Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1918-08-15
That O'Brien Reunion.
(Contributed)

Leaving Charlotte on the early morn.
ing train Tuesday, July Goth, myself and
family proceeded to the good OLD nome
town of Rockingham, the county seat OF
Richmond County, the land OF my natlV,
ity, the land where many TRENDS ana
relatives still reside, and in whose SOIL
the remains of many loved ones rest
until the great day of the Lord. we
spent the day among loved ones and
friends in and near Rockingham. Early
Wednesday morning, July 3lst, we gath,
cred our family together, accompanied
by Mrs. w. R. Mcintosh and little son
and Miss Mamie c. Thomas, one OF
Rockingham's grandest and noblest
women. We proceeded due north in the
Buick Car driven by Carey Webb. We
were soon gliding swiftly over one OF
Richmond County's sand clay roads,,
roads that would make any county proud
of. In few minutes the thriving little
town of Roberdel was passed; next Old
Bear Branch; then to old Green Lake
church where first as barefooted boy we
first heard the Gospel preached and trst
attended Sunday School; thence mile
more to the old Homestead" where we
first saw the light, the home of the salnteo
father and mother Dennis and Jane
O'Brien, long since passed away, anc
where the Bird son, E. B. OBrien, anc
wife, Lucy Burroughs O'Brien, and who
have tried to obey the injunction lac
down in the scripture wherein it say:
"be fruitful and replenish the earth
In that command they have done well a:
there are twelve children when all are a
home. Not II sons as the old Patriarch
Jacob had but four sons and eight daugh
ters all married except three and all try
ing to follow the scriptural injunctions a
their father before them.
The object of our visit at this beauti
full ancesterial home was to attend
family reunion of the O'Brien clan, prev
iously planned Promptly at ten A: M
the kinsmen began gathering until b
noon the large grove in front OF tn
home was literally covered with automc
bles, and brothers, sisters, uncles an
.aunts, husbands and wives, children
grandchildren and cousins galore, wer
all mingling together. Richmond, Sco'
land, Robson, Montgomery, Meckler
burg, CASTOR and Marlboro countie
were all represented. There were tam
HCS dIlu UIOhCll ldllihlSo, va
some in Virginia, Maryland, South Care
lima, Georgia, Florida and Ohio
Some in the training camps and some
sunny France; also some in Wilmingto
and Salisbury that could not come to tn
first great reunion of the O'Brien Clan
first from old Ireland and later from tn
u. S. A. There were tears and thel
was laughter; there was joy and Their
was sorrow. People greeted each oth'
that had never met before. Kinsme
grasped hands that had not met in
years. The farmer was there, the m
chanic, the electrician, the manufacture
the merchant, the banker, the Doctor, Il
preacher, and last but not least the pos
master-..-a $50 pound O'Brien fro
Laurel Hill. Time and valuable new
paper space forbids the names of all f
were it published some one might get
confused with the second draft call al
the Red Cross combined. So we W
only call the various names that Q
Adam handed to us. There were O'BrieI
Gibson's, BENEFITS, Borroughs, Caddel