STROUP, BAILEY, GRISHAM,
LITTLEJOHN, NINETEENTH ANNUAL FAMILY REUNION
Democrat
July 29, 1937
Held Sunday,
July 25, In Finch Park, McKinney—Ancestors Came From South Carolina To Texas
Nearly Three Quarters Century Ago—District Clerk Tom L. Bailey Was Elected
President For the Ensuing Year.
Celebrating the
one-hundredth anniversary of the marriage of the late Levi Stroup and wife,
the Stroup-Grisham-Bailey and Littlejohn families held their nineteenth
annual reunion at Finch Park Sunday, July 25.
The Stroups came
fro South Carolina to Texas soon after the Civil War and settled in the
Verona community, twelve to fourteen miles northeast of McKinney, where a
number of the descendants still live.
All the nineteen
annual reunions have been held in Finch Park, here, except the first one,
which was held at the home of the late R. D. Littlejohn and wife in the
Woodlawn community, three miles northeast of McKinney.
Finch Park lends
itself admirably to such occasions. On account of the annual reunions of the
Coffey family and the Wallace family and of the District Reunion of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, all three events being held o the east side of
Finch Park at the same time, the Stroup family relatives and descendants
assembled on the west side of the park in the beautiful natural forest grove
where they feasted at the noon hour, mingled in a social way and enjoyed the
following very interesting program.
District Clerk
Tom L. Bailey Presides.
District Clerk
Tom L. Bailey presided at the excellently rendered and interesting program
that followed the bounteous noonday spread.
Male Quartet,
composed of Letter Carriers of the Dallas Post Office: L. L. Stroup, who was
reared at Verona; J. L. Bradley, Truman Turner and Virgil Letter. Their
voices blended beautifully in several popular and sacred numbers. It was
really a treat to hear them.
Song led by
Edwin Stroup.
Group
singing—"The Old Rugged Cross."
Talk by Hon. V.
Eugene Bailey, Assistant District Attorney of Dallas County.
Talk by Lon L.
Stroup, discussing "Why We Should Continue These Annual Family Gatherings of
Ours."
Talk by Miss
Nettye Stroup, who had with her the old family Bible, which had dates and
registry of names of the forbears of the Stroup family, dating back into the
Seventeenth Century. Several talks were made by different members of the
four related families assembled after which the group engaged in one chorus,
"Amazing Grace," after which A. C. Stroup, president of the past year,
dismissed the gathering with a fervent prayer.
Stroup Family
Reunion Notes.
District Clerk
Tom L. Bailey was elected President of the family group for the ensuing year
and Miss Hazel Cunningham, Secretary.
Postmaster
Walter B. Wilson attended the reunion, again, this year, as has been his
privilege to do at eighteen of the nineteen reunions held. He was not
present at the first one held at the Littlejohn home, three miles northeast
of McKinney, eighteen years ago. He has been a lifelong friend of these find
old Verona families during the years and always enjoys renewing
acquaintances with the older members and getting better acquainted with the
younger ones of the group as they come along.
Sims A.
Littlejohn, wife and son, Grady Hill Littlejohn, of the Woodlawn community,
were present. Mr. Littlejohn is one of our county's very best farmers. At
7:00 o'clock, the same evening of the reunion his daughter, Miss Cecilia,
became the bride of George W. Spires of Gainesville at a home wedding. The
young couple were united in marriage by Rev. Minor Bounds. The couple will
reside at Gainesville.
Charles W.
Russell and wife of Vera, West Texas, were again present. This fine couple
formerly lived in the Verona community where they were reared and nearly
always come back to their old home to participate in this annual family
reunion. Their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Byron Hughes of Eunice,
New Mexico, were also present.
Sam J. Evans,
wife and children enjoyed the picnic again this year. The first wife of Mr.
Evans and the mother of several of his children was a daughter of Mrs. O. L.
Stroup.
Dale Littlejohn,
wife and children helped make the reunion a success again this year. Their
daughter, Miss Annie Louise, has served several years as secretary of the
organization.
Will Cunningham
and wife enjoyed the reunion. Mrs. Cunningham, the former Miss Mary
Littlejohn, was born and reared in the Woodlawn community where she was
correspondent for this paper for many years. Their daughter, Miss Hazel
Cunningham, was elected Secretary for the family group for the ensuing year.
Rev. J. W.
Sprinkle of Fort Worth was present. He gave the invocation preceding the
meal.
Mrs. E. P.
Gifford and son, Ralph Gifford, and wife and their two children, all of
Dallas, enjoyed the reunion. Mrs Gifford is the former Miss Hettye Stroup, a
twin sister of Miss Nettye Stroup, now official head of the Methodist Church
Mission, for Mexicans, in Dallas.
Mrs. Steve Ward
and two children of Midland were here for the reunion. She is a daughter of
Mrs. O. L. Stroup.
