Spring
Monday, 04 May 2009 13:18
brenda
Again God has blessed us. We have survived another winter. We are so blessed. Let's take a few minutes to pause and thank God for all he does for us. It is time to start thinking of vacations and reunions. So mark your calender now for July 26th the date of the Watts Reunion at Natural Bridge State Park. We would love to see each one of you and bring along a friend with you. It is great to get together with family and friends. We never know when it will be our last gathering. May God Bless each of you! We still have plenty of cookbooks on hand. There is Volume I for 7.00 and Volume II for 10.00, You may purchase these by contacting Brenda Watts at 167 Burton Subdivision Road, Nancy, KY 42544 or calling me at 606-871-9291 or by e-mailing me at
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. I would be pleased to hear from you. When you order the books, you must pay 3.00 for shipping. Thank YOU so much for your support of the Watts Reunion. I pray now that I see many of you this summer. Brenda Watts, Vice-President of Watts Reunion INC
From the President - December 2008
Friday, 26 December 2008 04:06
Calvin
Another year is coming to a close, and as usual I am shocked at how much shorter they seem to be getting. Also, as usual, I am hoping that next year we will be able to sit back and enjoy the holidays without having to worry about finances, rushing around to fulfill school, work, church, and social obligations. I'm not sure that this will ever happen and I'm also not sure that it would be such a good thing. When you stop and think about the bonds that form in families and the memories we hang onto more often than not stem from adversity. Not necessarily something catastrophic, just circumstances that require everyone do their his or her part to keep things running more smoothly. Each family member from the youngest to the oldest can see the contributions they make for the family and also see that they can count on one another when they are needed.
I think this is an especially important thing to keep in mind this year with all of the worry and uncertainty that so many are living with every day. From military deployments to lay-offs to the economy in general, it is very easy to feel like our families and especially our children are being let down. And although I would not try to convince anyone that these things are actually blessings and will be cherished from now on, I do want to point out that they are not a sign of failure, poor judgement, laziness, or any other shortcomings that we may fear is actually the case. It may not be an easy lesson for our children to learn, but it is extremely important that they understand life isn't always smooth and predictable, but even when times are bad, life doesn't have to be bad. They can see that being happy is a choice and that hard times and adversity doesn't ruin anyone's life.
The news is full of stories this time of year about children who are dealing with severe health issues or other adversities who are much more concerned about what other people might need and what they can do to help them than they are about what kind Christmas they might have. They have come to realize what is actually important and that it doesn't come in a box.I often think that it is amazing what our children can teach us if we will only listen.
Do you want a foolproof strategy to guarantee your child has a good Christmas even if things are very lean and uncertain at your house? Hug them a lot, drive around and look at Christmas lights, decorate the house together, bake cookies, or any of the hundred and one other things that emphasize Christmas is something wonderful and something you want to celebrate with them. They will never remember what they didn't get and they will never forget how precious they are to you.
My family's wish is that you have a safe and very merry Christmas.To all the soldiers serving our country and to all of their families - thank you for the sacrifices each and every one of you are willing to make to protect us. Our thoughts and prayers are especially with you now and throughout the year. Calvin Watts
President, Watts Reunion Inc.
Last Updated ( Friday, 26 December 2008 04:08 )
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Christmas Greetings
Sunday, 07 December 2008 18:36
brenda
To each of you, we say Happy Holidays. May God Blss YOU during this season and throughout the upcoming year. Paul and I have been blessed for another year with good health. We have been able to raise a big garden, put many things away for the winter. We traveled to numberous reunions, gatherings and vacation areas. For all of these we are truly greatful. I lost an uncle Green Raleigh the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. He had a blood clot and it ruptured. Therefore, they could not save him. He was married to my Dad's only sister, Omega. They had no children and had been married 57 years. Friday morning of this week, she was found unresponsive in the mornng and has still not regained consciousness. They say it could be a heart attack, stroke, or diabetic coma. She is loosing blood and they have given her 3 pints already. So at this point, it doesn't sound good. Please keep her and us in your prayers. Most of all that God's will be done and she doesn't lay like that for an extended period of time. We have plenty of cookbooks for sale. The Volume I is 7.00 and the Volume II is 10.00 plus shipping and handling. They make good gifts and you still have time to receive them before Christmas. Order today: Brenda Watts, 167 Burton Subdivision Road, Nancy, KY 42544 or call 606-871-9291 or e-mail me at
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. I will get them out to you immediately. Be safe and have a wonderful holiday season is our prayer for you. Remember the reason for the season. THE BIRTH OF JESUS!
