SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1182
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
recognize the members of the Williams-Livingston family on the
grand occasion of their family reunion, which is being held
June 3 through 5, 2011, in Kirvin; and
WHEREAS, Every year on the first Saturday in June, members
of the Williams-Livingston family hold a reunion to celebrate
their heritage and to commemorate the birth of Mamie Elizabeth
"Mama Mae" Williams; they invite friends from across Texas and
the United States and share their celebration of family love and
unity, religious roots, and community; and
WHEREAS, Family history reveals that the Charles
Livingston family moved from Virginia as freed slaves and arrived
in the Freestone County area in the early 1800s; the family
settled in the area known as Cotton Gin and sharecropped on
various local farms; and
WHEREAS, Caroline Livingston's family moved from Alabama to
Kirvin in Freestone County, arriving in covered wagons, on foot,
and on horseback; they settled on the Alfred Carter farm and worked
his land; and
WHEREAS, Caroline and Charles Livingston's children, Elbert
Jefferson, Fannie, Foster, Elizabeth, and Callie, supported their
community and were instrumental in establishing Woods Chapel
Primitive Baptist Church, which is still an active church today;
they also helped create a public school system for their children
and for the children from surrounding communities; and
WHEREAS, The members of the Williams-Livingston family who
host the annual reunion are the descendants of Caroline and
Charles Livingston's daughter Elizabeth Livingston; born July 2,
1866, she married Austin Williams, a freed slave from Tennessee,
and the couple had 10 children, one of whom was Mamie Elizabeth
"Mama Mae" Williams, who was born June 1, 1889; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of her long life, Mamie Elizabeth
"Mama Mae" Williams became the matriarch of the Williams-Livingston
family; she died in 1987 at the age of 98; two of her children,
Johnnie Lucille Evans Wallace and Cathelyn Francis Dawson Butcher,
remain as her living legacy; and
WHEREAS, Other strong women who have taken on the mantle of
matriarch are Lura Bess Garrett Douglas, Annie Laura Blaine
Pelton, and Ethelyn DeLon Washington Oliver; the patriarch of the
family is Johnnie Franklin Carter, with Charles Barton, Robert
Powers, and Gary Pelton sharing their wisdom and support; Joe
Rogers, Kenneth Payne, Joe Fletcher, David Hill, and Archie
Pelton, Jr., also unselfishly serve the family; and
WHEREAS, The branch of the family extending from Mama Mae
has successfully worked to reconnect with other branches of the
family from across the state and nation, and today, more new
family members attend each reunion; and
WHEREAS, Williams-Livingston family members are
successful men and women who have contributed greatly to their
communities though their leadership, their professionalism and
entrepreneurial spirit, and their concern for others; they are
exemplary citizens who believe strongly in traditional values
and who instill in their children the virtues of love, family,
and hard work; and
WHEREAS, The annual Williams-Livingston reunion is the
manifestation of the family's belief in unity, loyalty, and pride
in one's heritage; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
Legislature, hereby extend to the members of the Williams-Livingston
family best wishes for a joyous and memorable family reunion and
recognize June 4, 2011, as Williams-Livingston Day in this state;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the
family as a memento of this special occasion.
West
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 25, 2011.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate