Reunions

“Cousin John’s” town to host 50^th Annual

2024 TFA Reunion

By DAVID E. SUMNER, Chair, Reunion Planning Committee

The author Allen Francis wrote of “Cousin John” Thrasher in his 1967 history of Norcross: “Let us never lose sight of the unusual ability of our true founder and his kindness, his generosity and his courage to carry on after the devastation of war. Although he was never to capture the affluence of his pre-war years, he continued doing good, making his way, leaving all too little as a true record of his activities. We do know of his excellence as a man, a Christian, a doer of good, a restless developer.” Francis also dedicated the book to him.

Norcross today has a population of 17,642, and “Cousin John” Thrasher is still well-recognized and appreciated by the city he founded in 1870. The Norcross Welcome Center and Museum has photos and displays honoring his role in the city’s founding. Three historic markers in the city commemorate his role in its history. The first designates downtown Norcross on the National Register of Historic Places. The second at Thrasher Park recognizes his role in donating land for the park. The third at the original site of First Baptist Church recognizes his leadership role as a founding member.

The 50th Annual Thrasher Family Association reunion returns to Norcross for its third time May 31-June 2. The 17th reunion was held here in June 1990 and the 42nd reunion was held here in June 2015. The 42nd reunion was such a success that the organizing committee decided to make a return visit because of the warmth and hospitality that the city extended to us.

Celestea Sharp said of the 2015 reunion, “Our organizers and host city really went all out to help us understand the Thrasher family’s connection to the town of Norcross. I was extremely impressed with the warmth of the welcome we were given by Mayor Bucky Johnson and other Norcross citizens. The history walk they provided, complete with local professional actors, brought Norcross history and our family’s place in it alive in the most entertaining way possible.” Jim Moule, who traveled from Berkeley, Cal., reported, “This reunion was so well organized that it will be a tough act to follow.”

The Crowne Plaza, a mile west of downtown, is the host hotel. Organizing committee members Celestea Sharp, Paula Thrasher, John Thrasher and Steven Wang visited the hotel in January and came away with rave reviews about its beauty and spaciousness. The hotel has won numerous awards including being named the #1 Crowne Plaza hotel in 2022 based on guest review scores. John Thrasher said he thought it is the “one of the nicest hotels ever to host a Thrasher reunion.”

Dinner Friday evening is on your own. Those interested in getting together with fellow TFA members for dinner are advised to meet in the Hotel lobby at 6 p.m. to carpool. Downtown Norcross restaurant choices, all within walking distance of each other, include: The Crossing Steakhouse (Saturday night dinner venue), Dominick’s Italian Restaurant, Mojitos Cuban Cafe, Zapata Tacos and Tequila Bar, Paizanos Bistro, B&W Burgers, Buns & Brews and Iron Horse Tavern. For late arrivals, the hotel has a bar and restaurant as well as a room service menu.

The first item on the agenda for Saturday morning is the annual business meeting in the Danville Junior Ballroom at 9 a.m. Door prizes drawings will take place during the meeting. They will include a special commemorative souvenir of the Norcross Reunion  crafted by Ivy Darnall’s  husband, Klaus.  To conclude the business meeting, we will hear a talk by Mark Pifer from Decatur. Pifer is the author of “The Hidden History of Old Atlanta and The Earliest History of the Decatur, Georgia Area.”  He will discuss “Cousin John” Thrasher’s role in the early years of Thrasherville and Terminus before it was incorporated as Marthasville in 1843 and Atlanta in 1845.

At the conclusion of the business meeting, we will carpool to downtown Norcross and meet at the Thrasher Park Pavilion for a box lunch followed by a talk by Norcross historian Dr. Gene Ramsay. He will talk about “Cousin John’s” role in the founding of Norcross and as its first mayor. After leaving Thrasher Park, we will walk a couple of blocks to the Norcross Welcome Center and Museum for a greeting and remarks by its director Stephanie Nelson.

After we finish up at the Welcome Center, we will begin the walking tour of historic markers and sites accompanied by explanations from Dr. Ramsay. During the tour the Lionheart Theatre Company will perform reenactments of six Norcross citizens from the 1870s, directed by Tanya Caldwell, the theater’s performing artistic director.

