Good Morning Everyone, One of my Fortner cousins recently sent the following newspaper clipping describing the participants and activities of a Fortner family reunion we figure we in the 1940s. I submit this for your interest and am curious if anyone might be able to guess at the date it was published. I can identify most of the Fortner connections below, but for most I have no death dates. I do know that this took place before Wesley Fortner died in 1946, as I have a copy of the family history referred to below (which I believe I have posted here, but it may have been quite a while ago so I repeat it at the end). Any thoughts on the date? Tidbits on the participants? Best Regards, Janet Hunter "FORTNER REUNION" (unsure of the paper, as well as the date) The annual Fortner family reunion was held the first Sunday in August at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Skeet SULLIVAN in Mt. Vernon, MO. At the noon hour a long table on the shady lawn was spread with good things to eat. Everyone gathered around the table and after thanks was offered by Mrs. Vera Schmidtke all enjoyed the delicious dinner. The afternoon was spent visiting and listening to the following program: Song by Melvin and Lois Jane HILL Song by Josephine FORTNER Recitation by Joanne LACY Song by Ladies Quarteet Reading by Clarence WHITE A short talk and reading of the history of the family which he had written by Wesley Fortner. The family wishes to thank everyone who contributed in anyway to make the day a pleasant one. Those who attended were Mr. and Mrs. Rolla FORTNER, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond MYERS of South Greenfield, MO; Mrs. Mary LEONARD of Eldorado, MO; Mrs. Keith Fortner of Omaha, NE; Mr. and Mrs. W. H. AUSTIN Mr. and Mrs. A. SCHMIDTKE, Mr. and Mrs. Robert WHITE, Mt. Vernon, MO; Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Fortner and girls of Stockton, MO; Mr. and Mrs. S. D. EMERY of Humansville, MO; Mr. and Mrs. Willis Fortner and daughter, Will Moore Fortner, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. LACY and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. KAHL and son, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. White of Kansas City, MO; Mr. and Mrs. Cecil HILL and family of Everton, MO; Mr. and Mrs Edgar WEST and boys of Springfield, MO; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred OLDHAM, Veldren Fortner, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Fortner, Georgia RAINES and boys of Caplinger Mills, MO; Mrs. Mary MARSHALL of Halltown, MO; Mr. and Mrs. Sam MILLER, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Marshall and daughter of Lawrenceburg, MO.; Mr. and Mrs. J. W. MCDONALD of Hoberg, MO; Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Fortner, Mr. and Mrs. John Fortner, Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Fortner, Mr. and Mrs. E. E. ANDERSON, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. GREER and daughter, Mrs. Ella Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Hill and boys, Mr. and Mrs. S. W. PRATER, Lucy POINDEXTER, Elva FREEMAN, Paul Meyers of Miller, MO" Family History written by Wesley Fortner who spoke at the above Reunion (surely do wish I had been there!). He was the son of Jacob Lee Fortner and Sarah Vaughan -- "Biography And History of the Fortner Family and is authentic as far back as the writer has any knowledge Our Grait Grand Parrents emigrated from South Carolina [sic] to East Tennessee in a early day and your writer has no Knowledge or any way to secure and knowledge about them. Grait-Grand Father was of some unknown nationality and the only names we ever heard was Shugar and Honey. We do not no whether there was but one borned to this union or not. Gran Father married a Chambers And to this union was Borned Eight children. Five boys and three girls. The Boys was William, Jacob Lee, Plesant, James and John. girls Betsyan, Aley, Martha. All Eight of theas ar Dead. Williams first marriage was Peggy Hope. To this union was bornd two children George and William his Second woman Sarah Williams had one child Hatty. Brown of Greenville Tenn. And at this date is Still living but the other two have past away. BetsyAnn being the next oldest child married Thomas Marchell to this union was bornd Four children. Ruth, Martha, Mary, and Alex. All four of those ar past away. James married Lidy Cotter and to this union was bornd nine children Jacob, John, Monroe, William, James, Samuel, Elizabeth, Hannah, Mary. All Nine of those has past away. Jacob Lee married a Sarah Vaughn to this union was bornd four children three boysand one girl. David, Robert, Wesley and Rachel. Wesley being the only one living at this date. Pless married Jane Thompson and to this union was borned seven children. Molly, Bill, Loney, John, Lizie, Maggie, Sebran. John married Mary Gaught and to this union was borned six children Charley, Minnie, Martha, Debby, William, Lizzie Aley and Martha never married. <end document>