gayparkerfamilyreunion

Bishop Robert James Gay has said several times that when he left Pitt County, North Carolina, more than 50 years ago, he had clothes on his back and some in a suitcase and would add that he had money from a year’s worth of farming on a farm located in an area affectionately called the back woods.

Photo from Robert Gay Facebook page

That was then, the early 1960’s. Before Bridgeport. Before Tijuana. Before Pam. Before Kareem. And before beginning 50 plus years of preaching.

Photo from Robert Gay Facebook page

Now, 50 plus years later, 2014, Bishop Robert Gay is returning.

To Bishop Robert Gay and Mother Ethel Gay, we say in a full-throated exultation, Welcome home. And, if you want to know how we feel about your retirement, just follow this link to a song by the Angelic Gospel Singers. That song is Welcome Home.

Recently, Uncle Dave placed temporary metal grave markers for both (Ma) Lillie Parker Gay’s and (Pa Bob) Robert Gay’s graves which are located in the Sunset Memorial Cemetery near Farmville, NC.

Pa’s headstone will be provided by the US Military. He was a World War I Army veteran, so it will be a process of completing the application, choosing the type of headstone, and waiting for the bureaucratic process to take place, a process that will take several months or about a year.

At the July 5, 2014 reunion banquet, we talked about getting a headstone for Lillie (Ma) Parker Gay. We agreed that it was definitely an idea whose time had come, or actually, an idea that had been with us as a thing to be done years ago. Yes, we agreed and collected $ 178.00 immediately at the reunion banquet. Within the next day or two, $150.00 was added, and in the same week another $150.00 was added. By mid-July, we had $478.00 for (Ma) Lillie’s headstone.

It’s September, and we still have $478.00. Whatever headstone we select will more than likely cost at least $1100.00. For Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s headstone, our fund raising/family donations work has just begun.

A good crowd enjoyed fried trout, cole slaw, baked beans, grilled pig tails, water/soft drinks, and dessert at the Gay-Parker Family Reunion fish fry. Luckily for eastern North Carolina area, Hurricane Arthur passed over leaving only extra rain, and less heat and humidity.




With Ronnie Gay handling master of ceremonies duties, this year’s banquet featured a welcome from the Honorable Elsa Mason, Mayor of Farmville, NC, and the banquet key address from Elder Billy C. Boyd, pastor of Hayes Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Pactolus, NC.

Mayor Mason spoke to the family about the improvements that the town needed to make in different communities and how she became involved in local politics after a career in nursing.
Elder Billy Boyd, son of Bishop Robert Gay, was introduced by his brother Robert “Bud” Gay, who promised everyone that Elder Boyd would be brief.

Elder Billy directed a rousing address(sermonette) to the young members of the family. First, he said he wanted to talk about a man named Jesus. Elder Billy told a story about a tax man much like Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector, who met Jesus. This tax man was able to witness the restorative and saving powers of Jesus through the miracles of the man cleansed of demons, the woman who suffered for 12 years and was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus’ robe, and a young boy being raised from the dead. Elder Billy also recalled his Sunday interactions with Ma Lillie and Pa Bob at Paul Chapel’s Primitive Baptist Church.
Here’s an excerpt from Elder Billy Boyd’s address(sermonette).

Also, during the banquet, family members donated $178.00 toward the purchase of Ma Lillie Parker’s headstone. Currently, the headstone fund has $478.00.
Everyone felt the spirit from the performances by the Vines Sisters and the Gay-Parker Ensemble.

There’s one known fact about pictures: pictures tell the story, sometimes incredibly. If you can’t wait to learn more about the GayParker Family’s recent celebrations, go to Marion Barnes’s Facebook page.

Marion has told the story of the GayParker Family 2014 Fish Fry and Banquet in pictures.
Great work capturing the family in pictures, Marion!

Mark your calendars for some family celebrating on July 4th and July 5th next month.

July 4th Read the rest of this entry »

Plans for the 2014 Gay-Parker Family Reunion extended beyond details about the fish fry and annual banquet.

This year the committee will be asking all family members to donate money to help buy a headstone for (Ma)Lillie Parker Gay’s grave. The committee will also get the second generation (Aunt Are, Uncle Rob, and Uncle Dave) to complete an application requesting a military headstone for (Pa)Robert Gay’s grave.

Several members of the Gay-Parker Reunion Planning Committee also took time during the Saturday, May 31, 2014 meeting, to share recollections about (Pa)Bob Gay and (Ma)Lillie Parker Gay, as well as memories from earlier reunions.

Watch Mattie’s video about a memory of (Ma)Lillie Parker Gay

Here’s Curt’s video in which he shares his memories of (Pa)Bob and (Ma)Lillie Gay

Here’s Dorothy’s video about a religious conversation she had with (Pa)Bob Gay

Watch Uncle Dave Gay’s video about Barbara Campbell tutoring him

Arie Gay Vines Artis chats about Broad Branch School, the neighborhood segregated Black school of the 1920’s and 1930’s.