George and Millie's First Christmas
Wednesday, 24 December 2008 04:44
steve
This Christmas, as we sit in our warm, well-lit homes and enjoy time with our families, let us pause to remember the experiences of our forefathers and mothers who first blazed the path of settlement into Eastern Kentucky. Let us remember experiences they endured on their first Christmas in the wilderness of Breathitt County.
George Washington Watts was a head-strong man and a mountain rambler. His enormous physical strength was hidden by his slight frame. Along with several members of a settling party, they traveled to find a new home in Eastern Kentucky.
Included in this party of first settlers were the members of the Noble, Neace, Allen, and Watts families and evidence also indicates that the Millers joined this “first” settling trip into Kentucky.
Washington Watts joined the group of would-be settlers in North Carolina and some oral tradition indicates that he was the leader of the group. Well into his twenty-second year, Washington Watts was an experienced mountain traveler.
The much-debated settling party left Virginia in late September 1799 and headed over the mountains toward the rugged slopes of Eastern Kentucky. Making their way through what is now Magoffin County, the small band encountered a raging forest fire that nearly stopped their quest for a new home. They stood by and watched as the flames burned over the hill and onto Quicksand Creek.
The group had planned to spend the winter in a rock shelter on Quicksand Creek but the flames of the huge fire had driven away most of the game they relied on for food, so the group chose to find an alternative place to spend the rapidly approaching winter months.
A suitable winter home for the band was located at the mouth of Buckhorn Creek. Nathan Noble and his wife Virginia Neace Noble and a small group continued on down the stream and in late November with the snow flying, then traveled up Caney Creek and crossed to the mouth of Cockrell’s Fork where they passed the first winter in a rock shelter. Included in this portion of the band was Nathan’s older sister Emaline (Millie) Noble and her “new found” friend Washington Watts.
It was here in a roomy rock cliff near the mouth of Cockrell’s Fork that the Watts generations began and it was here that George Washington Watts and Emaline “Millie” Noble spent their first Christmas.
Their first Christmas Day was celebrated on January 6, 1800 in that little rock shelter. The exact details of what was done to celebrate the birth of Christ has not been passed down, but we are able to visualize what that first Christmas in Kentucky must have been like.
According to atmospheric records, much of the country was covered in a thick layer of snow. Reports from Louisville indicate that as much as 8 inches of snow blanketed the ground across most of Kentucky. The high temperature for that Christmas Day was probably around 34 degrees and the sky was clear and bright.
All in all the first Christmas was rather bleak for those first settlers. Virginia Noble, who had slowed the group on their trip, gave birth to a healthy baby boy in late December. During the following weeks the child had taken a cough and died after only a few weeks.
The sorrow and pain of a loss in the small cliff community must have weighed heavily on the small band as they huddled together for that first Christmas.
There were no grand turkey dinners. No doubt, a little fresh game and a few soft potatoes served as the fare for our grandparents’ first celebration.
Despite the hardships they faced, a great tradition grew out of that first Christmas in the mountains. The Watts and Noble families always pass the holidays by huddling together and making family the most important aspect of our holidays. No matter how much has changed for.a Watts Christmas, family still remains the center of the annual celebration.
May you all have a wonderful holiday season and remember Christ and his sacrifice. Merry Christmas.
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