The Saturday night dinner will be at The Crossing Steakhouse. After being seated, your server will ask you to select an entrée from the following options:

• Chicken Sienna Chicken, a grilled chicken breast with a tomato and basil salsa topping.
• Salmon Veloute, seared and served crispy skin side up with lobster sauce.
• Sirloin Steak

The meal will begin with a salad course. Sides will be a baked potato and grilled vegetables. Coffee and tea provided. After dinner we will enjoy a selection of desserts provided by the organizing committee members.

The TFA hotel rates at the Crown Plaza are extremely reasonable: $129 for a king or two queen beds without breakfast or $139 with breakfast buffet for two, plus state and local taxes. Reservations for the TFA rate will be accepted until April 30 by calling 770-448-4400 and asking for the Thrasher reunion rate. The reunion registration rate of $125 per person is due by April 30. That covers Saturday dinner and box lunch, door prizes and meeting room rental cost. The estimated total cost for two people for two nights for rooms, breakfast buffet and reunion registration is $574 (includes hotel taxes). See registration form BELOW:

2024 TFA Norcross Reunion

50^TH Annual Thrasher Family Association Reunion Schedule

Friday, May 31

3:00-6:00 p.m.     —      Check-in at Crowne Plaza, 6050 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. NE., Norcross.

6:00–9:00 p.m.    —        Meet in the hotel lobby at 6 p.m. to join some of your TFA “cousins” at a restaurant of   your choice. Many options in downtown Norcross. Friday night dinner cost not included in registration.    
                              

Saturday, June 1

7:00-9:00 a.m.     —       Buffet breakfast at the Crowne Plaza

9:00-11:00 a.m.    —      TFA business meeting in the Danville Small Ballroom concluding with talk by Mark Pifer, author of “The Hidden History of Old Atlanta”

12:00-1:00 p.m.    —      Box lunch at Thrasher Park Pavilion, 93 Park Drive, with talk by Norcross   
                                            historian Dr. Gene Ramsay.

1:00-2:00 p.m.      —      Walk to the Norcross Welcome Center and Museum for greeting by          Stephanie Newton, Cultural Arts & Tourism Director, 189 Lawrenceville Street                  

2:00-3:30 p.m.      —      Guided walking tour of historic markers and sites associated with “Cousin John” and historical re-enactments by Lionheart Theatre Company.

3:30-6:00 p.m.      —      Free time to shop and browse downtown Norcross

6:30- 9:00 p.m.     —      Dinner at The Crossing Steakhouse, 40 South Peachtree St.

Sunday, June 2

7:00-9:00 am        —       Buffet breakfast at the Crowne Plaza and checkout

Reservation deadlines:

The Crowne Plaza Atlanta Northeast: 770-448-4400. Ask for Thrasher reunion rate. $129 for a king or two queen beds without breakfast or $139 with breakfast buffet for two (plus state and local taxes). Firm deadline: April 30

50^th Annual TFA Reunion registration of $125: Firm deadline: April 30

(checks payable to David E. Sumner)

Send registration checks to:

David E. Sumner
4009 Colonial Drive
Anderson, IN 46012

Information: davidesumner@gmail.com or 765-313-6251

_______________________________________________________________________________

2023 Reunion News

2022 Reunion

2021 Reunion  The 2021 Thrasher Family Association reunion was held August 27-29 in Athens, Georgia. Reunion headquarters was the Springhill Suites, located at 220 South Hull Street in historic downtown Athens.

The Thrasher Family Reunion was cancelled for 2020 Due to COVID-19

Dear Cousins:

The Thrasher Family Association executive committee made the decision to cancel the 2020 Pensacola Reunion after consulting with our hosts Claudia and Bob Wynne. As you may recall, back in March we rescheduled the 2020 Pensacola Reunion from April 24-26 to July 17-19 in hopes that the COVID-19 situation would improve. Unfortunately, it hasn’t. We have notified the 2020 reunion hotel (SpringHill Suites) and have released our block of rooms that they were holding for our TFA members.  

