Reflecting on the Past.

Since I began researching my family history, one of the largest rewards is having the opportunity get to know my extended family. Today's culture tends to migrate away from extended family. A sense of where you come from is not as important to today's generation, as it once was. Recently I had the priviledge to spend the afternoon with cousins of the generation before me, to discuss our heritage and reflect on the past. In the picture above we are at Mt. Pleasant cemetery in East Fulton. Pictured (from left to right) are brothers David and Larry Dulaney , sons of Melvin Dulaney. Melvin was my grandfather, Lawrence Dulaney's, brother. Beside them is Jimmy Dale Dulaney, son of Clester "Cotton" Dulaney, another brother of Lawrence and Melvin. The guys are standing in front of four more of there father's siblings, Vada Dulaney, Clarence Dulaney,Vida Dulaney Wilemon and Floyd Wilemon, and James Elgar Dulaney. Our group's Grandparents, Jim Dulaney & Laura Bertha Warren Dulaney, are buried next to them. While at Mt. Pleasant we also visited their Great Grandparents, Thomas "Bunt Tom" Alfred Dulaney and Alice Moxley Dulaney, as well as their Great Great Grandparents ,J.M. Dulaney and Mary Senter Dulaney. We then took a moment to discuss their Great Great Great Grandparents, John Dulaney and Margret Martin Dulaney, which are buried in Baldwin Ms. However, they did get a chance to see John's brothers, Gilbert Dulaney and Alfred Dulaney's, graves. John, Alfred, and Gilbert, along with their mother Rhoda Thrasher, were among the very first white men to come to Itawamba County. Before leaving Mt. Pleasant we visited one more set of the guy'sGreat Grandparents, John Ed Warren and Sarah Holcomb. John and Sara were the parents of Laura Bertha Warren Dulaney. Before the end of a wonerful visit, we went to the private grave of S.J Warren, John Ed Warren's Grandfather, and one of the first major land holders in the county. I got to hear a grand story about "Serenading", a popular past time of our gangs childhood. The story deserves a posting in itself and it's tale Im looking forward telling, in the near future. Then a visit to Palmetto Cemetery ended the first, of what I hope is many, reflections on the past. Special thanks to my cousins for a great afternoon.