This Year's Reunion Will Be October 4, 2009 PLACE: Old Post Park TIME: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Picnic Shelter Number 8 Potluck Lunch at 1:00 pm THIS IS NEWS! Just a reminder that the 29th Eubanks Reunion is on October 4, 2009, this coming Sunday. She cocked her head slightly, looked at me with what I took as fire in her eyes and said in a strong slightly loud voice, "I should have drown you when you were a baby." I was so stunned for the next few seconds that I lost the ability to speak. READ THE REST BELOW ! Eubanks Reunion 2008 (Last Year) The 28th Eubanks Family Reunion was held Oct 5, 2008 at Old Post Park. There were 98 people from 5 states. Clarence Mackie (91) was the oldest attendee and Gavin Rion (8 months) was the youngest. Randy and Mark Eubanks won the horseshoe pitching championship. John Eubanks and Don Mackie were the runner-up. (NOTE: For more complete info on the horseshoe contest go to http://www.eubanksreunion.org/horseshoes.htm) You should have seen us in color! Click To Enlarge Those attending from Dover were: Judy (Eubanks) Benn, Larissa Benn, Kayla Benn, Redmond & Benita Eubanks, Ray & Carol Jurick, Jacqueline Jurick, Clarence Mackie, Don & Kathy Mackie, Jeannie McCain, and Mary Jean (Eubanks) Schembra. Those attending from Russellville included: Randy Anderson, Allen, Joanna, Taylor and Madeline Eubanks, Betty Eubanks, Dick & Cathy Eubanks, Larry & Donna Eubanks, Mark & Cheryl Eubanks, Melinda, Paisley & Loren Eubanks, Randy Eubanks, Angie Harris, Scott & Allison Shaddon, Justin & Jane Jones, Christian Gross, Kylie Jones, Robert & Kasidy Horton, Deryl Mackie, Joyce McCain, Tom, Mary, Samanth, Kyria, Amanda & Carolyn Jane, Tommy Randolph, Sarah, Jonas & Gavin Rion, and Gary & Debbie (Eubanks) Tuller. Others from Arkansas in attendance included: Kevin Conley from Beebe; Ron & Elaine Huddleston from Berryville; Tracy Richmond from Cabot; Jim, Martha(Eubanks) & Aram Bowles from Dardanelle; Anna Lee Hudson from Drasco; Ryan, Jennifer, Zach & Will Bryant from Fayetteville; Phillip, Melissa, Caspian & Bennett Eubanks from Fayetteville; Dean & Nioka McCain from Hector; Brian Eubanks, Monica (Eubanks) Martin, Katelynn, Stormie & Kassidy Martin from Knoxville; Sean Gray & Jayson Pate from Lamar; Belinda and Cody Guinn from London; Dewey Jones; Cindy, Savannah, & Ashleigh Callan ; James & Julie Williams from Pottsville; Lazeth Novak from Maumelle;. Those who attended from out of state included: John Eubanks from Hernando, MS; Reta Jackson from Reading, KS; Tony & Darlene Merrill from Elkhart, KS; Owen & Paula Stokes from Houston, TX; Eldon & Diana (Eubanks) White and granddaughter, Diana from Midwest City, OK. The above information was furnished by Joyce and Jeannie McCain. Thanks to everyone who came -- and did you notice that if you had came we would have topped 100. Still 98 from 5 different states ain't bad! There were a number of folks that wanted to come this year but because of work or illness could not. And remember to say a prayer for those that continue to have health problems. For everyone that traveled from out of state to be here for a few hours...... ."A GREAT BIG THANKS". I know how hard it is to schedule a trip like that. We're used to seeing Eldon & Diana White from Oklahoma, John Eubanks from Mississippi. And if they were to miss coming it wouldn't seem the same. And every once in awhile Ron Eubanks, all the way from Denver, and several from Dexter, Missouri, can make the reunion that much better by being here. When they can't make it we miss them! (We talk about them too!) It's not that we're trying to break any records. Sure a big turn out is nice. But the important thing is none of us are getting younger. And for many, this is the one time of the year we can spend a few hours visiting with family that we may not see again for several years. Or worst! L to R: Darlene Merril, Diana White, Paula Stokes, Reta Jackson Can't close this part without saying how great it was to see Paula, Reta and Darlene. Most of you know they are daughters of one of the most fun loving Eubanks women of all, aunt Stella. When aunt Stella walked into a room you didn't need to turn on a light because she lit up the whole room. It had been many years since they had been back to Arkansas and it was a joy to see them. And of course Mark Eubanks took one look at husbands Owen and Tony and said, " Ah, fresh meat for the horse shoe contest". News from Gary & Sammie Johnston: I talked to Sammie recently in Oklahoma City and she said Gary has vacation scheduled for the week of the family reunion and they plan to be here. Sammie is the youngest daughter of Tommy Eubanks. She has been fighting cancer for several years and has been unable