The descendants of Jane Septima Shank Smith and her husband, Joseph Belknap Smith, met on Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, for their 12th annual reunion.

The Saturday program was held in Thomson at the First Baptist Church Activity Center. The day included an opportunity for family members to display artistic creations and family treasures. A copy of an ancestral diary, also heirloom china, original watercolors, and nature photographs were displayed. A highlight was an enormous genealogical chart of Smith family descendants extending 15 feet in length, illustrating the exhaustive work of Carol Norman Evans, chairman of the genealogy committee.

A favorite of this year’s reunion was a raffle of family-made items – original note cards, graphic design with family photographs, homegrown vegetables and plants, homemade preserves and syrup, crafts, jewelry and more that comprised the fare. Family member Louisa Hickman photographed the joyous winners. New activities included a children’s raffle, face painting and games for the children and youngat heart. Healthy snacks and drinks were available to all to fuel their activities.

Another crowd pleaser was the family talent show. Song, dance, guitar, baton and original prose reading performances were featured. A fascinating part of the program was Carol Dorn’s account of her opportunity to spend time in the Louvre in Paris copying a master painting. She illustrated her story with the painting itself, a faithful and compelling recreation of her chosen work in which Carol captured the amazing perspective and three dimensional nature of the subject.

A barbecue dinner was served and dessert was provided by entries of family members in a baking contest. The desserts were scrumptious, many of them old family recipes. A family cookbook is planned under the care of Ann Johnson Bowes, whose mother, Jane Septima Fluker Johnson, was a wonderful cook who provided desserts for virtually all important family gatherings throughout her lifetime. Memories of dishes from her sisters, Mary and Louise, also loom large in the family’s gustatory lore.

Sunday’s activities began with the family members attending services at Greenwood Baptist Church in Lincoln County where Jane Septima Shank worshiped. Afterwards came the traditional visit to the family cemetery overlooking Clark Hill Lake where a picnic lunch and good conversation were shared.

The Joseph Belknap and James Septima Smith Family Association sponsors the reunion. Joseph B. Harris of Washington is the Association president. The Association also publishes the Smith’s Mill Newsletter, edited and produced by descendant Louisa Hickman of Thomson.