We celebrated the first GayParker Family Reunion in the late 1970’s. It was a one-day affair that established a program format that really has become the family’s signature: barbecue, gospel singing, recollections of family history, and praising the Lord.”

The yard at Uncle Dave’s would be full of cars and kinfolks: Gays, Parkers, Vines, Barretts, Phillips, Andersons, and so many others.

Long lines waited for plates to be piled up with chicken, barbecue, ribs, collards, cake, pie, and if you were lucky, a few of the ribs from that freshly cooked pig.

Singing meant one group: the Vines Sisters and later, the Vines Family.  And from their singing and recordings the theme song “We Will Work” became the unofficial family anthem.

During the late 1990’s, the choir from Bishop Gay’s (Uncle Rob’s) church in Bridgeport/New Haven, Connecticut performed a concert.

Always, and without a doubt always, there would family roll call.  That meant at least one member of each family stood and delivered a statement of family updates or made the shout out of all the names.  At that moment, we heard the voice of the family history inside the family history.