Family Tree
Please visit www.geni.com/family-tree and join the site to view our family tree. A Brief Family History: On May 14, 1932, Garfield Floyd Yates and Mollie Mae Lawrence were joined in holy matrimony. Garfield was a singer, Baptist minister, and a city employee. Mollie was a cotton picker and domestic worker. Their union produced 10 children: Alma, Lois, William, David, Shirley, James, Thomas, Evalyne, Allease, and Freddie. All of their children are well known for their kind manors and gentle spirits. A few years after their union, Mollie was baptized into the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Even though Garfield and Mollie were of different religions, they raised their children to trust God in all things. This principle is still being passed on to their grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and generations to come. Pearline Yates, Garfield’s niece who has also has a kind spirit, married Owen Jones, Jr. Thus, adding Owen’s wonderful family to our family reunions. The Byrd's are the stepsiblings of Mollie and are the most recent members to join our reunions. In 1971, our families began having reunions. Our family has grown tremendously since then. We have approximately 200 members. Through the years, I have watched our family grow and bond. I recently discover that most families are not as close as our family is. I was in my mid-20s when, by then I had attended several funerals of non-family members. Their families were not there to comfort and support them. I realized that our family “shows up and shows out” when it comes to supporting and comforting each other!!!! We do everything together and are supportive of each other in every way. We are closer than any other family I know. We worship, sing, play and travel together. We comfort each other when the other is down. My friends are their friends, and their friends are my friends. We support each other in everything, even when we know the other hasn’t made the “best” decision. We love each other!!!! Love Always, Donna
United Once Again!!! © 2010 YLJB Family