The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 1, Issue 3

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 1, Issue 3 January, 2011

2011 Family Reunion Newsletter Page 1 Published: 1/18/2011

" Some family trees have beautiful leaves, and some have just a bunch of nuts. Remember, it is the nuts that make the tree worth shaking." -Author Unknown-

Happy New Year Dowdie Family! We are now in 2011 and time to begin the countdown… It is 184 days to our Historical Family Event. Will you be there? Have you registered? If not, please be sure to do so by February 15th. Some of the family that I have met along my journey… During the past year, I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of numerous new family members. I joined Facebook in February 2009 and it has been a great tool in finding and connecting with Dowdies, worldwide. If you are on Facebook, become a member of the DOWDIE FAMILY Group.

Connecting with family that I was not familiar with, via Facebook, was a little challenging because at first I had to think of a strategic way to make connections without seeming like a stalker. I sent numerous messages to various family members to introduce myself and inquire about their familial background.

One of the first connections I made was with the family of the late Leonard Dowdie. My first message was sent to Julia Dowdie who I learned was the wife of Delano “Dean” Dowdie Jr. Dean and I communicated briefly and he informed me that his grandfather was Leonard Dowdie and that Leonard was able to celebrate his 100th birthday in November 2008. Dean advised me to contact his cousin, Shanice Young, who created their family tree. He also referred me to his father Delano “Dicky” Dowdie, Sr., who contacted me in late February 2009. In his message to me, Dicky indicated, “all I know about my Dowdie connection is that my Grandfather was Vecas Dowdie from St Elizabeth (Elderslie or Jointwood).” With the exception of his

father, he was only familiar with Dowdies that he met while attending St. Elizabeth Technical High School (ST.E.T.H.S), in Jamaica, however, they did not inquire about a possible family connection. He was pretty sure there was a family tie and seemed as excited I as I did, to learn what it was. I contacted Shanice in May 2009 and she provided me with the family tree she created (for her immediate family) and I was able to incorporate it into my ever-growing Dowdie family forest, (the family is so huge our roots can no longer be limited to a family tree, but now it’s a family forest).

I was ready to start meeting my extended family and in June 2009 mom and I were able to visit with Shanice who lived in New York at the time and her mother, Judy Dowdie, who was visiting from Florida. After the introductions and formalities mom and Judy began to reminisce about their childhood and upbringing and shared similar stories and experiences. As the conversation grew, mom and Judy discovered that they both enjoyed sleep as their favorite past time. It seems

dropsy may be a family trait, along with the Dowdie facial moles. Our visit with Judy and Shanice was short but sweet and an instant bond was formed.

Leonard Dowdie passed away in August 2009 and I regretted that I was unable to attend the funeral however Uncle Ephraim Schofield Dowdie attended on my behalf. In September, Judy phoned to let me know she was able to locate the marriage certificate of her parents. She was pleased to report that the marriage certificate reflected that David Dowdie was Leonard’s father and not Vecas. This revelation instantly changed the dynamic of our relationship because the cousins who we thought were distant, were now in fact, close relatives. The reality was Dicky and Judy were now first cousins to my mother instead of third, as we initially believed. We have been blessed to have the opportunity to pray, celebrate, laugh and travel together; we have formed a true family bond, over the past year. This makes me excited and anxious as I look forward to the family reunion.

Family Introductions/Road Trips…

In October 2009, I was finally able to meet Dicky, in person, who I discovered was only a 15 minute drive from my house, small world when apart of such a gigantic family such as ours. Soon after meeting Dicky, I invited him to accompany me to New Jersey so that he could meet some of my immediate family (my mother: Dassy Herbert, née Dowdie, sister: Allison Cardoza, niece: Alleena Porter, uncles: Lincoln Dowdie, Sr. John Dowdie, Sr., and cousins: Gifford Roache, Gloria “Precious” Bernard, Rhona Ellis, née Roache). It brought me joy to see the older cousins meet for the first time and say “yuh a Dowdie fi true”.




Later in October, I joined Dicky on an impromptu road trip to Maryland, where I was able to meet some of his immediate family (brothers: Carl and his wife Ethlyn, Desmond and his wife Christine, nephews: Sean and his wife Edwina and Brian, grandnephew: Deven and grandniece: Lauren.

In December 2009, Dicky phoned to let me know they suffered a loss in the family. Mom, Alleena and I went to the memorial service, where I met Winsome and I was proud to introduce mom to some of her newly found first cousins. In February 2010, I was blessed to meet their eldest brother, Leon, who past way in November 2010.

