June 10, 2023, may have been a regular hot Saturday for most folks but for Randolph descendants, it was their annual family reunion. The reunion, held in the Church of Christ in Healdton, is a time to gather and give thanks to God. The family also uses the time to share a meal and stories that originate as early as 1600 in America.
The Randolph family has been meeting in Healdton for at least 140 years. Most likely, it dates back even earlier, it’s just what is on record.
Some of the Randolph Elders told stories linking the family to the true west and used phrases like “The original cowboy”, “pioneers”, “last buffalo hunters”, and “people who were a part of theIndianmovement”.These terms might be difficult to relate too in modern times, but in the early days, it was more survival than anything.
Official paperwork shared throughout the family included records stating the original Randolph boys held titles including horse racing jockey,SheriffoftheOldWest Young County, black smith, and cattleman. One of the ladies in attendance told the story of Florence Randolph being the first female to ride a horse in Madison Square Garden in New York who is also listed in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
The Randolph family book included the bloodline link to Pocahontas, the Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people of Jamestown Virginia. Other stories were told linking the Randolph family to the old west. They also shared other archived government forms and pictures that told a tale of a family who stood the test of time and had true grit.
The reunion started off with a prayer and flowed right into a grand fellowship meal. The meal was a buffet style serving line that had about every authentic dish one could imagine.
Some of the dishes were authentic from the old west and served on Pyrex and pewter. Some casseroles were more modern, but quick to be added on the favorite meal list.
The buffet included ham, all sorts of barbeque meats, home fried chicken, and just about every salad one could imagine.Themainbuffetwas most impressive; however, a reunion can’t be judged unless it has a desert table.
The desserts included some pie and sweet recipes that have been passed down to each generation for over two centuries. A bite of one of those iconic sweeties was like a time capsule that actually took a person back to a place where time was not of the essence when it came to preparing a dessert.
For many years, the Randolph reunion has had hundreds of family members. As typical for the shutdown, Covid forced the family to skip a year. This year, the number was close to fifty and that seemed like a large crowd.