 Claudia and Bob expressed their disappointment in not being able to host the TFA in Pensacola in 2020 and have offered to host the 2021 TFA Reunion if and when the current COVID-19 health emergency has abated. I would recommend that we show our appreciation to Claudia and Bob and offer them the “first right of refusal” to host the 2021 TFA Reunion.

In regards to selecting a date for the reunion in 2021, I have asked TFA member Dr. David Thrasher of Montgomery, Alabama, to serve as our medical advisor as to when we may be able to meet again in person. As some of you may know, David is serving on the front lines in this battle against COVID-19 as both a practicing physician and as an advisor to the elected officials in Alabama. David has graciously agreed to give us the benefit of his expertise in regards to when we may be able to schedule the 2021 Reunion.

Please contact me if you have questions or concerns. I hope you and your families have a safe and enjoyable 4^th of July weekend as we celebrate the 244^th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding document, laid out a vision for the new nation that still resonates today:

“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed…”     

 All the best,

 John Paul Thrasher, President

Thrasher Family Association

Cell: 770-328-3991

Email:  john.thrasher@numail.org.

 

Past Reunion Archive:  

Click here to see a list of all past Thrasher Family Association reunions, their hosts and locations:  Annual Reunions List

     2019 Thrasher Family Reunion

The 2019 Thrasher Family Association Reunion was held in Davidson, NC on May 3-5, 2019.  Joe and Angie Grooms were our hosts.

We stayed at Homewood Suites, 125 Harbor Place Drive, Davidson, NC.

Friday night we had a pizza and gelato party at the Grooms wood-fired outdoor oven.  Saturday night we had our business meeting, watched the Kentucky Derby and enjoyed a catered dinner at the Homewood Suites.

2018 THRASHER FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION 

Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, Virginia

The Thrasher Family Association 2017 was held at The Holiday Inn & Suites – Williamsburg Historic Gateway,  515 Bypass Road, Williamsburg, VA  23185

On Friday evening, May 4th, we had an outing to Historic Williamsburg for dinner at Shields Tavern.  Drawing influences from every corner of the former British Empire, the cuisine at James Shield’s Tavern offered an authentic taste of the cosmopolitan nature of the Colonies in the 18^th century. .After dinner at Shields Tavern, an optional living history program, “Cry Witch,” was scheduled for 7:30pm at the Capitol General Court. The popular “Cry Witch” program is an historical reenactment of the 1706 witchcraft trial of Grace Sherwood and has been performed in Williamsburg for a number of years. The audience is an active participant in the trial. You decide! Is Grace Sherwood a witch? Question witnesses. Weigh evidence. Finally, we cast our votes for the guilt or innocence of “the Virginia Witch.”

On Saturday, May 5th, breakfast was served in the James Room from 7:00am-9:00am. Those participating in the tour departed the hotel at 9:00am and carpool to Historic Jamestowne for a guided tour of the oldest continuous English settlement in the New World. After lunch we will have a guided tour of Yorktown Battlefield Park and learn about the decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place in October of 1781. The cost of both guided tours, including a box lunch, was $38.

The annual meeting of the Thrasher Family Association commenced at 4:00pm Saturday, May 5th, in the James Room. Thrasher Family Association president, John E. Thrasher was in charge of the agenda. After the annual meeting we had a short break to allow members to freshen up for dinner. A buffet dinner was scheduled for 6:30pm in the James Room.

