Farmer Family History (info taken from Ancestry.com and Ola V. Farmer-O’Neil)
Len Wallace Farmer was the father of Pete Farmer. Len mother’s name was Biney Farmer. Pete Farmer was the father of Tom Benet Farmer. Pete was married and a Baptist preacher. Tom Farmer had 22 siblings - most of them died young. Some of their names were: Augie, Babe, Lola, Jessie, Phelia, Betty (The were mulatto on ancestry.com). Tom B. Farmer of Bastrop, Texas met and married Mamie Cummings of Tyler, Texas. Mamie was born January 18, 1885. She died in May, 1951. To this union 18 children was born: Tom Jr., Sam, Walter (Red), Beatrice, Debell, Grant Jackson, Alberta, Ola Vivian, Ruth, Ray, George, Bluebelle. The other 6 died young or at birth. Most of these children were born in Boynton, Oklahoma and later moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Willard “Willie” Alford was born January 18, 1884 in Alabama. He married Alice Jefferson and had 4 daughters: Fannie, Mamie, Sadie, Bradie. Alice passed away and Willie later met and married Angeline Smith. Angeline Smith was born October 25, 1886 in Bullock, Alabama. To this union they had 5 daughters: Rosie, Willie, Johnnie, Carrie, Marrie. They also had one son, Prince Youngblood. Willie Alford died on February 26, 1920 at the age of 36 of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. His address at the time of death was 336 E. Campbell Street in Blairsville, PA. Willie and Angeline are buried at Blairsville Cemetery in Blairsville, PA.
History of the Farmer-Alford Family Reunion
The origin of the Farmer-Alford Reunion began with the wisdom and fortitude of Mrs. Willa Mozella Pace-(Farmer) Williams. “Mozella” (as many of her friends and family nicknamed her), wanted to establish a yearly family gathering to reconnect and enjoy the company of family and friends all over the country. She wanted her immediate family to “get-to-know” ALL members of their family, including her mother’s (Johnnie Savannah Alford-Smith) siblings and children, her brother’s (John Robinson, Sr.) family and her children’s father (George Farmer, Sr.) siblings and children. She also wanted to have a “clean” environment and asked that there be ‘No drugs and No alcohol’ ~ She did not want to encourage this, as there were some family members that were addicts.
Mozella was known as a beautiful, loving, kind-hearted person, who loved her family, loved her God (served as a Mother in the Church of God in Christ) and had a love for cooking (known as one of the best cooks). She was not only a mother to her 10 children, but she was also a foster and adoptive mother to over 20+ children. Her home was always, always open to everyone. In the summer of 1976, she, along with the help of her daughter (Lucille “Tut” Farmer-Pugh), started the 1st Farmer-Alford Family Reunion in Detroit, MI. Mozella’s last reunion with the family was in 1979 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she was honored, and many guests was in attendance including Oklahoma natives, Ben Tipton (Reunion MC/Disk Jockey) and Clara Luper (Civil Rights Activist). Unfortunately, her untimely death in 1979 halted future reunions.
In the summer of 1994, Mozella’s Son and Granddaughter (Johnny Farmer, Sr. and Carolyn Farmer-Orton) decided to continue the tradition of the Family Reunion. They organized a family gathering that consisted of future generations of both the Farmer and Alford families. They also shared in the vision of “bringing the family together”. Sadly, the family never gathered again, and reunions ceased for over 20 years.
In the year of 2016, Mozella’s Daughter (“Tut”) had a vision for a Birthday Celebration for the life of the Reunion Founder. It would have been her 100th Birthday ~ The dinner was celebrated on Thursday, June 22, 2017 in Detroit, MI by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and friends. In addition to the Celebration Dinner and wanting to continue the legacy of Willa Mozella Williams, “Tut” prayed and asked God for direction to ‘resurrect’ the Farmer-Alford Family Reunion. She realized that this was something that her mother wanted to ‘pass on’ to her children, grandchildren, etc., as a means of bringing the family together/closer. So, in July 2018, the tradition of the Farmer-Alford Family Reunion took place. It was a joyous occasion with over 150+ people.
Now, the bequest of the reunion and our family continues in 2019 and for many years to come. Our family is so rich in gifts, talents, treasures that should be shared and nurtured between one another. We should take pride in our family that is full of beautiful, brilliant, bright people. With the help and love of God and for each other, the members of the Farmer & Alford Families will be the example of what excellence looks like.