Mayor Tom W.
Perkins of McKinney mingled with this family group reunion for a few
minutes. He was kept busy, druing the dya, helping as official head of the
municipal government, in welcoming the various groups who were holding
reunions in McKinney during the day.
Miss Lydia
Nickle of New Orleans renewed the acquaintances with her Texas friends
living in the Verona and surrounding community. She is a former student of
Miss Nettye Stroup when the latter was head of the Mission of her church in
the city of New Orleans.
Mrs. Minnie
Young of Vernon, Texas, attended the Stroup-Bailey-Littlejohn-Grisham family
reunion here Sunday. Mrs. Young is the youngest sister of the late Mrs. M.
N. Stroup. She was the former Miss Minnie Bailey and was reared in the
Verona community of this county. She greatly enjoyed the day, mingling with
her numerous relatives, many of whom she had not seen before in years.
Dr. W. G. Stroup
of Paris attended the reunion again, this year, and greatly enjoyed the day.
He came down tow or three days before the reunion to visit his brother, Levi
Stroup, in the Valdasta community and his mother. O. J. Stroup and other
relatives living in the New Life community where hew as born and reared, He
has been a leading optometrist living, at Paris, Texas, for a number of
years. This editor was mighty glad to meet up with our good lifelong friend,
again.
R. E.
Littlejohn, wife and two children, R. E. Jr., and Opal, who have resided on
Route One, Sherman, for six years attended their annual family reunion in
Finch park Sunday. Mr. Littlejohn was born and reared in the Woodlawn
community. He and his wife own an excellent, well improved farm, five or six
miles southwest of Sherman. They are a thrifty couple, who believe in
raising and making their living at home. They raise hogs and other
livestock, plenty of poultry and always a good garden and truck patches,
canning much of their stuff. Mrs. Littlejohn gathered forty-one gallons of
blackberries from her own vines, this year, canning them and making jam and
jelly. They also obtain their honey supply from their own bee hives., They
like up there mighty well, although they still have a warm spot of McKinney
and vicinity, where they were reared and have so many relatives and good
friends. They are regular subscribers and readers of the Daily
Courier-Gazette through whose columns they keep posted on Collin county
affairs.
W. L. (Lud)
Bailey, wife and three daughters, Pleasant, Maxine and Miss Oather, all of
the Verona community, attended their annual family reunion this year in
Finch Park. Mr. Bailey is the brother of District Clerk Tom L. Bailey and of
Mark Bailey, McKinney merchant. Mr. Bailey says that this has been a year
for good crops in his community—an excellent corn crop already made, also a
good oat crop and cotton as promising as one would ever care to have it at
this season of the year.
Mrs. Hattie Dorn
of Emory attended the reunion this year again. She was formerly Miss Hattie
Stroup, daughter of Mrs. O. J. Stroup of the New Life community. Her husband
did not attend this year, she was accompanied to the reunion by her
daughters, Miss Stella Dorn and the former Della Dorn, now Mrs. F. L.
Bullard. The latter's husband also came along. Another daughter, Mrs. Ima
Wallace and little four-months old baby daughter, Mary Pauline, also came
along as did Miss Willie Mae Byron, a granddaughter of Mrs. Dorn. All of
these good people have been living in Rains county for a number of years.
Charlie Stroup
and wife and daughter, Miss Mildred, accompanied by Miss Mary Canchez,
sister of Mrs. Stroup, all of El Paso, greatly enjoyed their family reunion
here again this year. Charlie, who was born and reared in the New Life
community, has lived at El Paso for a number of years. While here he
enrolled for his old family fireside paper, the Weekly Democrat-Gazette for
another year for which we thank him.
Sidney D. Stroup
of Headrick, joined the other members of his family and his mother at the
reunion in Finch Park this year. He has been living at Headrick for a number
of years and likes up there fine.
S. M. (Malcolm)
Stroup, 5112 Victor, Dallas, was an active participant in the reunion this
year. He is the older son of the late Prof. Sid S. Stroup of Verona. The old
family homestead about twelve miles northeast of McKinney. Malcolm, who is a
college graduate and formerly taught school, has for several years been in
the United States postal service in the stamp department of Washington, D.
c. A few months ago he was transferred to the Dallas office under Post
master W. Bruce Luna. He is in charge of the philatelic (stamp) exhibit of
the National Government to e seen in the Federal building at the Greater
Dallas and Pan-American exposition in Dallas this summer and fall. Malcolm
is a fine man to be in charge. He has an attractive personality, genial,
hale and well met with everyone. He is well qualified to explain and help
entertain the thousands of people, who attend the Great Southwestern
Exposition and visit his wonderful stamp display. While here, Malcolm
renewed his Weekly Democrat-Gazette subscription for another year. He is
still very much interested in the old home county of his lamented father.
