is j JMh M t 5 m rj ir mmmrnmmmm I z?3 Published each Thursday since January 18,1973 fE^'*o*V ?c 28312 I I g < *"s-w ? .1 I ' *m am iD^mu^s \smjmdib I I Pembroke, NC Robeson County I "Building communicative bridges in a tri-racial setting" *5 V ? f*; *'?' i ?.\T. ' . If . - ?-v -nr. " -/ ? ~T *V: ? ?' . 22 Year Search Ends In Reuniting Of Brothers by Barbara Brave boy-Locklear Special to THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE For Ronnie Williamson of rural Lumberton, a 22-yearold gnawing ended on August 16, when his search for his 34-year-old brother ended. "When I get something in my head, I don't give up. I work it out," Williamson said. In 1968, the late Alene Cummings Williamson, mother of IS children, told her third bora son, Ronnie, that she had given away three of his newborn siblings. She felt he was old enough to understand the reason she'd done so was because they were bora during the post Depression years. Times then were hard and it became too much of a hardship to feed eight mouths, let alone three more. Thus began Williamson's sole long search for his sister, Wynona and two brothers, Simmielynn and Jerry. 'Tm not an educated ton," he said. "So I went to old people in my community and talked with them about what my mama told me. I got nowhere in getting leads." Yean passed and leads led to deadends. The gnawing wouldn't go away. Three weeks ago he got lucky when he asked his employer for three days off from his year-round custodian job at Deep Branch Elementary School It was during those three days he settled down to an intensive search of birth records in Robeson County's Register of Deeds office. "I pestered and worried the four ladies in the department aad they didn't seem to mind. They were as willing to help me in my research of ducuments as they could be," he smiled. "I got lucky whan I discovered my brother Jerry had applied for a name change in 1974." Feeling a ray of hope, Williamaon asked Sheriff Hubert Stone to help him in locating his bruUiei. Stone sulfated the help of Robert Ivey, the director of Robeson County Communications. On August 10, Ivey notified Williamson of information he'd watted 22 years to receive. His brother bad been located through a state-to-state driver's license check With a name, address and telephone number in hand, Williamson nervously dialed the given number. When a voire answered on the other end he aaked for Jerry. The voice said,, "No Jerry lives here." "I got seared and said nothing more. I hung up and told my wife the sheriffs office couldn't have been so off in giving me accurate information." He dialed again and Kathy McClelland answered. This time Williamson ashsd for Don. ' "When I heard the Southern accent, I knew something was up," she said. A moment later Don McClelland waa on the phone, but would not confirm his identity. "I didn't confirm to Ronnie my given name of Jerry because in that shocking moment I wasn't sure how I felt about the the situation at hand. I wasn't happy or excited, I was numb," McClelland-said. For all hit life McClelland had been told by Ma adoptive parents he was half Indian, and was given away by his natural mother who was Lumbee. But after a few moments at dialogue with Ronnie he admitted he was indeed the Jerry Williamson he was trying to locate. Raised as an only child, McClelland never knew he had siblings--14 of them. "I would have loved knowing about my natural family and would have contacted them.... especially if I had known they cared for me. I was led to believe that the family who gave me away did so because they did not care (love) me," McClelland softly commented. "I couldn't see going out looking for someone who didn't want to see me." So it was on August 16 at 11:02 a.m. Don McClelland's plane bom Wisconsin set down at Fayettevflle airport There to greet him were his father, "Fishing" James Williamson, sisters, cousins and nine brothers. A sister and brother are deceased. & was a tearful reunion as each relative took turns embracing a long lost relative. Last Sunday afternoon brought a continuous stream of relatives to the Highway 74 home of Ronnie and Nancy Williamson. Earlier in the day more than 100 relatives and friends had gathered for a covered dish lunch. Among them were 11 of the Williamson children. As they sat under shade trees outdoors, yellow ribbons tied to trees along the driveway blew in a soft wind. A hand painted sign welcoming a brother and his family stood at a mailbox beside the well traveled highway in front of Ronnie Williamson'a home. late afternoon caught the Williamson clan gathered at nearby Deep Branch Elementary School. There they engaged in planned activities which included a softball game and a swim in lumber River. Late Sunday night found another stream of visitors coming to Ronnie Wflhameon's home. Not much sleep was taken at the i"5?? Ainday night because everyone knew that Don McClelland, his wife Katfay and children Jill, Julie and John would ha leaving on a 10:06 flight