Presently, I have yet to meet Sadie “Bonnie” and Robert “Bob”. Needless to say, after meeting and getting to know each new family member, I start to consider each, my immediate family.

Thanksgiving 2010 Highlights… …in New Jersey For Thanksgiving, we (mommy, Andrew, Dicky, Antwayne, Keron, Raul, Alleena and friends, Vasco and Michelle) had the pleasure of breaking bread with Orthnell George Dowdie (son of Jonathan “JC” Dowdie), his wife Donna and her family. This thanksgiving was a blessed one as George was able to celebrate the holidays with his Dowdie side of the family for the first time in his life. The visit started very well as everyone immediately bonded as if we all grew up in the same household and ended even better knowing that another link to the Dowdie chain has been mended and will hold strong for years to come. We left New York at 10:00 AM in order to meet mom in NJ at 11:00 AM. We were on our way by 12:30 PM due to some unexpected travel delays. It was a one and a half hour journey down the New Jersey Turnpike and there were two carloads of us traveling together. For the most part, traffic was flowing and despite being accused, on occasion, of possessing a LEAD foot, we were cruising at a comfortable 80 mph and

were on schedule for our 2:00 PM arrival time. The two cars separated on the highway due to our GPS's settings being slightly different. Dicky was traveling in car number two and ever so often would phone to investigate where we were along the journey and tried to convince us that we were far ahead of them. Antwayne tried to warn me that his father was playful and it may have

been just a rouse to obtain our location. Antwayne believed, he may have been ahead of us…and in fact, he was. Car number two arrived at the destination an hour before us because their GPS provided them with an alternative route, in order to avoid the bumper-to-bumper traffic that we eventually stumbled upon, on the Turnpike.




I volunteered to bring a couple dishes and Donna and her family prepared a large variety of food (turkey, ham, jerk chicken, curry shrimp, roast pork, rice & peas, macaroni & cheese, stuffing, vegetables, cranberry sauce and a variety of deserts…ice cream, cakes, etc.). It was a fabulous meal and we had a great time of sharing in food and fellowship. After dinner, we all moved

to the basement where the men played pool and table tennis. Dicky was the reining pool champion from a previous visit with George. He was the one to beat this evening and the men were determined to dethrone him this time around. It took a double team of Dicky’s sons (Raul and Antwayne), to defeat him. Next, Table Tennis kept us entertained as we enjoyed watching the

"friendly" family competition…well, “friendly” beating as George took the title of champion for this game. It was a sight to see George causing all the men to sweat profusely, especially Dicky. George played near perfect games as he displayed his vast Table Tennis skills; serving up fastballs, spin balls and the most exciting…smashes, as the other men played like novices.

We began saying our goodbyes about 8:30 PM, to head back north. The goodbyes were bittersweet as we were tired and had to go, but did not want the good times to come to an end. It was a customary Dowdie gathering goodbye...very long and hard to tear

ourselves away from each other. We finally loaded up our two-car convoy around 9:00 PM, leaving Raul behind as Keron (his ride back to Philly) had to run off to work for a few hours and was scheduled to pick him up around 10:00 PM. On the drive back both cars

stuck together until we absolutely had to split paths, one to NJ and the other to NY. Due to some helpful traffic updates from the NJ crew, the NY crew made it home in good time (about 10:30 PM).




...in Georgia While speaking with Dionne Reid-Hayles (granddaughter of Theophilus Dowdie) one day, she expressed her regret that she did not have any family living nearby. Dionne used to live in New York, where we met back in 1998 and relocated to Georgia 4.5 years ago. I considered Dionne’s comment and suddenly a light bulb went off in my head as I remembered that Ian Francis (grandson of Muriel Roache, née Dowdie), also resides in Georgia. I connected with Ian early in the family search process and I recall Ian sharing the same sentiments as Dionne, in previous conversations. I was able to link Dionne with Ian and they have kept in touch, over the past year. Dionne hosted Thanksgiving for her family (husband: Dwight Hayles, son: Jordan Hayles, mother Audrylin Lee, née Dowdie, sister Sasha Pryce, aunts Elva Kirlew, née Dowdie and Cherron Dowdie, & cousin Patrice Murphy) and extended an invitation to Ian, who brought his mother (Hermin Francis, née Roache) along to join in the festivities. While we were in New Jersey celebrating with George and his family, Sasha traveled further south to celebrate with her sister and their family, in Georgia. These are Sasha’s sentiments from her Thanksgiving celebration.

