The Payne family had a few more events than usual this year on our Gravette Day weekend.
Friday, Aug. 11, started with a bang when Oakley Pearl Wilson made an appearance at 3:13 a.m. by emergency C section. Parents Jackson and Layla Wilson are fine and little Oakley is even more so.
On Friday night, over 30 family members met at Delbert and Jo's house in Gentry for a barbecue and pool party. Lanny Garrett and Delbert Payne did the grilling.
On Saturday over 62 of us in our Planes, Trains and Main Street T-shirts had our float in the Gravette Day parade. Again we all had a good time and then met at Sue Rice's or Bill and Clara Payne's for a sandwich lunch. Then we went off to the park until 4 p.m., when Matthew Williams and Emily Morrison were married in Vinita, Okla. Matthew is the grandson of the late Rick Payne.
Sunday after breakfast at The Gallery in Decatur, we were off to set up tables at the civic center in Gravette. Thanks to a group of fine younger nephews and a few of us older ones too, it went real fast. We had lunch at noon after our Sunday talk from Rev. Bob Wineberg and a good blessing.
We had our family auction, quilt raffle and wedding shower for the Williams family and collected baby gifts for baby Oakley that mama Layla will open later.
Attending our three-day celebration from Oklahoma were May Baker and Bud Nutt from Grove, Matthew and Emily Williams and son Brantley, Janet Payne, Tammy Charles, Christy Seaton, Candy Sue and Rebecka Williams, Wendy Payne, Luke Payne, Shelby Bullard and Stefen Frost from Vinita.
Hal, Patti and Rachel Cummins came from Coppell, Texas, and Andy and Henry Wineberg from Austin, Texas. Vinnie and Christine Audo and son Theo attended from Topeka, Kansas.
Attending from Missouri were Bill and Paula Nicholson, James Nicholson and Natalie Southall from Kansas City and Mandi Whitmore, Coty Cupples, Risa Buckner and son Wesley from Anderson.
Those attending from Arkansas included Don and Nancy Payne, Steve Payne, Sarah Payne, Donnie and Marilyn Payne and girls Emily and Sophie, Debbie Buckner, Tina Boling, Scott Williams, Chris Boling and Kourtney Poole of Bentonville; Cody Payne and Hayley Campbell and son Benny of Rogers; Mandy Beth Payne of Fayetteville; Cheryl, Brian, Hogan and Hayden Bowen of Springdale; Fawnie Laughard of Hiwasse; Delbert Payne and Jo Jackson of Gentry; and John Payne of Decatur.
Family members from Gravette were Bill and Clara Payne, Sue Rice, Lanny and Snooky Garrett, Chuck and Lisa Garrett, Jeff and Lana Turner, Leif and Amy Garrett, Jarod and Lacey Morgan and children Katelyn and Wyatt, Blake and Lyndsy Garrett and children Kylee and Noah. Abby and Aryn Eason, who were staying with Jeff and Lana, are from Morrow.
Never to be left out, our far-away travelers Bob and Bobbi Wineberg came from Lake City, Fla., and Randal Buckner from Chicago, Ill.
Community on 08/23/2017