Family Reunion in Alexis, NC

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Part of the cemetery hopping Stroupe/Stroup's.  Yep!  That's a cemetery we are standing in.

It has taken me from Sunday until today to recover enough from the heat and activity at the family reunion to feel like posting.  Early Friday morning I drove the short 2 1/2 hours to http://www.ci.rock-hill.sc.us/ to pick up my brother and then drive to http://www.cherryville.com/ to visit cemeteries with Sid Stroupe and Linda Ballard.  It was cloudy and and raining like mad so we didn't get too hot on Friday.  We enjoyed a Cherryville hamburger with slaw and a fried bologna sandwich at Malcolm's.  The Shake Shop parking lot was too crowded!  Early Saturday morning Mike and I returned to Cherryville and met Stroupes/Stroups at the Cherryville Museum and then toured Mount Zion Cemetery and The Cherryville Cemetery. I was tickled that Nancy and Arnold drove to Cherryville for a short time to visit with me.  The time was just too short.  Later Linda, Mike, Sid and I toured quite a few more cemeteries and then drove out to Red Bone Willy's (http://www.redbonewilly.com/) to enjoy a Cheerwine and ice cream on the front porch.  Early Sunday morning found us leaving Rock Hill, for the three cemeteries in the "woods" in Alexis, NC.  We had a much larger attendance this year than we had last year.  Lewis Burton, George Rhyne, Matt Stroup, Dan Stroup, Hank Stroup, and Margaret Ann met us for the cemetery tour and "eating" to follow.  After the pot luck Lewis, Mike and I drove a short few miles to see Aunt Lillian's old home place in Iron Station, NC.  A flood of memories of playing in the corn fields, climbing the China Berry tree, and stomping in the creek came rushing back to me.

Yet another Stroupe/Stroup cemetery in the woods.

Lewis Burton, Dan Stroup, Sid Stroup

If Mike (Bubba) doesn't move off of this Stroup, the body is going to get up and move elsewhere.

Lewis Burton, Linda Ballard, Cindy Stroup, Nancy Morrison and husband, George Rhyne, Mike Stroupe.  Yep, that is a stack of Aunt Lillian's photo albums on the table!

Returned to Elijah Clark State Park to a completely empty campground.  Yoo Hoo, but Billy is still terribly busy with the front end loader and I have been up at the front office helping Amy with the July budget report.  Plan to sew on our new little Cousin Stuart's diaper shirt today. " Life is Good Today."