The winter holiday season is a favorite time of year for me. With Thanksgiving kicking off the season, I was able to traditionally spend time with my Mother Audrylin Lee (Daughter of Theophilus Dowdie) and my sister Dionne Reid, both of whom live several hundred miles from me. What made this Thanksgiving different and quite special was that I got the chance to meet and spend time with newly found Dowdie relatives, Ian & his mother. While at my sister’s Georgia home, Ian stopped by and we were introduced to him and what a pleasure it was. My mother and I were just meeting Ian for the first time and we acquainted ourselves with

him and his mother while enjoying the beginning of the holiday season. We chatted, took pictures and enjoyed roasted & fried turkey, candied yams, baked macaroni and cheese as well as curried mutton, and many other fares, yum! In meeting Ian this Thanksgiving, I am looking forward to our family reunion and meeting many more of my Dowdie family.

It was a fabulous meal and we had a great time of sharing in food and fellowship. After dinner, we all moved to the basement where the men played pool and table tennis. Dicky was the reining pool champion from a previous visit with George. He was the one to beat this evening and the men were determined to dethrone him this time around. It took a double team of Dicky’s sons (Raul and Antwayne), to defeat him. Next, Table Tennis kept us entertained as we enjoyed watching the "friendly" family competition…well, “friendly” beating as George took the title of champion for this game. It was a sight to see George cause all the men to sweat profusely, especially Dicky. George played near perfect games as he displayed his vast Table Tennis skills; serving up fastballs, spin balls and the most exciting…smashes, as the other men played like novices.




Reunion Details

• Date: July 20 – 24, 2011 • Place: Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Cost: $250 - Adults (13 & above), $175 - Child (6 – 12), $30 Child (1 – 5)

1. The committee is looking into other pricing options, so please do not be deterred by this price. 2. We would like to offer options (for those who are not interested in attending all the events) and will be able to do so when we have

a headcount. Many people have indicated and have begun to plan for the reunion, however it is not reflected in the registration forms received, to date. If you have not done so already, please return the attached completed Reunion Registration form, in order for the committee to begin planning the events, by February 15th, 2011. A bank account has been established in the name of Dowdie Family Reunion with Bank of America. If you are interested in paying your reunion fees at a Band of America location near you, we will provide you with the account number so you can make a deposit; or you may make your check made payable to Dowdie Family Reunion and mail to:

Dowdie Family Reunion c/o Antonia Allen 234-18 137th Avenue Rosedale, NY 11422

How can I contribute? At present, the best thing that you can do to help the reunion is to CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE. It is it very important for catering and planning purposes to know how many people will be attending. Please confirm your attendance by email ([email protected]), letter or telephone to any of the following Reunion Committee member:

Allison - (201) 428-8111 * Antonia “Ann” (917) 226-1069 * Delano “Dicky” (516) 439-6279 * Dionne (678) 392-0727 * Evans (201) 916-1607 * Joyce (347) 789-5427 * Judy (954) 815-4732 * Sasha (516) 610-6042

We will not be able to negotiate the great daily rate ($79) we were offered by the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport, with another hotel, so please be sure to reserve your room as soon as possible!!! Do remember that they only require a credit card to secure your room. Your credit card will be charged at checkout, only.

Presenting our FAMILY reunion logo:




Family News and Updates

2010 New Arrivals

Exton Voce – March 11, 2010 Proud Parents: Andrea Dowdie Grandparent: Ceslyn Dowdie

Great-Grandparent: Stanley & Wilhelmina Dowdie

Casharn Rowe - April 4, 2010 Proud Parent: Sonia Dowdie Grandparent: Ceslyn Dowdie

Great-Grandparent: Stanley & Wilhelmina Dowdie

Kelsey Bailey - May 7, 2010 Proud Parents: Casey Bailey & Paula Patrice

Proud Grandparents: Winsome Patrice & Howard Patrice Great-Grandparents: Leonard & Rosalind Dowdie

Ryan Edward Dowdie - July 27, 2010 Proud Parents: Sean & Edwina Dowdie

Proud Grandparents: Carl & Ethlyn Dowdie Great-Grandparents: Leonard & Rosalind Dowdie

Justin-Andrew St. Hugh Muir Richards – August 18, 2010

Proud Parents: Andrew & Tamara Richards Proud Grandparent: Sadie “Bonnie” Chambers

Great-Grandparents: Leonard & Rosalind Dowdie

Josiah Mercy Sawyers - September 10, 2010 Proud Parents: Leopold Sawyers, Jr.