Friday, May 4, 2018

5:00 pm                     Meet in the lobby to carpool to dinner

5:15 pm-7:15 pm      Dinner at Shields Tavern

7:30 pm-8:30 pm    “Cry Witch” performance at the Capitol General Court

James Room will be open for TFA members

Saturday, May 5, 2018

7:00 am-9:00 am       TFA breakfast buffet in James Room

9:00 am                       Depart for Jamestown and Yorktown

9:30 am:-11:30 am     Guided tour of Historic Jamestowne

11:30 am-12:00 pm     Depart Jamestown for Yorktown

12:00 pm–12:45 pm   Boxed Lunch at Yorktown Battlefield Park

12:45 pm-2:45 pm      Guided tour of the Yorktown Battlefield Park

2:45 pm                        Depart Yorktown for hotel

3:30 pm                        Arrive back at hotel

4:00 pm                        TFA Business Meeting in the James Room

6:30 pm                        TFA Dinner in James Room

James Room will be open for TFA members

Sunday, May 6, 2018

7:00 am-9:00 am     TFA breakfast buffet in James Room

2017 THRASHER FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION IN ALABAMA

Attending:  Bonnie Bolin of Fayetteville, GA; Nancy Cherry of Beltsville, MD; Judy Creighton from Pelham, AL; Ivy and Klaus Darnall of Atlanta, GA; Angie and Joe Grooms of Davidson, NC; Helen Raye Thrasher-Long and John Long of Birmingham, AL; Vickie Mills-Smith of Jackson, GA; Mitzi Mills-Smith of Covington, GA; James C. Moule of Berkeley, CA; Celestea Sharp of New York, NY; Caroline Thrasher Sermon of Newland, NC; Joan and Joe Stine of Orlando, FL; Elise and David Sumner of Anderson, IN; Anna and Ken Sutherland of Jacksonville, FL;  Glenda and Terry Thompson of Pflugerville, TX;  Karen and Hershel Thrasher of Shelbyville, TN;  Juanita and Bill H. Thrasher of Live Oak, FL; Alice and David Thrasher of Montgomery, AL; Eleanor and John E. Thrasher III of Micanopy, FL; Glenda and Robert P. (Buddy) Thrasher of Columbus, MS; Paula and John Paul Thrasher of Newnan, GA;  Sue Thrasher of Watkinsville, GA; Claudia Thrasher Wynne of Pensacola, FL.

Pre-meeting Activities:     The group enjoyed dinner on Friday evening at Sinclair’s East Mediterranean Restaurant in Montgomery.   On Saturday morning, attendees toured the state capitol building.

Call to Order:   The annual business meeting of the Thrasher Family Association (TFA) was called to order by the Chair, John E. Thrasher III, at 2:06 p.m., on Saturday, May 6, 2017 in Meeting Room I of the Staybridge Suites Hotel Eastchase – Montgomery.  Many attendees had brought charts, research notebooks, and interesting memorabilia of Thrasher families which were displayed around the room.  John E. stated that he would follow his “sort-of agenda” based on discussions that ensued as each topic was introduced.

John E. welcomed returning members who had not been with us for some time and new attendees, including a trio of sisters, Claudia Wynne, Caroline Sirman, and Judy Creighton.   He thanked David and Alice for arranging the morning tour and for hosting this year’s reunion, and he asked attendees to write their names on a paper leaf to be fastened in the appropriate column of the chart he had prepared.

Program

Elise Sumner opened the program by singing our TFA song, “Be like John J. Thrasher, not Black Bart,” which she wrote some years ago.  She has entertained us with the song twice at previous reunions, but this time her accompaniment was her ukulele rather than her guitar.  She called on husband David to serve as her music stand.

Viva La Musica:  Elise is a high school Spanish teacher and songwriter, and her CD with 28 original songs in Spanish is intended to help students learn the language.  The CD is available on the internet.  http://singspanish.com/index_alt.php.

Railroad Man:  David Sumner continues to research “Cousin John” Thrasher, and he has substantially revised his book, Railroad Man and Atlanta’s Early History 1839 – 1900.   He first published the Cousin John story in the Georgia Historical Quarterly, then put the story into booklet form, where it has grown from 24 to 36 pages.  The newest printing includes data collected by Joe Stine on John’s term in the General Assembly, 1859 – 1863, and from Dr. Gene Ramsey’s talk at Norcross in 2015 about John’s role in the founding of Norcross.

