By Betsy Finklea
The annual Isham and Mary Hays Watson Descendants Association Reunion was held on Sunday, June 23, at Antioch Church in Sellers.
The 90+ degree temperatures didn’t discourage the 89 people who were present for the reunion. J. Thomas McElveen, III, President, presided over the meeting.
W. Burke Watson, Jr., gave the invocation thanking God for the previous time spent with one another and the memories to be created. The hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, was sung. The minutes were presented by Reaves Longdale and were approved with a correction. Michael Carr Watson gave the Treasurer’s Report. The collection was taken up by Carol Sloan and Chris Mott. Memorials of those who had passed since the last reunion were given by Ginnifer Lee McGill Kirk and Julia Theodore Kirk. Then the hymn, “Blessed Be The Tie That Binds,” was sung. A roll call by family branch was held. There were 13 descendants of Matthew present, 16 of James, one of Elizabeth Watson Reaves, four of Samuel, and 36 of William. A total of 89 people were present.
Recognitions were given to Laurel Ammons Hayes and her husband, the youngest person in attendance was the child of Alice and Ben Decker, the oldest person is attendance was 84-year-old Martha Whisheit, and the person traveling the fartherest was Alline Sloan Arguelles (2,000 miles) from Colorado. There were people from Connecticut, Oklahoma, and other areas in attendance. Several first timers were in attendance.
Tim Ammons gave the benediction, and Jay Lawson led the last hymn, “God Be With Us ‘Til We Meet Again.” Afterwards, several enjoyed visiting the cemetery and lunch on the grounds. All look forward to reassembling next year.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Betsy Finklea/The Dillon County News, LLC
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