Vol. 26, No. 1 ......................................................................................................... Jan 2005
Welcome to the online version of the Faircloth Family News, the Faircloth - Fairclough family newsletter dedicated to bringing you news of your Faircloth relatives all over the America as well as our kin in England, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. If you are a Faircloth or descendant of a Faircloth - Fairclough, this is YOUR family newsletter. It is the new Internet online version of our printed family newsletter and the official publication of the Faircloth Family Association, a national, non-profit family for all descendants of the Faircloth family. Our paper version of the family newsletter was started in 1979. Your family news can now be seen and read by our relatives and others throughout the world on the Internet's World Wide Web. From China to England; from Argentina on the southern tip of South America to Canada, and clear across the good 'ole USA, all our relatives can now read about their kinfolks instantly via the Internet.
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DONALSONVILLE, Ga.--A memorial service and 'dedication service' was held at the grave of Thomas Allen Faircloth in Seminole County, Georgia on Sunday, 9 November at 2 PM in the Salem Seminole Baptist Church Cemetery to honor his service in the Confederate States Army during the War for Southern Independence ("War Between the States"), 1861-1865.
Salem Seminole Baptist Church Cemetery is located about 15 miles south of Donalsonville in the Desser community. The ceremony included a re-enactment Confederate Honor Guard who fired a rifle salute. Descendants related a short history of Thomas and his Confederate Regiment. The ceremony may also include a cannon firing. The ceremony marked the 100th anniversary of Thomas' death.Thomas Allen Faircloth was born September 1837 in that part of Baker County which later became part of Mitchell County. He was a son of Mathew Faircloth and Clarissa Sasser. He married Tabitha Ann ("Tob") Barber 18 Aug 1859 in Mitchell County. Thomas moved with his parents and other kin and neighbors to the Spring Creek district of southern Seminole County where Thomas was a farmer for the rest of his life. Thomas and Tabitha had at least 14 children, including two that died as infants and a daughter who died young. They included (and their spouses): Martha Ann (David Folds; Benjamin Johnson), Mary Jane (H. Reuben Reynolds), Thomas Lawson (Mary Rathiel), Tabitha C. ("Tob") (Thomas J. Spooner), Emma Florence (Joseph Mathew Richardson Sr.), Sarah Lomie (J. J. Dean; and ?), Euradice, Anna L. James Derice ("Bud") (Albeatrice Brooks), Trudie F. (S. M. Sullivan; Charles W. Bullock), Joseph Allen Brewster Faircloth Sr. (May --), and Tempie F. (George Edward Funderburke).
All descendants of Thomas and other Faircloth from the area were invited to attend this special memorial for one of our family.
RALEIGH, NC--US Senator Lauch Faircloth was handily defeated in his bid for a second term in the United States Senate in the November general elections. Lauch was defeated by political newcomer John Edwards, a young attorney who pointed to Lauch's bitter and unrelenting attacks upon the personal life of President Bill Clinton. He also drove home the fact that Lauch had become a spokesman for the wealthy and powerful while at the same time representing a state of wage earners. Lauch voted against every measure that would have meant a better life for many of his kinfolk, such as the minimum wage increase and federal funding for the "brown lung" disease which afflicts so many of the folk who worked in the cotton mills. Many Faircloth kin have worked in the damnable conditions of these mills over the last 130 years.
Lauch had won renomination as the Republican candidate for the office of United States Senator from North Carolina, in the NC primaries 5 May.
Lauch won the Republican primary by a landslide, garnering about 82 per cent of the Republican vote in early returns. Lauch served only one term as North Carolina's junior US Senator. A former Democrat, he served as Chairman of the NC Highway Commission from 1969-1973 and six years as Secretary of the NC Department of Commerce, 1977-1983. He entered the race for governor in a field of 17 Democrat candidates but when his old mentor entered the fray, he withdrew. Then he switched parties six years ago and ran as a Republican for the senate and defeated incumbent Terry Sanford.
Lauch faced stiff opposition from Democratic nominee John Edwards, a Raleigh attorney. Edwards won the Democratic primary by a big margin. Statewide vote tallies are not available to us but in several sample counties, Edward's vote totals were far more than Lauch's. In Onslow County for instance, Edwards polled 2,991 votes (50.2% of the Democratic vote) to only 1,831 votes (85.2% of the Republican vote) for Lauch. Of 24 precincts in the county, Edwards garnered more votes than Lauch in all but one district. Onslow County is a coastal county and home of the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune. Jacksonville is the county seat.
Although the results of only three or four other counties are known to us, this appears to be the mood of voters statewide. According to published reports, Edwards won most of the state's major cities and also won big in small towns and rural areas; in the western mountain region as well as the east. Turnout in the Democratic primary was only 23 per cent of registered voters. With such a surprising low turnout of Democratic voters, it is unusual that Edwards was able to out-poll Lauch in so many areas. Lauch had only token opposition.
The polls showed Lauch's approval rating had fallen sharply since his election in 1992. Lauch has been in constant trouble over his business dealings. He is a multi-millionaire whose properties include hog farms with thousands of hogs. He has been accused of causing water contamination when his hog operations dumped huge amounts of pollution into area streams and by causing underground water loss. He has also drawn fire over his support for banking "reform"--while being one of the owners of a Clinton bank. He strongly opposed increasing the minimum wage which the Republican Party said would "ruin" the economy -- but never has any time it has been raised. He also opposed federal legislation to provide medical care for the "brown lung" disease, a disease of the lungs caused from exposure to lint in cotton mills. This, despite the fact that thousands of North Carolinians, including hundreds of Faircloth relatives, have worked in cotton mills for more than 100 years for wages that are among the lowest in American industry.
A sign of things to come was the turnout at the primary victory celebrations of Lauch and Edwards in May. Only about 100 supporters were present at a Raleigh hotel for Lauch's celebration, while down the street, a "packed" and enthusiastic crowd entertained by a live band cheered on Edwards and his family.
RALEIGH, NC--Meredith Faircloth has become one of the top girl athletes at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Meredith is currently a junior at NC State and has been a member of the Wolfpack's Women's Cross Country Track Team since her freshman year.
During her freshman year, Meredith earned honors by being named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) list. She was a consistant scorer again during her sophomore year and was named to the 1996 All-American track list.
Since women's cross country track sports was added by the ACC in 1978, NC State has been one of the top conference teams, winning 15 conference championships in the last 19 years. They won the championship again last year, their ninth in the last 10 years. Meredith helped the team win the Southeast regional championship last year and they finished 13th in the National meet.
This year, Meredith is expected to help send the Wolfpack to the national's again. "I'm expecting some big things from this team," says Coach Rollie Geiger. "Looking at cross country and track combined, we are bringing back three All-Americans and eight athletes who have been All-ACC during their careers," he added. Good luck, Meredith.
Sorry, but we don't know who the parents of Meredith are. Can anyone help us out on this?
If your branch of the family is planning a reunion, please let us know so we can put it in the family newsletter. Send complete details, including dates, time, location and the name, mailing address, telephone number and email address if available of a person to contact for more information. If it is an annual event, tell us some history: who started it, when it was begun and where; also your plans for activities. AFTER the reunion, send us the details: how many attended, what states or cities were represented, what activities were held, the oldest and youngest persons; if you have a reunion committee, the names and hometowns of the officers.
CHATTAHOOCHEE, Fla.--The annual reunion of descendants of Dempsey Faircloth will be held at the Torreya State Park in October. Torreya is located on the high banks of the Apalachicola River due south of Chattahoochee, Fla.
This family, although scattered all over the contry today, is still concentrated in Gadsden County (Quincy, Chattahoochee, Greenwood) and the surrounding area. Dempsey was one of the oldest children of Mathew Faircloth and Clarissa Sasser. He married Margaret Elizabeth Jane (Jane) Martin and they had at least 11 children, all born in Gadsden Co.
The cousin who sent in the date of the reunion did not give any details for the two-day gathering. But a picnic is usually held at noon on Sunday. Bring your family photos and family records to display.
Articles on our family heritage like those in our printed family newsletters will be coming soon.
Our Editor is Robert Earl Woodham,
descendant of a Faircloth family from Sampson County, NC
who settled in Seminole County, Georgia.
His hobby since childhood has been family history.
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