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I z?3 Published each Thursday since January 18,1973 fE^'*o*V ?c 28312 I
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I Pembroke, NC Robeson County I
"Building communicative bridges in a tri-racial setting"
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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 <ki. IV in an automobile accident. Hersrh, 48, waa an ardent Modern
or history. shown with the painting are liersch's wife, the former Jane Preston Darkles, and
his son, William Preston llersch, 12. Mrs. Hermit holds a rommemoratlve plaque which will
!>Li?ljj*8Jte*r the painting in PSi 's Mary User more library.
Do SuLcxiU
Iq >9)521-2826
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