Monday moraine fm? aisport. There remained one final stop before McClelland and his family departed for the airport- that of visiting the grave of his natural mother Alene. En route to the airport, they turned into the entrance of Lumbee Memorial Gardens. In the quiet of the early mora Don McClelland visited the graves of his natural motehr, brother and sister. There surrounded by a newly found family he paid homage to a mother who gave him away because of love not rejection. As the plane lifted off its runway, Ronnie Williamson waved a tearful good-bye to his brother. Then a new gnawing began within him-that of locating a sister and brother. The 42-year-old Lumbee has begun in earnest to locate his sister and said strong leads have developed since Monday. He continues to pursue each of them. He says he won't rest until be has exhausted all avenues in his search. "Even though I've never met Wynona and Shnmie Lynn I feat a close connection to them," he commented. She would be 86 yean old and he 34 now." As Ronnie Williamson and his four children returned home from Fayette vflle airport Monday, yellow ribbons continue to blow in the trees alongside his driveway. They blew as a reminder that one long search had ended and that two more wfil continue, along with a gnawing that won't go away until a brother and sister are found. EDITOR'S NOTE: Awgowe with information about Wptona WSUamton an4 Summit Loan WSkamton art encouraged to contact /flonaw irilhemius at Arete 4 Boa SJS-A Lmmbortou, NC SUM. Mmmte WHfakmeen, emter, prv?to Am brother, Dm Wfalameem, far rfakt, etmmdt hM opon onu rtody to MeOefamd, left, far the famt Mm. "PUkmg" famet free* * ?"?? *?y ChurchNews Revival al Hlnktik Heights Baptist C hurch Revival services will be held at Elizabeth Heights Baptist Church August 26-31 at 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Moiulay-I riday. Speakers will be Kcv. Michael Cummings and Kcv. Jimmy Strickland. Pastor is Rev. Horace Oxcndine. FIRST HAROLD B. WYNN SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED The United Saddletree Center began its ?nual Harold B. Wynn Educational Scholarship for Deserv ing Students of the Saddletree j communing. The first recipient woe \ Jason Edward Ckavis, a 1990 gradu ate of Magnolia School He it the son of Mrs. Delia M. Ckavis. He is shown above with Mrs. Janet Wynn, widow of Harold B. Wpin, uho made the presentation. The presentation was made at the^TdiSI gmduatwn at RobesOn Community College. The late Mr. Wynn it being honor m tkm way by the United Saddletree Center became <4 kit dedication to education. Harold Wynn 't commit ment to education it beet exemplified by hit otm determination to over come povery to obtain a collage education. The ton of tenant fannen Wynn served for many yean at yeeietant principal of Magnolia SckooL.Ua leJkttaarau to obtain hit education and returned to hie native Saddletree community and intpired other ttudenU to achieve academic ally. Wynn spent numy yean dedi cating his life to teaching, guiding and being an example to the young people of Magnolia School. Hie life waa a statement of what one can do with determination and perservance. His life demonstrated that no cir cumstance should prevent a cUd from the guest of hundedge. He believed and lived by the Joyces Motto "Service to Humanity is the Best Work of Life." The United Saddletree Center has determined to honor the memory of Harold Wynn each year by giving a scholarship based on academics and financial need. Contributions to ths scholarship Fund may be sent to the United Saddletree Center, Route 8 Box 889, Lumberton, NC 88SS8. Checks should be made payeble to the Harold B. Wynn Scholarship Fund. Chavis, the first recipient tin* ranked fifth tn his graduating class. He plans to attend Ehst Carolina University and major tn engineering. Wynn una a charter member and founder of the fast rural Joyce e Chapter tn America, the Saddletree ' Jaycees. He also served ss s member at the Bea?4 at Trueteem ot P?mhr?kc State University. Wynn suceombed to a heart attack in 1978. _ . Ibis painting b> (itflt l.ocklear of the 198* Super Bowl honoring the memory of Walter Musgrote. PSU librarian, look place Monday. Musgrote, 55. died of cancer June IS, 198V. shown with the painting (left to right! arc his wife, the former Maria t.uudalupe; Ms mother. Kalbryn l.ange of Columbus, NC; and Ms sister, Patricia Jones of Saluda, NC. Mrs. Musgrote holds a commemoralitc plaque which will he hung near the painting in PS(j*s Mary Literature library. Musgrote was a great sports Ian and therefore the sports painting was dedicated to him. Dedication of this paiaiing by (?enr locklear of Iter oM train station al Pembroke took place Monday honoring the rwmon of l>r. Hubert llersrh. Pembroke Slate University librarian who died last Li?ljj*8Jte*r the painting in PSi 's Mary User more library. Do SuLcxiU Iq >9)521-2826 >]? t r >; f; i\' t? Xj' l. g-fiX JiTX'-UU^ TVJC.Jl t o*t* nam r.a ??< /??< rrmbmkr. \orth i mnthna IU7J