Mrs. S. S.
(Mina) Stroup, a member of the Denton public school faculty attended the
reunion this year. In fact she rarely ever misses these annual occasions.
Both of her sons were also in attendance—S. Malcolm Stroup of Dallas and
Prof. Francis Stroup, who taught last year at Prosper, where he was coach,
and where he has also been re-elected for the same position for the ensuing
year. Her son. Malcolm is a M. A. graduate from Southern California
University. Francis also has his Master's degree and have given special
attention to aquatic attainments. He is the Junior High diver champion of
the State, an honor that he won over strong competition.
R. E. Littlejohn, Mrs. R. E. Littlejohn
Opal Littlejohn R. E. Littlejohn, Jr. all of Sherman, Texas.
S. A. Littlejohn, Mrs. S. A. Littlejohn,
Grady Hill Littlejohn, McKinney, Route 3.
Dale Littlejohn, Mrs. Dale Littlejohn,
Annie Louise Littlejohn, Martha Littlejohn, Eustace Littlejohn, Dale
Littlejohn, all of Route 3, McKinney.
C. W. Russell, Mrs. C. W. Russell all of
Vera, Texas.
S. J. Evans, Mrs. S. J. Evans, Katherine
Evans, Willie Pearl, Evans, Wanda Mae Evans, Sammie Fay Evans, all of
McKinney.
Mrs. Edwin Dunn, Ernest Bee Dunn,
Katherine Dunn, Joyce Dunn, W. W. Key, Mrs. W. W. Key, L. D. Lesley, Helen
Christmon, all of Denison.
Edna Mae Lesley, Dallas, Texas.
F. L. Bullard, Mrs. F. L. Bullard, all of
Emory, Texas.
Mrs. Allen McMillan, Lavern McMillan, all
of Dallas, Texas.
Will Cunningham, Mrs. Will Cunningham,
Hazel Cunningham, Carl Cunningham, all of Route 1, McKinney.
Leroy Tilley, Mrs. Leroy Tilley, Wayne
Tilley, all of Blue Ridge.
Evelyn Smith, Dalls.
Winston Fudge, Mrs. Winston Fudge, both of
Dallas.
Glenn Richardson, Mrs. Glenn Richardson,
Bettie Richardson, Bobbie Richardson, all of Blue Ridge.
V. Kemp, Mrs. V. Kemp, Harben Kemp, Evelyn
Kemp, Chas. Hemphill, all of Snow Hill.
J. W. Cunningham, Mrs. J. W. Cunningham,
Bettie Maxine Cunningham, all of Route 1, McKinney.
Rev. J. W. Sprinkle, Fort Worth, Texas.
Forest Bomar Bates, Altoga
Mrs. E. P. Gifford, Ralph Gifford, Mrs.
Ralph Gifford, Francis Gifford, Forest Gifford, all of Dallas.
Miss Mary Sanchez, 3680 Hamhurst St. El
Paso, Texas.
Mrs. J. N. Singletary, McKinney.
John Singletary, Dallas.
Mrs. C. D. Day, Goodwin Street, Dallas.
Mrs. J. H. E. Young, 2343 Paradice Ave.
Vernon, Texas.
Mrs. D. C. Young, Cleveland, Ohio.
Steve Ward, Mrs. Steve Ward, Stephen Ward,
Charlie Ward, all of Midland, Texas.
Hattie Dorn, F. L. Bullard, Mrs. F. L.
Bullard, Mrs. Mae Wallace, Mary Pauline Wallace, Stella Dorn, all of Emory,
Texas.
G. W. Taylor, Melissa.
Virgil Lester, Truman Turner, M L.
Bradley, Mrs. M. L. Bradley, all of Dallas, Texas.
Miss Lydia Nickle, New Orleans, La.
Postmaster Walter B. Wilson of McKinney.
Mayor Tom W. Perkins, McKinney.
A. C. Stroup, Mrs. Mattie Stroup, Orville
Stroup, Mrs. Orville Stroup, Janet Stroup, all of Blue Ridge.
Karl Stroup, Mrs. Mark Stroup, Richard
Stroup, 3211 Pine Ave., Dallas, Texas.
Dow Bates, Mrs. Dow Bates, 3922 Capital
Ave., Dallas.
Nettie Jayne Stroup, Dallas, Texas.
Mrs. M. L. Stroup, Blue Ridge.
Mrs. Mina Gist Stroup, Denton, Texas.
Francis Stroup, Denton.
Malcolm Stroup, Mrs. Malcol
Surname Index
Recommended
Citation:
"Stroup-Bailey-Grisham-Littlejohn
Reunion, EARLY SETTLERS OF COLLIN COUNTY." Collin County, Texas History
and Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13, 2004 ].