David believes that Cousin John deserves to be better known for his kind-heartedness and for his contributions to early Atlanta and Norcross. The late Franklin Garrett, expert on Atlanta history, called Cousin John “one of the most interesting characters” in the early history of Atlanta.  The city of Norcross has acquired 100 copies of the book, and David is donating copies to various libraries.  He asks TFA members to suggest libraries to receive donated copies.  John Paul Thrasher has a rough video of Franklin Garrett’s talk at an early TFA reunion in Norcross in June 1990.  JP suggested that the video could be provided to the Atlanta History Center with David’s book to document the important role that “Cousin John” Thrasher played in the early history of both Atlanta and Norcross.  The newly revised and expanded Railroad Man is available on Amazon for $5.95 in paper or $2.99 in kindle format.  David brought copies to the reunion to sell and autograph.

Million Dollar Fumble:  David’s second book is about Bear Bryant, the legendary Alabama coach, and his friend Wally Butts, athletic director at the University of Georgia.  A story leaked to the Saturday Evening Post resulted in an article published in the magazine.  This brought lawsuits from Bryant and Butts which riveted the world of college football and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.   David’s book is expected to drop later this year.

Mid-Atlantic Thrashers in the Civil War:  Jim Moule presented an update to his talk of a few years ago, Mid-Atlantic Thrashers in the Civil War.  He preceded his talk by showing slides of pandas, taken recently while he and wife Kathryn were in China. Kathryn had planned to come to Montgomery with Jim, but while they were with the pandas (Jim photographing and Kathryn, who is a watercolorist, sketching), Kathryn fell and suffered severe arm and shoulder injuries. The group sent its collective best wishes to Kathryn for a speedy recovery and congratulated Jim on his stunning photos.  Jim will send Susie the URL for the site containing his nature pictures so that she can post it in the newsletter.

Following the discovery last year of a new branch of Mid-Atlantic Thrashers — those descended from Benjamin (born 1740) who married Sarah White and who was the son of the first documentable Benjamin (died 1740) – Jim has recalculated the number of descendants and their distribution.  He has also tracked how the percentage of Union and Confederate enlistees from the family compares with the national percentages, and how the deaths on each side compare with the national average.  He has found four cases of brother fighting against brother, among those was Thaddeus Thrasher of Maryland who fought and died for the Confederate side, while his brother Joseph, on the Union side, lived to return home to Frederick County.  Jim’s paper will be published in a future issue of the newsletter.

African-American connections:  John E. spoke of the African-American connection in his family.  John and Susan Barton Thrasher’s grandson John Oates Thrasher had a “bright mulatto” woman named Scott as his companion, and the couple had four children.  Their connection to John’s family line was proven through DNA testing from Ancestry.com.  John said that he had been invited to a reunion of that line, held in Oklahoma. He also mentioned Alma Parker, an African-American woman and member of the TFA who for years believed that she was related to the John and Susan Barton Thrasher line through her ancestor Charles Thrasher, listed as a freedman in the 1870 Oconee County, Georgia census.  After DNA testing showed no match, she wonders about her genetic heritage. Alma lives on the West Coast and for years has planned on attending one of our reunions but has not done so.

 

 

2016 THRASHER FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION IN VIRGINIA

The 2016 Thrasher Family Reunion was held on  May 20 and 21, 2016 at Sweet Briar College, in Amherst, Virginia. Joe and Angie Grooms have met with the Elston Inn Director and have reserved 20 rooms at the Sweet Briar Conference Center. Rates $108 for 2 double beds or $117 for 2 queen beds, breakfast included. Sweet Briar College is about 4 miles outside of Amherst and about 10 miles from the Thrasher property. Amherst also has a very nice historical society center that we can visit. (a detailed map of all land patents is available showing the Thrasher property) The Thrashers had moved before Amherst was established. They were actually one of the first families in the area. Lexington, Virginia is 25 miles beyond the Thrasher property. Lexington, home of Washington and Lee University, the Robert E. Lee grave site and also Virginia Military Institute. Lynchburg is 15 miles south of Sweet Briar College, and it is home to Liberty University.

2015 THRASHER FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION IN NORCROSS

“That small town you read about in Southern Living”

By Joseph Stine

The Thrasher reunion in Norcross, Georgia was held  June 12-13, 2015. I visited Norcross in October to check out the hotel accommodations and the historic tour of Norcross.   The Holiday Inn Express is new with adequate meeting space for us to display materials and to just visit. Breakfast is included with your room at the inn. The inn is just a short drive from downtown Norcross.