to travel. It would really be great if she and Gary can make it this year. Say a prayer for them. I also talked to Eldon and Diana (Sammie's sister) White. Eldon had surgery in August but is planning to be well enough for me and him to give Randy and Mark competition in the horse shoes this year. LOL Well, my wife has been wanting to go to Scotland for about 5 years. You'll have to ask her why. Now I get this in email: News From Reta & Gene Jackson: Hey Dick MY GREAT NEWS: Your crazy cousin Reta is at it again. I found out about this great Marathon and 1/2 Marathon that is called the Moonwalk. It takes place in Edinburgh Scotland on June the 20th. It starts at Midnight and everyone walks in a decorated bra to raise Money for Breast Cancer research. So.....quess where I will be on June 20th? Our team is called Sunflower Tartan and we will be wearing scottish plaid with sunflower petals. (We should look quite spectacular I do believe) I am going with my girlfriend, Marion Jones, who is originally from Scotland and meeting up with a couple of other women from Scotland to do the walk. If anyone wants to check it out they can go to http://www.justgiving.com/trishclipsham2. I am attaching the article that Trish put in the paper. How about that I made the paper in SCOTLAND. I will try to get some grand photo's to send you. Love to all. Reta Then this in followup; Dickie Just wanted to let you know that you are in trouble if I talk to your wife. Scotland was everything I imagined and more. I can't wait to take Gene. You had better start planning because if I take Gene back before you take her the first time, you could be in for some rough times. It really was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been and the people were all so kind and generous. I would go back tomorrow if I could work it out. Hope all is well with all of you. Hopefully Gene and I will come a visiting this winter. Maybe Jan or Feb when things slow down on the farm. Love to all Reta Note to Reta: (I'm still waiting for the photos) Over the last few months I've had emails from folks that have run across the Eubanks Reunion website. I thought everyone might be interested in reading some of the comments: Hi, Dick, My name is Marlan Nelson; my mother was Ruby Eubanks, daughter of William Carter and Lecy Jane Morgan Eubanks. We are descended from William and Rachel Wakefield Eubanks as follows: William Eubanks ) William Eubanks Tarleton Eubanks ) Joseph A. Eubanks William Carter Eubanks ) Thomas H. Eubanks Ruby Eubanks Nelson ) Argus Elmo Eubanks Marlan Nelson ) Dick Eubanks My great-grandfather and your father's great-grandfather were brothers (Tarleton William and John A. Eubanks). That makes my mother a cousin to your father Argus Elmo, me a first cousin-once-removed to your father, and a second cousin to you. I have been researching the Eubanks family for about 30 years and have worked on the project in the Mormon Church Library in Salt Lake City, in the libraries in Pope County, on the internet, through telephone calls to new names that I have found through my research. I have recently corresponded with Jess Eubanks of Russellville (the State Farm Insurance Agent). His grandfather was a half-brother to my mother, having been one of three children born to my grandfather Eubanks (William Carter Eubanks) with his first wife, Carrie Clifton Ford. I have never met any of the Eubanks in Pope or Van Buren County, but I hope to be able to have an opportunity to see some of them when I come to Pope County one day during the week of August 17-20. My son lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and I have a time share at Holiday Island, Eureka Springs that I come to each August for a week. When I make my trip there to do some research, I will bring my laptop with all of my genealogy records. I have 10,965 records in my file, but not all of them are Eubanks; they include branches off to various families. Recently I talked with Thomas Redmon Eubanks, and I hope to be able to visit with him for a brief time when I come to Pope County. If you are interested in any of my genealogy records, I will be happy to share them with you. I wish it were possible for me to come to the reunion in October, but since I live in Longmont, Colorado, and since I am coming to Arkansas in August, my schedule will not permit it. Maybe another year. Regards, Marlan Nelson I met with Marian in July as did Redmond and Jess Eubanks. He also contacted Misty Pointer. He called me last week and said he would send me his Eubanks files on a CD this week. I'm watching my mail and hopefully I will be able to share with anyone interested. I think it was very kind of Marian to share what has taken him years to compile with