The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09
4 GREAT REUNION
OF the Nolen Family-Four Hundred
Descendants Present.
Alexander City outlook.

Descendants Present.
Alexander City Outlook.
Nearly one hundred years ago. just
across tho Tallapoosa line, now in Coosa
County. tn sre lived two brothers, Abner
and Stephen Nolen. Little rs known OF
their ancestry, and the date Is not ex-
nctly known when their parents removed
with them to the will ami Inbroksn for
ests of Alabama Nothing but the Red
mans trai. served as a guide TO tneir
fcet-and here, without kith or kin. with
the willy savage their only neighbor, they
spent the remainder of their days, leaving
sons and daughters themselves 70 become
the ancestors of g. large and respectable
postcrity, scattered throughout AIapama'
Georgia and Tennessee.
Ausr1bious t. the memory of their ro-
spected dead, MANY OF whose remains
especially those IF Abner and stephen
ancient family churchyard twelve miles
from Alexander City, last Saturday, the
25th inst, became their memorial ana
decoration day., when -FOUR hunore9 anu
twelve of the living descendants OF Abb
ner and Stephen Nolen met at Fine Grove
in a great family reunion -,
This reunion was held on this par
ticular day In honor OF the sixty-secona
Anniversary of Mrs. Eliza Nolen. wife OF
Hon. Richard 8. Nolena She Is widely
known and spoken Of by all her sons
as "our praying mother. Sne, WIN ner
husband, became on this occasion Lne
len family tree, numbering one hundred
and seventy-one living descendants wnlie
the aged widow of the late jackson Noien
became the true and proper representative
of the stephen Nolen family tree. NUMBER
ing two hundred and forty-one living oe-
scendants ..,.,.oa
affections of eight stalwart sons on these
two sanity mothers and heard the prayer
that day from the lips of Mrs. Eliza
Nolen, without loving the name OF moth
er. They are ideal women or noDie char
acteristics and strong determinatlon ana
as some poet has already salo' VI just
such women great men are porn
The program on this occasion was not
only beautiful, but extremely touching.
At IL o'clock after the coronation was
Z. barins Martin, the Az descendants
Joined by their 400 guests and led by
their respective family representatives;
marched to the cemetery to decorate ana
view once more the resting place Oh tHei'
sleeping ancestors
Repairing to the old Pine Grove sehool
house, the next feature or the program
was the reading of communication from
Hon. s. j. Nolen, mayor of Alexander
city. who had been chosen as master OF
ceremonies for this reunion occasion by
reason Of the fact that ne Is the oidest
grandson of the Stephen Nolen branch OF
This noted family, but who was prevented
hy sickness at home from attending.
This commune ton was high tribute
to these worthy pioneers and their pos
teritv and expressed in well couched IAN
gua.e a lofty sentiment anent these an
nual gatherings, where the survivors OF
the respective branches can commneIe
in pleasant converse and in commemora-
tIon of their loved ones. Mayor Nolen
Amounted Dr. A. ]. Nolen to wear the
honors as chairman of the reunion cere-
monies. II may not be amlss at TINS
iuncture to state that DR.. Nolen bears the
same distinction in respect to lineal de-
scent ON the Abner Nolen side as Mayor
Nolen bears on the stephen Nolen' sioe'
he being the oldest grandson,
In a graceful speech DIR. Nolen accepted
this honor bestowed upon him. ana direct
ed the ceremonies in manner quite
anropos of such an occasion. THIS ter-
vent family address brought out touching
resnonscs from various representatives
of The Nolen family. A letter from Dr.
W l.. Nolen of Chattanooga, Tenn,
son of Rev. w. J. Nolen deceased, and
sThndson of Abaer Nolen. was read to
the assemblage. DR.. Nolen Is a distin-
guished physician and surgeon OF Ten.
nessee. now honored as viee-president OF
The Tri-State Medical Association.
This interesting letter dedicated TO TINS
occasion was follow ed by impromptu
snee ches from Ave of the pion Ser settlers
~ that section, viz: Hon. w. L. john
con g e Sellers w. d. Richardson, j.
johnson ana d. G. Wilbanks. Each of
thesS gentlemen possessed the happy FAC
.ulty of clear recollectfons. and IN tribute
| to the MEMORIES Of their departed tTlenos