Downtown is that small town you read about in Southern Living magazine. It is only one block long but packed with neat restaurants just waiting for you to try on Friday night or Saturday noon. The main street has been repaved and landscaped just for us. Plenty of parking for your car is available. The recently remodeled The Crossing, where we will dine on Saturday evening, is in the train depot built in 1909. I ate there; the food is great. By the way the train still runs through the middle of town.

Now for a taste of history: on Saturday morning we are planning a walking tour of downtown Norcross. Although the area is quite small, we are also planning an alternate mode of transportation for those who have difficulty walking. As a tour guide we have obtained the services of Gene Ramsay, one of the authors of Images of America – Norcross published by Arcadia Publishing. By trade Gene Ramsay is a consulting engineer with a doctorate from Georgia Tech in Industrial Engineering but by avocation, he is a Georgia historian. He has lived in the Atlanta area for more than twenty-five years and in Norcross for the past eight years. We had lunch together at The Crossing and talked about Atlanta area history. I know you will find him as interesting as I did. He has already found a Thrasher buried in the Norcross City Cemetery – W. A. Thrasher. Who was W. A. Thrasher? That is your homework assignment.

Norcross was incorporated by the Georgia Legislature on October 26, 1870. Four men were named as original commissioners: John J. Thrasher, Jesse Thrasher, Gorman T. Robinson and Stephen T. McElroy. We know John J. Thrasher was Cousin John. Second homework assignment: Who was Jesse Thrasher? The other two guys don’t count.

Joe Stine is a Thrasher because his mother was a Dade City Thrasher thanks to Cousin John.  He was born in Sanford and grew up in Orlando. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Industrial Engineering and has worked in distribution and as an engineering consultant. 

Norcross Mayor Spoke at 2015 Reunion

by David E. Sumner

Bucky Johnson, mayor of Norcross, was the keynote speaker for the 2015 Thrasher Family Reunion. The Saturday dinner where spoke was at “The Crossing,” a restaurant in the renovated Norcross Railroad Station. It was built in 1909 adjacent to the railroad originally built by Cousin John Thrasher in 1870. 

This reunion has a story behind it. In June of 2013, David Sumner visited Tony Callaway, a friend in Decatur whom he had not seen since the 1970s. David told him about hid research on John Thrasher, the first mayor of Norcross, and gave him a copy of the little book he wrote called Railroad Man: John J. Thrasher and the Early Years of Atlanta.

His friend said, “Oh, one of my best friends, Bucky Johnson, is mayor of Norcross.” So David gave him another copy of the book to give to Mayor Johnson. A few weeks later, David received an e-mail from Cate Kitchen, director of the Norcross Visitors Center. She said, “Our mayor really likes your book, and we would like to purchase 100 copies to give away at our Visitors Center.” At that point, David only had ten remaining copies and had to order an additional printing for a second edition.

In the process of e-mailing the mayor, he invited us to hold a Thrasher reunion in Norcross. So David started bouncing the idea off other Thrashers, including John E. Thrasher in Micanopy, John Paul Thrasher in Newnan, Susie Thrasher in Athens and Celestea Sharpe in New York City. Everyone thought it was a great idea. In May, David traveled to Athens on business and stopped off in Norcross to begin making arrangements for this reunion.

Bucky Johnson has been Mayor of Norcross since 2008. Mayor Johnson is currently the Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association.  Gwinnett Magazine named him Gwinnett County Man of the Year for 2011. A native of Atlanta, he was Director of Bands and Head of the Music Department at Georgia Tech until he retired in 2002. Bucky currently works part-time in the music ministry at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Janet, own and produce the Southern Star Music Festival in Atlanta and are part owners of the Southern Star Festival of Champions in Panama City.

David Sumner grew up in Dade City, Fla., and has been a member of the Thrasher Family Association since 1992. He now lives in Anderson, Indiana, with his wife, Elise. Send questions or comments to davidesumner@gmail.com. He and Joe Stine are organizing the 2015 reunion.

