Skipper Reunion Newspaper Article

Repost of September 6, 2014 from prior site 

I found this article in my Mother's pictures. I know you are about tired of discovering what was in my mother's picture box, lately that is where I get all my blogging inspiration.

Below is the typed extract of the article and a scanned image of the article. I do not know the year as there is no data on the article.

Skipper Clan Gathers for Big Get-Together in Polk County

By Betty Smith, News Staff Writer

Picture Caption:         Some of the oldest living members of the Skipper clan present at the reunion Sunday are, front row, left to right: Mrs. Thurl Skipper, Mrs. Ferd Skipper, Mrs. Dovie Thompson; back row, left to right: Thurl, Ferd, Bernice and Garvin Skipper.

One of Polk counties oldest families, the Skipper clan, held it’s reunion at the home of Thurl Skipper, Sunday afternoon. approximately one hundred members and friends attended.

unpredictable weather changed the site of the picnic, which was first designated to be at the old mill spring, in Big Level community of Polk County. After much discussion, the Thurl Skipper home was chosen.

Dating back to 1842, grandmother Skipper lived within view of the Thurl Skipper home Grandfather Skipper was away, fighting the civil war.

Ten children were born to the late Minter and Addie Conner Skipper.

They were:

Lilly, Dovie, Furman, Ferd, Thurl, Ina, Garner, Garvin, Virgil and Cornelius. Lilly, the eldest died at the age of eight and Virgil a few years ago. All were present at the reunion except Cornelius.

Minter and Addie Skipper were grandparents to 49 children. Numerous great and great-great-grandchildren make this one of the biggest clans in Polk County.

Reminiscing time followed the partaking of a bountiful meal. Almost all of the food was grown by members present.

Seated on the front porch and in the shade of trees, past happenings in the lives of the family was discussed.

Thurl told of the time the first automobile was heard to be in the county. The younger boys walked 15 miles to see this contraption, which was displayed on the old US 20, now known as highway 74, near Wash Whitesides place.

The car would go down hill pretty good, However it was not cut out to make the grades so familiar to Western North Carolinians. To solve this problem, the occupants of the care would get out and start pushing, with the help of bystanders.

“Remember, we didn’t have hard surfaced roads then and the vehicle just couldn’t make it through those deep ruts” Thurl said.

All agreed that the country here abouts had changed in the last 50 years.

Thurl Skipper brought his bride to their home by horse and buggy approximately 45 years ago. A hard, eventful life has left this family rich in memories. Displaying to visitors and friends alike an attitude of welcome and courtesy for which the South is renowned.

Mr. And Mrs. Berry Freeman, of Rutherfordton, neighbors of the Skippers for over 15 years, and Sue Shehan, who has an apartment in the Freeman home and is also related to the Skippers by marriage, were present for the occasion.

Plans were tentatively set to make this reunion an annual affair. The clan has meet nearly every year for half a century.