Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-11-08
REUNION OF THE ALEXANDER FAMILY.
A Happy Occasion Interesting FamiI,
HIstory-The Old Homestead.

homestead on Conneross, which is
celebrated yearly on October 27, was
a happy occasion. The day was an
ideal one and Miss "Beth" Alexan-
der, the mistress of ceremonies, bad
everything tastily arranged, and,
with her aids, looked after the com
fort of all.
Fourteen years ago, on the above
date, Mrs. Frances Crosby Alexan-
der, widow of the late James ID.
Alexander, died, and it has since
been the custom of her children TO
re-assemble at the old homestead and,
with few invited guests, renew the
tie that binds memory to memory
and heart to heart, and review the
scenes of childhood, where lights
aud shadows We'd with each other as
each chased the other over the dingy
walls. GAS the twig is bent, so is it
inclined"
1t was within the walls of this an.
cient cottage and about its sacred
heath, that Elizabeth, Theodore d.,
Wilburn o., Marshall L., Louisa,
Harriet, Susan M. and James took
their first lessons. Within these
same walls Thos. Alexander and wife,
Jane Wood, generation before
reared eleven children, seven boys
and four girls, all reaching maturity
except Thomas, Jr, who died at the
age ofeseven and whose remains were
the first to be buried in the family
cemetery on a mound overlooking
Conpeross, few hundred yards dis
tant. They were Andrew, of Mis-
sissippi, James S., who was soldier
in the late war and near its close died
in Virginia, Memory, John Henry,
of California, Joseph, also soldier
and died in the service of his country,
and Isaac NJ, the only survivor of
the boys who lives near Greenwood.
The daughters are Eleanor, now Mrs.
William EDeaton Mary Ann, now
Mrs. Elijah Deaton; Lovey, now
Mrs. Alf o. Adair; Martha Jane,
now Mrs. William Gibson-all living
in Oconee, in usual health and at ad-
vanced ages, with large families.
OF Thomas Alexander, little is
known, save that he was born in
Buncombe county, North Carolina,
in 1895, became an orphan at an
early age and went to Spartanburg,
where, in 1917, he married Jane
Wood, and in 1921 concluded to
emigrate TO Missouri on pack saddles,
in company with Andrew Ferguson,
his step father. While en- route his
wife took sick near Conneross and
they were forced to stop until she re-
covered. With his wife and an only
sister they rented the Jenkins farm,
now owned by Bud Hall, on which
they raised a crop. 1t was while
living at the jenkins place that Mr..
Alexander, while squirrel hunting,
fancied and bought $50 acres on
which he was to spend his days for
the consideration of $500. Here his
trip to Missouri ended. His wife
paid for the clearing of the land by
the needle and loom, and the pedde
wheel, spinning jenney and loom are
still to be seen in the garret of the
old home in an excellent state of
pres servation.
There were present 5 children, 81
grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren
and 8 relatives by affinity. Total,
81. Guests present, Mr.. and Mrs.
H. A. II. Gibson, j. S. Colley and
Mr.. and Mrs. w. b. Loehr and chill
dren, of Walhalla; Mr.. and Mrs. o.
X. Breazeale and child and j. Dur
ham, of Westminster Ed Smalley
and sister, Miss Maggie, of Estanol-
lee, Ga. {; j. S. Entriken and family,
N. w. Macaulay and family and Bal
Brezeale, of Conneross.
TO this connection providence has
been gracious and so far as human
divination can penetrate, no mark of
his displeasure is manifest. We
chronicle only two deaths since the
last reunion, a grand daughter, Ruby