Above, left to right Franklin Hunter, Dora Hunter Allison Spiva, age 103, and Dani. Dani is a school teacher. She showed her organization skills or motors, or whatever teachers call them in making everything come together – she stood in for the President on short notice and because of her everything ran smoothly like a Swiss clock.
By Dora’s big smile and twinkle in her eyes, you can tell she is the belle of the ball. You would never think she is 103 years old.
I have several blog entries on Dora. She was my neighbor Harold's teacher - Harold died an old man in 2002. Here is another one of her with Franklin Hunter, and another one where a handsome debonair suave brute is trying to break in - is it Sean Connery, or is it ME? The lady on the left I don't know, I think she was taking care of Dora.
Sunday, the first Sunday of June, was the annual reunion of the Descendants of John Hunter, who came to that area about 1838, maybe a year or two earlier.
Almost as soon as we drove away from the house Sunday Morning it started pouring down rain. We got on the 575 Highway and for almost an hour the rain was so heavy we could hardly see the highway we were trying to decide whether to turn around or not… but why turn around? We still had to drive through it. On up in the mountains the rain became lighter, but it never stopped completely.
Up in the mountains the mist rose up to curl around the mountain tops – it looked mystic. The reunion was to start at 1:00. We were there about 12:20. Naturally. Only several people had arrived. Is this about it because of the rain? I wondered. No, after a while people came in forces – and bought plenty of food of a wide assortment for me to wonder at. It all looked good, but there was a long table full of selections – oh, what to do?
This person is a relative who I already forgot his name, of course. He had a Marine hat on and we started talking about our service time and ship time. Each of us had both spent only a short time on a Navy ship. I mentioned I spent my short time aboard the USS NEWPORT NEWS and I thought he would choke – that was the same ship he spent his short ship tour on – and near the same time. Again, small world.
The man in the center is the commissioner of Union County. He dropped by to tell us as a group what the latest with the John Hunter Cabin. He is trying to work out a deal where it will go on the Byron Hubert Reece Farm-Museum. Byron is also a descendant of John Hunter, so it fits… more or less.
The reunion was held at Track Rock Camp Grounds, as it has for years. Above is the owner of Track Rock Campgrounds Tommy Alexander and his wife. Tommy is also a Hunter descendant.
Fog on the mountain. I got it!!! Now, I know how “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” got its name!
8 comments:
Shoot. I wanted a picture of the food table with all the southern dishes.
et,
Wish I could have gone, too far from south GA. I went in 97 and had a great time. Glad that Jason Hunter's line was represented.
j3
Reuben,
I should have got a shot of the food table. Every time I looked at it my instinctual brain commanded "Eat!" instead of "take picture!".
John,
I didn't know you have been before. I knew David and Frasure had went one time.
Yes, Jason Henderson Hunter's line was represented. But just how "well represented" is the question.
et,
Yeah, you sent me the info and Neely & I drove up on a whim with a chocolate pie. They were thrilled to have us (and the pie). Met the Mableton Hunter's (John L. and his son Leslie, who had never met a Marietta Hunter but had always wondered if we were related. Amazing, 10 miles apart and never knew it.
They later came & visited me at the museum in Kennesaw and kept in touch for a while.
j3
JJJ,
This is about my 4th or more attempt to respond to past comment. Blasted AT&T and their bad lines.
We sat with a guy and his little girl, who lived in Ranger, Gordan County, Ga., he is one of the sons of John Lewis Hunter of Mapleton. I think John Lewis's brother Neal also lives in Mapleton. The son we sat with was surprised we Hunters in Marietta were related to them and said he had been asked that several times were they related to the Marietta Hunters.
And I said, "Well, now you know."
Maybe he knew all along, since 1979.
Looks like the reunion was a happy one! And Dora is 103 years old??? She certainly doesn't look like it!
Fog on the mountain - I like that pic. Sometimes, when the clouds are low and semi-dark, from a distance it can look like the whole side of the mountain(s) is on fire. Beautiful Country.
Deborah,
You are right, it is beautiful country, even in the pouring down rain it was beautiful with the steam or moisture or whatever forming fog clouds high up hugging mountain tops.
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