WS Chronicle

The descendants of Bethania Hauser Williams Russell held their 103rd Family and Friends reunion in Winston-Salem, High Point and Yadkinville, N.C. on July 27-29.  Family members attended from Yadkinville, Winston-Salem, and Lexington in N.C.; Kentucky; Virginia; Maryland; Pennsylvania; Ohio; DC; and California.

Bethania was a slave born in Bethania, N.C., and bought for $840.  She was bought and brought to Yadkin area by T.C. Hauser, a Yadkin County merchant-farmer.  Bethania was one of Hauser’s 11 slaves and later became a housekeeper for the T.C. Hauser family.  During her time on the plantation, she had three sons: Alexander (born in1861), Martin and Sanford (born in 1866). Bethania and her sons took the Hauser name.  After slavery she married Louis Williams and they had four children: Sally, Louis, Taylor and Crawley.  When Williams passed away, she married David Crockett Russell and had four more children: Henry, Commie, Lucy and Dixie.

Reunion activities began over 100 years ago when Martin Hauser began inviting family and friends to his home to celebrate his mother’s birthday day.  This tradition has continued until this day.  The 2018 Reunion activities began on Friday July 27 at the Courtyard Marriott Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem.  Family members participated in games, family history, registration and food.  Fish was provided in memory of David Hauser’s (Yadkinville) Annual Fish Fry’s at the reunions.   

Saturday the family met at John and Donna Pinckney’s for the Dixie Russell Moore Fellowship picnic and family reunion meeting. The program included a memorial of family members who have passed away this past year (Cheryl L. Floyd, November 2017). Loren Bradsher (Lexington) was named the scholarship winner for 2018.  She will be attending Winston-Salem State University in the fall with a major in elementary education.

Family news was shared.  Ayo Pyne (Washington, D.C.) was first runner up in the Mrs. American pageant and Donna and John Pinckney (High Point) serves as Senior Game Ambassadors.  Olena H. Paige (Maryland) sang a song that she wrote – “Jesus is My Savor” and Chantel Braziel (Pennsylvania), a masters level voice student, sang  “Summertime.” 

Certificates were given to family members, including the to the oldest and youngest family members present. The Oldest Family Member Present was Pauline Hauser (Yadkinville), and the Youngest Family Member Present was Brooklyn Lea (High Point).

On Sunday, the reunion activities included morning worship at the family home church, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Yadkinville.  Sterling Hauser (Ohio) led a memorial service at the church cemetery in front of Bethania’s head stone.  Flowers were placed on family gravesites and balloon were released to honor and recognize family members who have passed on.

The 2019 reunion will be a cruise to the Bahamas.