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FAMILY REUNION OBSERVATIONS (July 14-16, 2006)
BY
ROSA W. JOHNSON
(GREAT GRANDAUGHTER OF JERRY AND EMMA MONTGOMERY)
AND
(ISAAC AND LUCY STALLWORTH)
Rosa W. Johnson and Family
Congratulations to the organizers of the Montgomery Family Reunion for putting on what I consider to be an excellent family reunion gathering. The program was awesome, and presented in an interesting and professional manner. There were plenty of activities scheduled, and on Friday evening I had an opportunity to attend The Informal Family History Session. At the session I listened to, and shared some family history that was new to me and others.
I love history and current events so Saturday’s tour was especially interesting. We saw the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ministered, the Civil Rights Memorial, the home of Dr. King, including the home he moved into down the street when his home was bombed, Rosa Parks Museum, and a trip to the mall for the avid shoppers, and lunch (my favorite). We saw Moton Field – The Tuskegee Airmen’s basic training location and future home of the Tuskegee Airmen Museum, and the Tuskegee Veteran Administration Center. On our return trip to Tuskegee we stopped by a Black owned ice cream parlor and enjoyed some very good ice cream at a great price. I also had an opportunity to tour the Tuskegee University campus, and the dormitory where I lived when I attended Tuskegee (Institute) many years ago. I must say the administrators have done an excellent job preserving the campus, and it is very impressive.
After we returned from the tour we had a little time to rest and get ready for the banquet. The speakers, Cheryl Stallworth-Hooper, and Sandra V. Richardson, Colonel, U.S. Army, were dynamic. The theme was “Montgomery Women – Past and Present”. I was especially proud when my mother, Flossie Mae Stallworth-Webb, was recognized. The banquet food was excellent, and most of us had a great time chatting and dancing.
Unfortunately we were unable to attend the services at the Tuskegee University Chapel on Sunday due to our flight schedule out of Birmingham. However, we did arrive in Birmingham in time to see the 16th Avenue Baptist Church where the four (4) little girls were killed when it was bombed during the Civil Rights Movement era. That was a very touching experience. I wish all of you good health, and God’s blessings in all the days ahead.
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