APRIL 30, 2007
Today, five generations of the Black family will celebrate, all in one place. It is the first time they’ve all gotten together like this.
It means a lot to each member, says Kevin Black, who organized the reunion.
Bessie, his 80-something-year-old grandmother, the woman who first had the idea, is ready. It will most likely be the last time she sees the entire family together. She desperately wants to see her great-great granddaughter.
Bill, his father, wants to see his grandson before the big trip to the desert.
Tyler, his 20-year-old son, gets to see everyone again before heading off on that trip – to Iraq where, in August, he’ll be working on helicopters for the Army. He’s come up to Kentucky from Fort Hood, in Killeen, Texas.
Then there’s his granddaughter, Elizabeth, just four months old. She won’t know how special this is, but someday, she’ll see the pictures.
And for Kevin? Well, it may mean the most to him. He followed up on Grandma Bessie’s idea, making the calls and getting everyone together. Five generations will gather in Bessie’s little house in Belleview Bottoms.
“She wanted to see them all,” says Kevin, a 42-year-old Sears salesman from Elsmere. “She was the reason we’re doing it.”
There could be about 50 or more people in the house, Kevin says.
It’s been awhile since he’s seen a lot of those folks, too.
Today, they’ll all be together, before heading off on different journeys. Some will have definite destinations with uncertain futures. Others’ futures are as certain as the morning sun.
But where they’re going remains a mystery. “This day, we’re all going to be in the same place,” Kevin says. “Life is all about family. And Bessie wanted us all to be together, so we are. It’s a historical event for us.”
Know of someone in your community with a good story to tell? Let us know. Submit nominees to Ryan Clark by e-mail:rclark@nky.com.