The annual Alliance-Wagner Reunion was held at the City Park on Sunday, July 26, 1953, with between three hundred and four hundred present.
This was the fourth year relatives and friends from the communities have held a joint reunion, and they are typically Texas affairs for they get bigger and bigger each year.
At the noon hour, an old fashioned picnic was enjoyed.
The afternoon was spent visiting with friends and relatives who were, or whose families were, previous residents of one of these communities. Many years had passed since some had seen each other. Ellis Shields and Archie Swindell were united for the first time since they fought in the same company in France during World War I.
It was interesting to note the different ages present. Mrs. W. W. Sumrow and C. F. Nickels, both eighty-seven years old and of Greenville, were the oldest present. Mrs. J. F. McNatt of Greenville has eighty-six years to her credit, while Mrs. C. F Nickels has eighty-five years. Mrs. V. L. Hall of Dallas is eighty-four years old. N. E. Duncan of Grand Prairie has passed his eighty-first birthday.
On the younger side of those present were Kyle Cox, two month old son of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Cox of Greenville and grandson of Mrs. Jimmy Cox and Mrs. Esta Wright, the great-grandson of Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Copeland. Michael White, two and one-half month old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles White and grandson of Mrs. Pearl and Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Reynolds, was also present. His great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Reynolds and Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Duncan.
Alex Duncan, who has just returned from Germany, was a welcomed guest. Mrs. Sammy King and sons, of Shreveport, Louisiana, were the only out-of-state guests. Claud Rutherford of Houston represented the most-distant Texas town. Old-timers attending for the first time were Mr. and Mrs. Tom Shields of Marshall and Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Shields of Dallas. Jack Tippens and Mrs. Mattie Rogers of Dallas were also present. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Lipford and daughter of Bonham were present.
Attending from out of the county were Messrs. and Mmes. Milton Mathews of Burleson, R. C. Matt of Gainesville, Buster McNatt and children of DeKalb, C. R. Mulkey, J. A. Webb, E. E. Sumrow, J. D. Doan of Leonard, C. C. McMillan and children, C. L. McMillan, Mmes. Maude Hefner of Graham, Nell Campbell of Fort Worth, C. W. Tunde of Azle, Miss Kathleen Tompkins of Wylie, the Rev. and Mrs. C. F. Lancaster and Billie Nickel of Garland, Ronnie McClain of Denison, and Loyd McMillan of Midlothian.
Those attending from Dallas were: Messrs. and Mmes. M. C. Herd, Raymond Curtis, Ross Thomason, and children, J. H. Tompkins, Mmes. O. B. Duncan, Annie Powell, Frank Nelson, E. V. Reynolds and grandchildren, Norma McNatt, John Rutherford, Jr., and Fred H. Sumrow.
The next reunion will be held next year at the City Park on the fourth Sunday in July.
(July 29, 1953, The Greenville Morning Herald)

 

Submitted by Sarah Swindell