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The descendants of Burrell Jackson and Cornelia (Hare) Stokes gathered for their annual reunion on Saturday, June 29 at the Cedar Grove Church of Christ located on Brooklyn Road in Andalusia, Ala. The fellowship hall was decorated with a patriotic theme, courtesy of those who had previously decorated it for the church’s annual “Golden Age Banquet.” There were 46 in attendance which included two special guests: Jerry Stokes of Andalusia who is a descendant of Noah Stanton Stokes, brother to Burrell Jackson Stokes. and Clyde Stokes of Jacksonville, FL, who is descended from a distant relative of Burrell Jackson. Ages ranged from two to 83 years.

Everyone registered and updated their contact information and then fellowshipped until the meal which was enjoyed at noon. Prior to the meal, Larry Phillips voiced an invocation. The abundant “covered dish” meal featured many special dishes of popular Southern recipes. The desserts table was colorful with many family favorites.

Following the meal, those present were introduced by their ancestor who was a child of Burrell Jackson and Cornelia Stokes. Some were descended from the oldest child, Wright Absalom and Minnie (Rabren) Stokes and some from the oldest daughter, Mary Delilah (Stokes) Rabren and others from Ollie Phyllis (Stokes) Rabren. All these are double kin as three Stokes siblings married three Rabren siblings.

Others present were descendants of Another Stokes son, Matthew VanBuren Sr., who married Agnes Eiland, a granddaughter of Henry and Martha (Fuqua) Rabren, which makes them close kin to the Stokes- Rabren and Stokes-Fuqua couples.

The most pesent were descended from another son, Leland Congdon (Lee) and Bama (Fuqua) Stokes. Their double kin present were descended from Naomi Cornelia (Stokes) and James Wesley Fuqua. Stokes siblings Lee and Naomi. married Fuqua siblings, Bama and J.W. Fuqua.

A son, Justice Lamar Stokes and wife, Flossie (Huggins) also had descendants present.

During the family heritage session, businesses that have been operated by Stokes descendants were reviewed. One of the earliest appearances of the Stokes name was on collectible whisky jugs associated with early saloons in Andalusia. Stokes Road connecting Brooklyn Rd. with Prestwood Bridge Rd. later became Rabren Rd. The matriarch of the area Stokes family, Elizabeth (Jay) Stokes, ran a small general store along Chalk Hill on Brooklyn Rd. for her sons. The Wright Absalom Stokes I family had the Stokes Mill Pond which was associated with the sawmill in Falco, Ala.

Matthew Wright Stokes’s son, Cliff, operated a Sinclair service station and general store near the railroad on Sanford Rd. in Andalusia. He later turned the business over to his son, George Elton Stokes, who established the popular Stokie’s Cafe known for its delicious hamburgers. A small counter. a couple of bar stools, and a few items of china from Stokie’s are displayed in the Three Notch Museum in Andalusia. Noah Stokes’ sons, Johnny and Rex, operated grocery/general stores along East Three Notch St. Noah’s grandson, George Stokes, ran Stokes Bait Shop on East Watson St.

The following businesses were operated by descendants of Burrell Jackson Stoke: Wight Absalom II had a grocery/general store early on that he later moved to South Cotton St. It became popular with local business men who would gather upstairs at lunch time to discuss town business and play checkers.

His daughter, Cornelia, ran a beauty shop and later, Cornelia’s Cafe. His granddaughter’s husband, Cleveland Hicks, began building furniture in Andalusia and later moved to Montgomery and opened his C Hicks Upholstery Shop on Highland Ave.

Lila Stokes Rabren’s grandson, Warren C. Girdner, Jr. was a jeweler who repaired watches and clocks. He established The Jewel Box in two locations on River Falls St.He later moved the business to his home on Gantt Lake and renamed it Lakeside Enterprises. Lila’s son, Tom Rabren, was a shade-tree mechanic who established Rabren’s Auto Body Shop and whose wife, Squeek, operated Rabren Beauty Shop with both being next to their home on Rabren Rd. Tom’s grandson, Doug Rabren, has a fairly new business, BEK Networks LLC which is roughly a 15 M Co, that he began in 2002 and is currently located in the Murphy Building on the Square in Andalusia.

Lee Stokes traded livestock and drove a truck for his brother, M.V. Stokes, Sr. who operated M.V. Stokes Meat Packing Co.–Wholesale Meats. He later converted his business into M.V. Stokes Stockyards–Dealer in cattle and hogs. Both were located off Prestwood Bridge Rd. His son, M.V. Stokes, Jr., succeeded him as owner/manager. Two of M.V. Sr.’s grandsons, Jimmy and Jerry Bass worked at the stockyards.

Lee Stokes son, L.C, owned and operated Stokes Grocery and Market on South Cotton St. beginning in 1953. He later sold it to James Henry and then opened Stokes Salvage on the West ByPass.

L.C. had been a machinist during WW II in Mobile. In 1969, his nephew, Kyle Ray Thomasson came home to Andalusia after serving four years in the US Navy working in a machine shop. He did not find a substantial machine shop in Andalusia, so he wanted to establish one. he had one machine and L.C. had three, so they opened the business and named it Moore Road Machine Shop since it was located in a building behind L .C.’s residence on Moore Road. Kyle ran the shop while L.C. managed his salvage business. After 32 years, Kyle moved the business in 2002 to his homeplace on Blake Pruitt Rd., but he kept the Moore Rd. Machine Shop name. He operated it there until he retired in 2011.

Another son, Lamar Stokes was known as a talented cook. He and his wife, Flossie, operated a family style diner in an old building on the lot next to Stokes Salvage on the West ByPass. He later ran a sandwich shop adjoining the Duncan Little Store and service station. He then began cooking and serving meals in the store Duncan and his wife, daughter of Lamar, closed the business and built a new building in which they established the Little Kitchen, a restaurant featuring family-style meals..They operated this for years before turning it over to Eunivae Bozeman, daughter of Ellie C. Stokes Pruitt. who ran it for several more years. Eunivae’s husband, Reedy Bozeman, operated Bozeman’s Barber Shop for many years on East Three Notch St.

Phyllis Stokes and husband, Emory Rabren lived on Opp Ave. and rented rooms in their home. Phyllis cooked and served meals to interested patrons. Naomi Stokes and her husband, J.W. Fuqua, resided on Padgett Road where he operated a feed crushing mill business on Acree Creek next to their house, In later years, their grandson, James Barron, built himself a feed crushing machine. Their son, Jeff Fuqua operated Fuqua Auto Sales located on West ByPass for many years.

A Stokes family ancestry pedigree chart, made possible by the research of Debra Parrish of Charlotte, N.C. was distributed. It outlined the generations from the immigrant ancestor, John Stokes I, born 1599 in England and died 1665 in the State of Virginia,down to Burrell Jackson Stokes and his children. who were mostly residents of the Andalusia area.

Appreciation is expressed to those descendants who shared and presented the business history at the reunion.

— Written by Great Grandson Curtis Thomasson