2014 THRASHER FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION IN NORTH CAROLINA

1.   A driving trip to Ruffin (located about 15 minutes from the Holiday Inn), a small community where the Thrashers lived, including a tour of the Lick Fork Creek Baptist Church located on the land deeded by Joseph Thrasher in 1793.  The current Minister will provide the tour and church history. Joseph Cloud Thrasher, Isaac Thrasher, Thrasher McCollum and the Stubblefields all lived within 2 miles of the Lick Fork Baptist church.
2. Revolutionary War Battlefield at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park with Visitors Center, exhibits, film and a self-guided driving tour of the battlefield. Located about 35 minutes from the Holiday Inn.

     LUNCH -Lunch on your own, we will have information on local restaurants.

    MEETING  – The meeting of the Thrasher Family Association was held about 3:00 in the conference room at the Holiday Inn.

    DINNER  – A buffet dinner was held on Saturday night at the Farmers Table in Reidsville at 6:00.  The cost will be $18.00 per person in advance. This includes food, beverage, and gratuity.  If you have not already sent your reservation in, please use the form below to send your dinner reservations and check to Joe Grooms, Box 1137, Davidson, NC  28036.

 The Reidsville area was the home place of John and Ruth Cloud Thrasher and their family (sons: Joseph Cloud Thrasher, Isaac and Ruth Barton Thrasher and John and Susan Barton Thrasher during the Revolutionary War).

Just a few miles to the southwest of Reidsville is where another branch of our family lived during the Revolution. There lived William William Thrasher, the earliest ancestor of the Tennessee Thrasher/Threshers. It would be fun to seek out his home site.

Planned activities included a tour of the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield (35 minutes away) where several relatives participated (Isaac did not participate, he had not yet returned from fighting at Kings Mountain). Another option is a trip to Ruffin (15 minute away) where Joseph Cloud Thrasher lived.  A visit to the Lick Fork Baptist Church has been arranged.  Joseph Cloud deeded the land for the church in 1793.  Joseph Cloud Thrasher, Isaac Thrasher, Thrasher McCollum and the Stubblefields all lived within 2 miles of the Lick Fork Baptist church.

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      2013 THRASHER FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION IN ATHENS

The 2013 Thrasher Reunion was held in Athens, Georgia, May 3-5, 2013 (Friday-Sunday).   The reunion was jointly hosted by John Paul Thrasher, Grady Thrasher III and Celestea Sharp.

The Reunion Hotel was the Athens Holiday Inn (197 E. Broad Street) located adjacent to the University of Georgia campus in downtown Athens. The Athena Room served as Reunion Central and as a gathering spot for “the cousins” on Friday and Saturday.

FYI: In 1873, Judge Barton Edmunds Thrasher was attending the University of Georgia Law School when his wife, Sarah Hattaway Thrasher, gave birth to their son John B. Thrasher.

On Saturday morning was a tour of historic sites in Oconee and Athens-Clarke County for those interested. The tour  included a visit to the Watkinsville City Cemetery, Whitlow Hill Cemetery, Barton Thrasher Cemetery and Salem Methodist Church. The tour  also included some historic Thrasher homes, including the Harden Hill home that was once owned by Judge Barton Edmunds Thrasher.

For those looking for more excitement, the University of Georgia was across the street. The University has recently opened a new library to house the Hargett Rare Book collection. For those needing a break, the restaurants and shops of downtown Athens were a short walk away.

The Annual Meeting of the Thrasher Family Association was held on Saturday, May 4, 2013

Saturday night, May 4, Grady hosted a screening of his documentary film about the Thrasher Brothers Aerial Circus, “The World’s Smallest Airport,” at the Ciné Bar Cafe and Cinema in downtown Athens.

The Host Committee is working with the local DAR Chapter to see if we can get approval for a grave marking ceremony (similar to what Nancy Cherry arranged at the Maryland Thrasher Reunion) for John Thrasher, Jr. our Revolutionary War ancestor and the progenitor of the Georgia Thrashers (son of John Thrasher and Ruth Cloud). Our biggest challenge is that we do not yet know the exact final resting place of our Revolutionary War ancestor.