Sentimental Sunday: Shelton Family Reunion, 2016

This weekend, I went to the Shelton Family Reunion - more specifically, a reunion of descendants of my great-great-grandparents, Levi Marion Shelton (1863-1941) and Sarah Ann Spikes Shelton (1871-1935).  It was held in Verda, Louisiana, which is not too far from the Red River in Grant Parish.

I left early in the morning on Saturday, June 25, and it took me five and a half hours to get there.  I arrived shortly before lunch was served.  The photo at left and those below give some idea of how many people were there (about 63, if the count on the nametags was correct) - and of how much food there was.  These pictures don't show the desserts, which were on a separate counter.

After eating, drawings were held for door prizes (hence the number on the nametags), some group photos were taken - and everyone cleaned up and left!  As it turns out, a lot of activity happens in the morning - the ladies get together to make fried pies for the early arrivals.  If I go to the reunion again, I'll plan to arrive Friday evening so I can participate in these Saturday morning activities.

 

The two ladies pictured above, my first cousins twice removed, sisters Shirley Thompson  and Garnell "Nell" Thompson Doherty, took me under their wings for the rest of the day.  My great-grandmother, Addilee Tennessee Shelton Wolfe Odom Harris (1890-1977), was the oldest of the nine children of Levi and Sarah who survived to adulthood, while Shirley's and Nell's mother, Euna Ann Shelton Thompson, was one of the younger ones (fifteen  years younger).  Euna died in 1959, and my great-grandmother apparently took Euna's four daughters under her wing.  So they were very eager to meet me.

We went to Shirley's home first, where I was invited to update my family's information in Shirley's genealogy software, and look through an album of old family photographs.  Then Nell took me to her home and gave me a tour of nearby Winnfield, Louisiana (where many of my ancestors were born or lived), and we went out to dinner.

I got up early Sunday and drove home, doing a little sightseeing on the way.  More about what I saw and did related to this family reunion in future posts.

© Amanda Pape - 2016 - click here to e-mail me.