.
A few minutes before 1 o’clock everybody gathered around the long picnic dinner table, which was completely filled with the very best things to eat. Rev. John Lanier, pastor of the First Baptist church of Fairmont, spoke the invocation, prior to which “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” was sung by the entire crowd. Following the invocation, a photograph was taken of the table and crowd.
Harmony and Pleasure
The entire affair was one of perfect harmony and evident super-pleasure. Loved one who had been out of hearing and seeing distance for many years found it hard to break away from a conversation with one member of the family in order to spend a few minutes with some other one. Several times a large number was seen crowded about one or another of them. It seemed as if the whole town of Fairmont held its arms wide open with beckoning calls to everyone to come and enjoy the occasion. This was possibly more evident on account of the fact that Mr. H.G. Mitchell is serving his second term as mayor of the progressive little city, and everybody is either related to the Mitchells or they are their warm friends.
Many Children
A feature of the day was the presence of so many little ones of the present generation, and fine healthy youngsters, too. They were there from a few weeks old to several years. Mr. A.N. Mitchell, another of Fairmont’s progressive citizenry whose father, the late Q.B. Mitchell, was a member of the celebrating family, could not be present on account of a business and pleasure trip in New York and Canada. He was accompanied on the trip by his son, Master Joseph.
Other members of the “Choir Invisible” are Mrs. Arra Pittman, mother of Dr. Lupton Pittman, noted physician and surgeon of Fayetteville; Mrs. Helen Brown, first wife of Mr. W.C. Brown, prominent planter of Southern Robeson.
Among those from out of town attending were Mr. and Mrs. L.F. Mitchell of Wilmington, Mr. J.L. Thompson and daughter, Miss Maitland, of Lumberton.
From the front page of the Lumberton Robesonian, Monday, July 21, 1924
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84026483/1924-07-21/ed-1/seq-1/#words=JULY+21%2C+1924
“The Choir Invisible” is a poem by George Eliot concerning the afterlife.
No comments:
Post a Comment