Proud Grandparents: Leopold “Jimmy” Sawyers, Sr. Great-Grandparent: Ralph “Roy” Sawyers

MacKenzie Dowdie – October 15, 2010

Proud Parents: Monica Vines & Bryan Dowdie Proud Grandparents: Carl & Ethlyn Dowdie

Great-Grandparents: Leonard & Rosalind Dowdie

Happy Birthday

November

William Bailey, Jr. 01 Delano Dowdie, Jr. 02 Rakim Nebar 09 Ayesha Seaton 10 Leopold Sawyers, Jr. 10 Nicole Gravesande 20 Nyron Dowdie 21 Coreen Allen 25 Angel Silvera 26 Paulette Dowdie 26 Marc Chambers 28 Robert Wallace 29

December

Melissa Dowdie-Legare 02 Kevohn Dowdie 02 Amy Legister 04 Pascoe Sawyers 04 Lunce Dowdie 04 Munirah Sawyers 04 Sean Sawyers 12 Lincoln Dowdie, Sr. 13 Mystique 14 Haley Dowdie 16 Stephanie 18 Kendall Dowdie 23 Tolliver Roache 23 Curtis Donaldson 24 Tresha Parchment 24 Thamar Dowdie 26 Chloe Bailey 27 Lacretia Sawyers- Thompson 27 Mikhaila Dowdie 27 Shailia Smith 27 Tamara Richards 30

January

Barbara Gravesande 02 Nicholas Coleman 05 Errol Smith 08 L. Darren Fearon 08 Paula Patrice 08 Darren Smith 09 Mason Dowdie 11 Raul Dowdie 13 Darren Sawyers 14 Noelle Grant 15 Tyler Dowdie 17 Charles Herbert, Jr. 18 Duane Chambers 18 Peta-Gaye Dowdie 18 Rodgae Lyn 21 Neville Williams- Silvera 22 Midori Dowdie 23 Courtney Dowdie 25 Van Andry 25 Allison Cardoza 28 Evans Roache 28 Kenyah Sawyers 28 Jordan Wallace 29 Timilehin Grant 30

Happy Anniversary

Carl & Ethlyn Dowdie – December 22, 1973 Rodarie & Gayon Lyn - December 29, 2002

Adri & Rochelle Dowdie – December 16, 2007

Expecting

Kevin Cooper & Nasya Bailey – April 2011 Collin & Stacey Roache – May 2011

Gone But Not Forgotten

Mark F. Ricketts: Sept. 23, 1973 – Dec. 30, 2006 Milene M. McCallum: Dec. 29, 1947 – Jan. 01, 2010

Leon Dowdie: July 10, 1939 – Nov. 19, 2010

We Want Your Photos! You can also assist, by checking if you have any old photographs, etc, and providing copies so that they can be included in the book of our Dowdie reunion. We will also need a current photo for the family tree that will be unveiled at the reunion. We want your Reunion Registration Forms! In order to have accurate information on the Family Tree, please complete and return your registration form TODAY!




Contributions

Congratulations to Shanice Young for participating in and completing the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay on Sunday, November 20, 2010.

W O R D S

My Words

A medium in which I use to promote good and all that is right

My Words

Crafted correctly can wheel endless and unimaginable power

My Words

Constructed confidently and intelligently enlightens the darkest of visions

My Words

Composed harmoniously can be as smooth, as calm, or as uplifting as the sweetest symphony

My Words

A medium in which I use to manipulate and provoke ill and all that is wrong

My Words

Conjured in a mindless and reckless way can cause inconceivable hurt and pain

My Words

Conceived with malicious intent can inflict verbal wounds as deep and severe as physical wounds

imposed on our forefathers by their captors

My Words

Concocted cleverly in my deviant cauldron with my own special ingredients and recipe will poison the best

intentions and moods to pure devastation

My Words

One of the most powerful weapons I possess

Our Words

One of the most powerful weapons we possess

Our Words

Let’s choose them carefully because once uttered can never be recovered or retrieved from the ears, minds, or

hearts that hath received them

-Anonymous Dowdie-

Share your talent Contributions to the Gazette are most welcome. If you have something that you would like to share (a poem, a recipe, a joke, or family news) please send it to me so that it can be included in a future Gazette. Note Thank you to Andre T. Smith for recommending the above quote. In the photo: My beautiful sister Allison, holding my blessed niece, Alleena, who was born prematurely, in May 2007. I held out my hand and Alleena grabbed my finger.

Documents

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 1, Issue 3