On March 29, 2014, the Gay-Parker Family Reunion Committee met at Uncle David Gay’s house to begin plans for the 2014 Fish Fry and the reunion banquet. Uncle Dave is the Past Reunion President and now serves as overall adviser and mentor for the committee.

*The committee suggested that more fish be purchased for this year’s fish fry, that a serving line be used to make sure that everyone received a plate, and that family members arrive at the beginning of the fish fry.

*Treasurer Morris Gay reported that $510.00 was left from last year’s money for the fish fry and banquet. Morris said that $200.00 was used for paying the deposit for the Community Center, $135.00 for a flower for Luie Dell Gay, a committee member who died in November 2013; $50.00 for birthday gifts for 2nd Generation family members Arie Gay Vines Artis and David Gay. Both celebrated birthdays in April.

*Curt Harper reported that a deposit had already been made to secure the Community Center in Farmville.

*The committee agreed to have Shaw’s Barbecue in Williamston, NC cater the banquet dinner. Morris volunteered to pick up and transport the food.

*The committee discussed the T-shirts for 2014 and decided to ask Ronnie Gay of Maryland to handle the purchase.

*The committee agreed to contact Peggy Gay Wadsworth for decorating the banquet tables.

*The following family members attended the March meeting:
Kelvin Anderson, Donna Anderson, Douglass Anderson, Amp Daniels, Dorothy Daniels, David Gay, Morris Gay, Curt Harper, and Mattie Harper.

Members of the Gay-Parker Reunion Planning Committee are Donna Anderson, Douglass Anderson, Kelvin Anderson, Edith Barnes, Amp Daniels, Dorothy Daniels, David Gay, Sr., Morris Gay, Odella Gay, Robert “Bud” Gay, Ronnie Gay, Sophia Jones, Twanda Gay, Curt Harper, Mary Harper, Mattie Harper, and James Phillips.

Officers for the committee are as follows:
Past President and Reunion Adviser: David Gay, Sr.
President: Dorothy Daniels
Secretary: Sophia Jones
Treasurer: Morris Gay

*The reunion committee met again on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.

Uncle Dave and Mattie eat the pre-banquet sampler from Shaw’s Barbecue House in Williamston, NC

Uncle Dave, Mattie, Dorothy, and Curt enjoy a pre-banquet sampler of the foods that will be served at the banquet.

Arie Gay Vines Artis celebrates her 94th birthday, and her brother David Gay celebrates his 79th birthday.

People will always tell you this: “Give me my flowers while I can still smell them!”

For Arie Gay Vines Artis, believed to be the oldest living member of the Gay-Parker Family,and David Gay, the youngest of Bob and Lillie Gay’s children, we dedicate this page of flowers by way of pictures and words.

Sit back and enjoy the Arie Gay Vines Artis Slideshow.
Here are two photographs: Aunt Jennie and Uncle Dave and Uncle Dave, Aunt Mary and 5 Children and 1 Grandchild

You can also read the birthday comments already written and even add a comment of your own to help celebrate the birthdays of Arie Gay Vines Artis and David Gay.

Sometimes you might not get a chance to read some of the news stories about someone in your family. Here are two articles which were published a few years ago about Audrey Vines and Kenny Phillips, two members of the Gay-Parker family.

The first article is about Audrey Vines in The Reflector.com

The second article is about Kenny Phillips 1

Undoubtedly, there are recent articles about both Audrey Vines, daughter of Arie Gay Vines-Artis and Freeman Vines; and Kenny Phillips, son of Gennie Gay Phillips and Bishop Willie Phillips. But, it never hurts to read some noteworthy articles from the past about members of your family.

Since we’re in the final days of Black History Month for 2014, it’s a good time to turn a proud, yet investigative eye on some of the Gay-Parker family history.

Most of us know that Pa Bob Gay’s mother’s name was Arie and that Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s mother’s name was Jenny. The two census reports in this post will identify the mother and father of Arie Gay(Bob Gay’s mother) and Jenny Parker(Lillie Parker Gay’s mother).

The census reports are from Ancestry.com.

Take a few minutes to analyze and gather a few facts from the Jacob Gay Census Report of 1870 and the Dempsey Parker Census Report from 1880.

****Submit and share your information using “Leave a comment” for this post.

Sometimes, handwriting can be hard to figure out, and even when it’s figured out, there are still questions. This is especially true for this Jacob Gay 1970 Census..

First, take a look at the Jacob Gay 1870 Census Report.

Notice the spelling for Gay. What does it look like to you? Further down in the census report, look at the spelling for Arie. What does it look like to you?

Second, look at the ages for Jacob Gay and Jane Gay. What do you think are their ages ?

How many children? What was the range of ages? How old was Bob Gay’s mother?

From this census report, who are the parents of Arie Gay, Bob Gay’s mother?

Now, study the Dempsey Parker 1880 Census Report.

Dempsey Parker–1880 Census

Answer the following questions.

How many children? What was the range of ages? How old was Lillie Parker Gay’s mother?

How old was Lillie Parker Gay’s mother and what was her name?

From this census report, who are the parents of Jenny Parker, Lillie Parker Gay’s mother?

****Remember, submit and share your answers using “Leave a comment” for this post.