us. Hi Dick, This is Gene Mackie's grand daughter Misty Mackie Pointer I have been working on the family tree for 7 years now and I'm asking all of the Eubanks for help. I will be at the reunion and asking for help if you would please help me I would appreciate it. I am offering everybody that's interested a free pass to the Ancestry website for free I pay every year for it and I need everybody to fill in there part of the tree everybody can also print off a copy of their tree for free all I'm asking for in return is their information about their family and I have locked the tree so no one can see it unless I invite them so no information will be seen by strangers. I am going to have my computer at the reunion if anyone needs help in putting their information in. Please email me back and let me know if you get this Looking forward to see you there Misty Mackie Pointer From: pluman77@hotmail.com (Scott Eubanks) To: info@eubanksreunion.org Date: 13 Aug 2009 01:46:14 -0000 Subject: Eubanks Guest Book My father is Randall Odus Eubanks, I am his second son of Randall. I was born 8/3/1977 and I married Melissa Diane Laughlin 6/14/1994 and we have been together since. We have have 2 wonderful children, Matthew Scott Eubanks 3/5/1996,and Catherine Elizibeth Eubanks 5/9/1998. our life is an open book, so if there is any questions we are ready and willing to answer them. From: TRGEE@AOL.COM (GERALD EUBANKS) To: info@eubanksreunion.org Date: 22 May 2009 11:28:50 -0000 Subject: Eubanks News Letter Info Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by GERALD EUBANKS (TRGEE@AOL.COM) on Friday, May 22, 2009 at 06:28:50 Address: 785 VISCAYA BLVD. City: ST. AUGUSTINE State: FL Zip: 32086 Comments: PERHAPS WE ARE NOT RELATED. (SMILES) I AM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE, ETC. MY SISTER REFERRED ME TO THE SITE. COINCIDENTALLY, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING REUNIONS FOR ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. YOURS SOUND WONDERFULLY HUMBLING AND GREAT. MY FATHER'S FAMILY, THOUGH, HAILS FROM AIKEN COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. NEVERTHELESS, I WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST!! From: Marcia K. Howard <marciakthomas@yahoo.com> Date: 26 May 2008 19:38:47 -0000 Subject: Eubanks Guest Book To: info@eubanksreunion.org Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by Marcia K. Howard (marciakthomas@yahoo.com) on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 14:38:47 Address: 1713 Canyon Village Circle City: San Ramon State: CA Zip: 94583 Comments: Levi L Thomas & Mary Ann Eubanks are my great great grand parents. They had William Sidney Thomas who married Alberta Willoughby. They had my grandfather Walter E. Lee Thomas....What a small world. News from Joyce McCain's: During spring break, Joyce and Jeannie Mccain made a trip to the Dexter, Missouri area. We were able to spend sometime with Edd and Arlene Eubanks and also Shirley Gaines. This has become an annual trip that we make each year. Well, Joyce sent that! What she didn't send was this: On June 27th, friends, family and co-workers gave Joyce a retirement party in Atkins. Joyce had been at Arkansas Tech since she graduated from high school. A recorder was passed around and everyone said a few words about Joyce. Photos were also taken and later placed on a CD for Joyce to keep. My daughter Mary, who graduated from Tech this last December, said there were many, many students that would have never made it through school without Joyce's help, including her. Thanks Joyce! Click to Enlarge News from Jeannie McCain: John Eubanks did this for his Sunday School Class. He gave me a extra one to share. Love Jeannie (All I can say is he chose a good man for his photo - Redmond Eubanks) News from the Randolphs: You should know all of my news by now. However, don't forget that I DID graduate in December!! Have fun on vacation!! Later, Mary What Mary didn't say was this: She graduated at the age of 30+ while going to school, working part-time, and caring for a husband and 5 children. Graduation Mary! News from Angie Harris: Ok well you know most of my news-- but here's something you can put in the newsletter-- Allison will be 13 this summer, Randy's youngest turns 2 tomorrow. I STILL have my job- despite the economy :) The kids and I have magic springs season passes for this year (good through Halloween :) ) Scott turns 16 in Dec of this year-- OMG what are we gonna do then???? OH and my CAR is paid for!!!!!!!! Ok that's all I can think of for now Did I make the first 15???? LOL Angie (5/19/09) (Yes you did) News from Belinda (Mackie) Gunn: I already sent you the pictures of yourself. You are going to bring them and