[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PARSONS FAMILY FIFTIETH REUNION

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                        HON. WAYNE T. GILCHREST

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate 
the fiftieth reunion of the Thomas Edward Parsons family. The Parsons 
family is gathering in Oxford, Talbot County, Maryland, on July 29th, 
to celebrate their reunion at the home of Elaine Valliant Cox. The 
Parsons family reunion was first held in Royal Oak, Talbot County, 
Maryland, at the home of William Harris Valliant and instituted to 
preserve family relationships as their family began to spread beyond 
Talbot County. The Parsons' family history has been documented in 
Talbot County, Maryland back to the early nineteenth century. The first 
reunion was advertised in a local newspaper asking descendants of 
Thomas and Susan Benson Parsons to gather on August 20, 1951. One 
hundred eleven members of the Parsons family gathered on the Valliant 
lawn coming from Idaho, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West 
Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. The oldest family member in 
attendance was Mrs. Margaret Parsons of Oxford, Maryland, wife of 
Edward Thomas Parsons. She was ninety years of age.
  This year the eldest family member in attendance is Mrs. Louise 
Valliant Willis of Oxford, Maryland, She is ninety-nine years of age 
and is the daughter of Susan Parsons Valliant, the youngest member of 
the original twelve Parsons siblings. The youngest member will be 
Natalie Chance Schmidt of Easton, Maryland. About sixty Parsons family 
members are expected to attend from all over the country. In recent 
years, family members have attended the Eastern Shore reunion from as 
far away as Seattle, Washington.
  The current generation of Parsons family members represents all walks 
of life from many parts of the country and from around the Eastern 
Shore of Maryland. The Parsons family reunion officers are Jan Valliant 
O'Neal of Kensington, Maryland, Marguerite Schimpff Webster of 
Washington, District of Columbia, Cathy Newton Schmidt of Easton, 
Maryland, and Robert Thomas Valliant, Jr., of Oxford, Maryland.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I want to congratulate the Parsons family 
for celebrating their fiftieth family reunion and honoring the 
significance of family in the building of our great nation.

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