Harrell family reunion celebrated, embraced, and discovered family history

Marleigh Thompson
Harrell Family Reunion
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Recently, the Harrell family held a reunion for Jasper Leon Harrell, Sr. and Josephine Doretha Richardson Harrell in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. The theme for this year: Eleven Branches Coming Together. Their family is quite large. Family gatherings like this reunion play a crucial role in maintaining and strengthening family bonds between relatives.

Family reunions are extremely meaningful for black families, especially in the South. There was a time when family reunions were held every Sunday after church at Big Mama's and Papa's house. There has been a shift in family gatherings over the decades. Many families have used funerals as a gathering point for large gatherings. “Many may have heard this statement at funerals: "We need to get together more often. Does this sound familiar?” Yes, we all have at one time or another. Families have to bring back the days of family gatherings. There are so many benefits of coming together as a family.

A Meet & Greet was chaired by Monteral Harrell Sopsher to kick off their family reunion and welcome everyone.  She worked very hard to create activities that included everyone. As part of the activities, participants were asked to get up and meet someone they had never met before. They were also asked to take photographs with them. Antoinette Harrell, an author donated family history books as a prize and provided the youth genealogy coloring and activity books. The Harrell family reunion committee discuss the importance of being inclusive to family history.  Passing knowledge of family history to the next generation is important.  When it comes to family reunions, what would a reunion be without history? 

On the next day,  Antoinette Harrell led a large group on a family history tour. The first stop on their tour was a cemetery where their ancestors are buried. That was the first time some of the Harrell family visited the church where their ancestors worshipped.  During time and period the church were called  Gordon Chapel God in Christ. Our grandparents Jasper Leon Harrell, Sr. and Josephine Doretha Richardson Harrell attended this church with their children. Before they became COGIC, (Church of God in Christ). Jasper and Josephine attended  African Episcopal Methodist  churches. Josephine's family attended Rocky Hill AME Church in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. Jasper's parents belonged to Big Zion AME Zion Church in Roseland, Louisiana. The family was very excited to learn this history.

Their next tour was the land where Jasper and Josephine lived. The land was purchased by Jasper's mother Emma Mead Harrell in 1896, and was subsequently added to in 1902. A few family members were unfamiliar with the land, but were excited to walk on the land their ancestors once owned and still own today. Jasper and Josephine's 5th great grandchild, Antoino Payne, Jr., expressed his excitement to learn that his ancestors owned land in an interview. More importantly to learn that five generations later, they still own the land. Terri Harrell Jackson and her sister Yolanda Harrell Davis shared childhood stories about walking in the woods to the deep red pond on the property. The pond is over 30 feet deep filled with red clay. The sisters often pretend they were in the Grand Canyon. 

Terri Harrell Jackson teaching her
great niece Ty'Janae Davis

Finally, they visited the Amite Genealogy Library to see what digitally preserved Harrell family history there was on the shelves. Antoinette Harrell and her first cousin Monteral Harrell Sopsher   worked hard to rewrite the narrative  in the genealogy library.  In 1994 Antoinette Harrell, the family historian and local family history historian began researching  the Harrell  family history,. During that time there were no books about black families on library shelves. The Harrell family  has called Tangipahoa Parish home since 1869.

Monteral inherited a large collection of photos from her father Raymond Harrell, Sr. after he passed away. She contributed photos to  Harrell’s book "Images of America" African Americans in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes. Several photographs from her collection have been digitized by the Amite Genealogy Library.  Seeing their family and ancestors in the library sparked excitement and empowerment in the  Harrell family. It was at that point that Harrell realized  all her efforts had been worthwhile.

"The Harrell family has passed down a tradition of preserving and sharing photographs from generation to generation. My father, Raymond Harrell, ensured aunt Ella Harrell Keith's priceless collection was not lost after her death."It stands as testament to the enduring power of love in a world that is constantly changing," said Monteral Harrell Sopsher. In today's world, family photos are shared via social media platforms and technology. Gone are the days of physical photo albums and passing around printed pictures. Now, with just a few clicks, family photos can be instantly shared. All methods of preserving and sharing family photographs should be embraced.

Gordon-Richardson Temple of Deliverance COGIC
Cemetery Tour
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

The Harrell family banquet featured a memorial service and award ceremony for deceased loved ones. The banquet was beautifully decorated by Wanda Harrell Knighten. Untold History Foundation, LLC awarded awards to the family of Isabel Harrell Cook, the family griot, and for preserving photographs and funeral programs. The Harrell family photographs dated back to the late 1800s were preserved by Raymond Harrell, Sr., and over sixteen hundred African American funeral programs were preserved by Jo-Ann Lewis Frazier. A proclamation was presented by Antoinette Harrell, family historian, to Cheryl St. Amant, reunion organizer.

Most importantly the family came together to share love, learn about our Harrell family history, and build for a better and stronger tomorrow for the youth in our family.  Many of the family members was heard saying: we are the elders now. As Antoinette Harrell thought about that statement, it made her realized that family reunions are more then eating and lining dancing. It is educational, fostering stronger bonds, and family support. The family is  looking forward to the next family reunion that will be chaired by Terri Harrell Jackson.