show off aren't you? But I will plan on being there on the 4th. Belinda sent me this in a letter in April: Dickie, Look what Elaine and I found at Dad's house. We had our laugh and I thought Cathy might want one. Just kidding. I started to post it on the internet for payback. You know the reunion picture with me in it when I was about 7. Horrible pic. Hope all is well with all of you. I am really liking MO. Drop by when your up this way. Love you all Belinda (Well, I looked but I couldn't find a "horrible picture of Belinda) (But the one she sent me--well let's just say I misplaced it for now) News from Anna Lee Hudson: OK, Dick. Here goes. Not time for much. I've got 4 quilts awaiting my attention. Since L.N. died, Dec. 25, 2006, I have been staying busy with sewing and quilting. I did some research in in April 2007 purchased a long-arm quilting machine. There are just too many quilts to spend weeks hand quilting. I do some quilting for friends who make the quilt tops. Machine quilting is a rapidly growing business. I recently attended MQX, Machine Quilter's Expo in Overland Park, Kansas. It is not just a quilt show. There are hundreds of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on classes with new techniques. I took three classes on machine maintenance as well as others on techniques I need to improve. My quilt guild is making quilts for kids in the CASA program-kids whose family is involved in court proceedings like domestic abuse, drugs, etc. I volunteered to quilt several of them. Also I quilt one quilt a month for the Quilts of Valor program. This organization matches quilt pieces with quilters to make patriotic quilts for returning military. This is close to my heart as I am an Army brat, an Air Force widow and a Navy mom. Check out the web site for Quilts of Valor for more info. Besides quilting and sewing, I still enjoy traveling in my travel trailer. I joined the local chapter of Good Sam's Club, and am now the Treasurer. We have one meeting and one camp out each month. We have two statewide Samborees a year as well as an district camp out each year. In March, we, along with another chapter, clean up the grounds at Bull Shoals State Park. Our meetings are at various restaurants in our area, either for breakfast or lunch. Our camp outs are usually within a two hour drive of the Greers Ferry Lake area. I have made several new friends in this group. News from Rob & Erna Eubanks: Well, we have now been in Chicago for a little over a year. Erna is starting her 2nd year of grad school and I'm working in Video Conference Technology. We live on the north side of Chicago pretty close to Loyola University and about 2 blocks from Lake Michigan. My son Jaren called last week all excited. He had just got chosen to play the lead role in "Guys & Dolls" at Russellville Jr High. It will be Nov 12th - 14th. We miss all our friends and family back home in Arkansas and wish we could be there for the reunion. Maybe next year. News from Dick & Cathy Eubanks: If Cathy was writing this it would be all about our grandchildren. But I'm sure she will tell everyone about them so I'll let her do that. This is about 2 trips we took this year. First we transported a trailer to Medicine Hat, Alberta in early March. We got up into Iowa and hit an ice storm that closed the interstate for 2 days. When they opened the interstate we went about 60 miles and my fuel line "jelled" up. We were on the side of the interstate for about 2 hours with minus 10 degree temps and wind chill of close to 25 below. We had a blanket but if I hadn't had a propane heater we would have been really cold. But we got a wrecker, another motel and after getting the truck running , we got started again the next day. Other than falling on the ice, everything worked out fine. (I Click to Enlarge hit on my head when I fell, and as everyone knows, I'm hardheaded. Just another adventure.) Then we took a trip to Delaware in May, picked up another trailer in Maryland and took it to Towawanda, NY, just a few miles from Niagara Falls. This was great because we had never been to Niagara Falls. BUT... on the way we stopped in Williamsport, PA to spend the night. For those that don't know, Williamsport is the home to the Little League World Series. And since I coached Little League for over 25 years this was like a dream come true for me. I had to take in all the sights at this historical place. I was like a kid in a candy store. I took several pictures but mostly we went away with memories of being in a place all coaches and players dream of going. Of course their dream is to be playing in a game there. Since I never made that part of the dream, this was close. Now when I watch the Little League World Series on TV I can at least imagine what it might feel like to be there. Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge On a personal note: The 2008 reunion was a mix of emotions for those in or close to the Argus Eubanks family. We always look forward to seeing family, kicking back and watching Randy & Mark beat up everyone at horse shoes, eating to much, watching the kids play and in general just having a great afternoon. And we did that. But this year was different. For me personally my son Rob & wife Erna had just moved to Chicago and weren't able to return for the reunion and I missed them. But there was more. First, it had been 10 years since Argus Eubanks, our father, our rock, our everything, had lost the battle to cancer on September 12, 1998. Although sometimes it seems like it was last week the realty is that it was ten years. Dad loved his family .... and when I say his family I mean ALL his family. My childhood memories are of us visiting family. Not a week went by that we didn't visit someone in the family. And he loved seeing everyone at the reunion. He would spend hours writing letters, calling folks, and in general making sure everyone knew when it was. Then the early part of the year 2008 started with the sudden death of Patsy Gale (Eubanks) Jones. Sister, mother, new grandmother, and wife of Dewey. When I think of those who have had to deal with sudden loss of a family member, like the Mackie family did with Jackie in 2006, I'm at a loss for words. With Pat, we couldn't come to terms with what had happened. She was laughing, saying she was doing fine ..... and then she was gone. No one ever really knew how sick she was until just days before she died. Or even then. Larry is almost 4 years older than me, Debbie 6 years younger. Pat was 11 months and 17 days younger than me. Because we were so close in age when we were growing up, we were always together. We went to grade school, Junior High and High school together. When I started driving she was always with me! Sometimes more than I wanted. We lived in Phoenix Arizona when I turned 16. Larry loaned me his car to go on my first driving date when I got my license. When I got home 'later' than Mom and Dad thought I should have, Pat became my extra rider (some might say chaperon) on future dates for the next couple of years. Oh, the things she could have told on me for. But she never did. We shared many great times and many secrets together. I can't even begin to count the times we double dated together. When I moved to Kansas City in 1965, Pat came to live with me in the summer before her senior year. I worked at Scotts 5 &10 and she worked right down the street at Woolworth's. But then she went back home to start school. I stayed in Missouri for most of the next 16 years, she married Dewey and we were never as close as we were when we were younger. It happens in families all the time. We get married, start a new life, get caught up in the day to day of working and raising a family. And even though we live just short miles apart, sad as it is, we grow apart. That's not to say the love is less, the bond that was once there never goes away. The main reason I'm writing about this now is that just a few weeks after Pat died we put Mom in the hospital. And for the next almost 6 months Debbie, Larry or I, and sometimes all of us, were at the hospital or nursing home with mom. We never had time to really grieve for the loss of our sister. This last year we have started the healing process. We loved her, we miss her, and she will be at every Eubanks Reunion in our hearts. The pictures were hung on the wall in the same spot they were 10 or 20 years ago. The food was in the fridge, as it had been for the last year. The coffee pot was plugged in and ready for company. As it always was. Nothing was different. If mom or dad had walked back into the house on J street that they bought in 1954 it would have seemed like they just went to town for a little while. Everything was the same. Vera Eubanks with Brothers Jimmy & Bob Carey - New Mexico - 1950 That was the scene in early spring when Debbie, Larry and I walked in to start packing things away. What we ended up doing was going through some old photos, old 78 rpm records, and mostly just talking. For those of you that have had to do this I hope it wasn't as hard for you as it has been for us. I think it probably was. In the last few weeks we have finally started to make a little progress. But, man is it hard. When mom first got sick last spring I thought she would do like she always had done. Be her stubborn self, worry the doctors, worry us, and then get well enough to tell everybody she was going home and there was nobody going to stop her. But this time I was