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Our Roots

The Family of Bill & Sarah Reed

3- James (Jimmy) Reed Born: 1872, Senatobia, MS Died: 1959, Senatobia, MS Married: Anna Davis His 6 Children: James Mitchell "Mitch" Reed     Rev. Leroy Reed, Sr.   Marcus Reed Matthew Reed Joe Lovie Reed Etoy Reed Denson

3- William (Willie) Reed Born: 1874, Senatobia, MS Died: 1927, Crenshaw, MS Married: Mary Roland His 5 Sons: Roger William Reed, Sr. Johnny Reed Eli (Butler) Reed Bill Reed, Sr. McBrady (Mack) Reed

3- Lou Anna Reed Born: 1875, Senatobia, MS Died: Before 1900, Senatobia, MS No children.

3- Doctor (Dock) Roger Reed, Sr. Born: 1878, Senatobia, MS Died: 1958, Senatobia, MS Married: Mary Frances Scott His 13 Children: Tommy Reed, Sr. Edward Reed Sarah Jane Reed Smith Cleodel Reed Leona Reed Lewis Fred Reed Doctor Roger (Rush) Reed, Jr. Robert "Steve" Reed Jimmy L. Reed Holliday Maeweather Reed Winnie Reed Wilson Mary Frances Reed Delsey Reed

3- Sarah Reed Born: c. 1880, Senatobia, MS Died: (young age), Senatobia, MS No children.

3- Simpson A. Reed Born: 1881, Senatobia, MS Died: 1955, Senatobia, MS Married: Addie Person & Minnie Davis His 8 Children: Leon S. Reed Delphine Reed Thomas Adison Reed** Eartha Reed Campbell Versia Reed Collier John W. Reed, Sr. Melvin O. Reed Willie Ed Reed, Sr. (**died at 7 months of age)

3- John Ella Reed Bobo Born: 1882, Senatobia, MS Died: 1974, Senatobia, MS Married: Eli Bobo No children.

3- Mary Etta Reed Lee Born: 1884, Senatobia, MS Died: 1915, Senatobia, MS Married: Rev. Henry Miles Lee Her son: John Will Lee

3- Robert Reed Born: 1887, Senatobia, MS Died: 1920s, Senatobia, MS No children.

3- Pleasant (Pleas) Reed Born: 1888, Senatobia, MS Died: 1966, Senatobia, MS Married: Aris-Starcus Pratcher His 13 Children: Willie "Stone Pony" Reed Lou Anna Reed Sims Leonard Reed Jessie Reed Armintha Reed Puryear Cleveland Reed Enos Reed Otis Reed Jewell C. Reed, Sr. Snorilla Reed Clark Ophelia Reed Madden Murlene Reed Carrie Bell Leggins

3- Martha Reed Deberry Born: 1892, Senatobia, MS Died: 1971, Memphis, TN Married: Ollie Deberry Her 11 Children: Roger Deberry Isaac Deberry, Sr. Ernestine Deberry Olivet Deberry Harper Willie Mae Deberry William Bill Deberry Rev. Fred Deberry Lucille Deberry Piggee Dan Deberry Rev. John Deberry, Sr. Sarah J. Deberry Smith

The Puryears

1- Marinda Puryear Born: c. 1815, Mecklenburg Co., VA Died: After 1880, Senatobia, MS Married: (unknown)