wrong. Mom had a way of ..... well the only way to say this is that daddy spent his whole life spoiling her. And us to deal with it. And sometimes it was hard. I can say this because Cathy has spent 25 years spoiling me and she says I'm just like my mother. And she still loves me. (go figure) Just as we always loved mom. But still, I can be hard to live with sometimes and mom was hard for us kids at times. As Pat used to say, "it's just your turn in the barrel." When she had been in the hospital a few weeks she was not getting any better. The nurse had brought her food tray and I was sitting in the chair next to her trying to get her to eat. I said, "mom if you don't eat you're not going to get any better and if you don't get better you can't go home, so here take a bite." She cocked her head slightly, looked at me with what I took as fire in her eyes and said in a strong slightly loud voice; "I should have drown you when you were a baby." I was so stunned for the next few seconds that I lost the ability to speak. In fact I was starting to get mad. Then Cathy started laughing. As I stared back at my mother who had just spoken those stunning words to me I said very softly, "Well, I'm sure glad you didn't because I would have found it real hard to forgive you." As I looked at her and waited I started to see a twinkle in her eyes. Then she started to smile and then said, " you and Pat were always such a joy to me and your dad. And you both were so pretty and cute when you were little." I smiled back and said, "yeah, but I was the cutest wasn't I?" She smiled right back and said," well you're not anymore." It was in that moment that I started to wonder..... was that twinkle always there and I just never noticed it before because I got mad instead. Mom lived until August 18 of 2008. She continued to have a few good days followed by several bad days. On her good days she told us story after story that for the most part I had never heard before. One of the funniest was when Larry and I were visiting her one day and she got to telling about Larry and one of the cousins taking her favorite doll out in the woods and taking it's eyes out to see how it worked. You'll have to get Larry to tell that one. One of these days I'm going to try to write all the stories down before I forget them. Before mom had several strokes back in the early '80's she was a lot different than in later years. I have several cousins that have told me "Aunt Vera was like a mother to me when I was growing up." When Larry was about 5 and I was a baby daddy was working in Arizona. Well, mom wanted to go to Arizona so she hired a taxi in Dover to take her, Larry, and me to Arizona. When Patsy was a baby we were living in Tucson. She had just washed Pat and my diapers. Daddy came home from work and said,"if you're going to Arkansas for Christmas with me you better throw your stuff in the car." She hung mine and Pat's diapers out the window of the car almost to Oklahoma to dry. There will never be another one like her! We miss her. Jeannie and Joyce McCain have a great idea. They said every year at the reunion there is always so many wonderful dishes of food. Next year they would like for everyone to write down the recipe for the dish they bring. (They probably wouldn't care if you added a few more.) They would like to put together a Eubanks Family cookbook. How about it? Also remember we have a few recipes that family members have shared on the website. If you would like you can send them to me at info@eubanksreunion.org. I will add them to the website and give them to Joyce and Jeannie. Wouldn't it be great if everyone would send me an email with: 1. Who their parents were/are and when they were married - living or deceased/when 2. Who their children are, when they were born 3. Who their children married 4. Who their grandchildren are, when they were born Then it would be great if I put it on the website so everyone could could catch up on who's who. I know a lot of this but I don't know dates or maiden names. If you don't see any news of your family listed it's because I didn't get any. If you tell me I forget -- but if you email it, I keep it in a folder all year until time to send this out. What may seem unimportant from you is news to the rest of us. The website has some new photo's thanks to John Eubanks and Cathy Eubanks. They can be seen at Reunion Photos. There have been new stories added, and a few new jokes, Want to read past news, click here. Send me news about your family from time to time so we can let everyone know how you're doing. If you don't want to receive this newsletter just drop me a note that says "TAKE ME OFF" . HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THIS SUNDAY!