2- Edward (Ed) Puryear Born: c. 1840, Mecklenburg Co., VA Died: Before 1910, Senatobia, MS Married: Julia Rogers Born: 1855, Kentucky Died: 1913, Como, MS 3- Frances Puryear Born: 1874, Senatobia, MS Died: ?, Senatobia, MS No children. 3- Linky Puryear Jones Born: 1877, Senatobia, MS Died: 1960, Como, MS Married: Will Jones Her 8 Children: Maybelle Jones Minnie Jones Viola Jones Anderson Francis Jones Davis Leona Jones Brown Richard Jones Johnny Jones Will Jones, Jr. 3- Hattie Puryear Born: 1881, Senatobia, MS Died: ?, Senatobia, MS Her 2 Children: Jannie Puryear Daisy Puryear Wright 3- Lucious Puryear, Sr. Born: 1883, Senatobia, MS Died: 1960, Senatobia, MS Married: Cora Wilson His 7 Children: Willie Puryear Mattie Puryear Love Lucious Puryear, Jr. Clyde Puryear Hicks Lydia Puryear Reed Johnny Puryear Lucille Puryear Roseman 3- Janie Puryear Born: 1886, Senatobia, MS Died: ?, Senatobia, MS No children. 3- Maggie Puryear Born: 1891, Senatobia, MS Died: ?, Senatobia, MS No children. 3- George Puryear Born: 1894, Senatobia, MS Died: ?, Senatobia, MS No children.

 

A family is like a forest. When you are outside, it is dense.
When you are inside, you see that each tree has its place. - African proverb

Click here to help us identify these photographs.

Family Reunion News

Our 2014 Reunion will be held in Memphis, Tennessee! Get ready for fun, family, and fellowship!

To download and print the 2014 reunion letter and registration form, CLICK HERE.

If you have any questions concerning our 2014 reunion, please contact Renee Wright at APWright2@aol.com.

FUN, FAMILY, & FELLOWSHIP IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Our 2012 reunion was a big success!  It was held on July 13 - 15, 2012. Nearly 200 family members sojourned to KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort in Gurnee, Illinois (suburb of Chicago) for a fun-filled, wonderful weekend.  It was a great place for a family reunion, and we looked stunning in our lime green polo shirts.  The young generation, as well as the older generations, had a great time. Congratulations to the chairperson, Albertina Reed, the granddaughter of the late Maeweather Reed, for chairing a great reunion. Also, congratulations to the rest of the Chicago Planning Committee: Belinda Hicks, Melvin J. Collier, Monica Campbell, Sheree Hicks, Eartha Reed Campbell, Franshika McGowan, Charlotte Bandele, and Marque Reed.

Our History

Our history did not begin with American slavery. Our family roots began in the beautiful continent of Africa many decades ago.  DNA tests conducted by African Ancestry, Inc. revealed that some of our ancestors hailed from Angola (the Mbundu people), Ghana (the Akan people), and Nigeria (the Yoruba & Fulani peoples).  Our ancestors were taken against their will from their homelands in West and West-Central Africa.  After being forcibly transported to America, our ancestors first lived in slavery in North and South Carolina and Virginia before they were taken to Mississippi.

Although our family lived near Senatobia in Tate County, Mississippi, the roots of the Reed Family have been successfully traced back to Abbeville County, South Carolina. There in 1846, the first ancestor to eventually carry the Reed name was born into slavery on the late Rev. William H. Barr’s plantation.  Our ancestor was given the name William, but he was mostly known as "Bill".  His father, who was also enslaved on the Barr farm, was named Pleasant (Pleas) Barr.  Through genealogical research, there is evidence that his mother was named Isabella. 

According to oral history, the Barr Family of South Carolina sold Grandpa Bill to the Reids....  Read more here

   
The flags of Ghana, Angola, and Nigeria, our ancestral homelands

Past Family Reunions
Coming Together Since 1976

Reunion 2002 - Chicago, Illinois

Reunion 2004 - Atlanta, Georgia

Reunion 2006 - Pensacola, Florida

Reunion 2008 - Nashville, Tennessee

Special Reunion 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia and Abbeville, South Carolina

Reunion 2012 - Chicago, Illinois (Gurnee)

Grandpa Bill Reed was separated from his family members in 1859 in Abbeville, South Carolina, never to see them again.  The broken links were uncovered and soon mended in 2009 -- 150 years later.  Click book cover to learn more about this fascinating story of families coming together after 150 years of separation.

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Site updated on 12/01/2013