The Inside Track

Monday Morning:

Trip to Eleuthera

We were up at the crack of dawn on Monday and headed to the airport for the trip to Eleuthera. 

After a bit of a wait in Nassau, 50 Allen descendants boarded a chartered Bahamasair plane, excited to visit Tarpum Bay, the birthplace of our ancestors.  For many of us (myself included) this would be our first time on Eleuthera, and we didn't want to miss a thing!

After a 20-minute flight to the island, we arrived at Rock Sound International Airport and were graciously greeted by the Honorable James Oswald Ingraham.  He is the Member of Parliament representing South Eleuthera, as well as the Speaker of the House of Assembly.  It was an honor to have him welcome us to his home island.

Also welcoming us were Eugene Carey and Enid Carey, offspring of William Albert "Boy" Carey, along with Dewitt Carey, son of Newton Carey.  All three are grandchildren of Susan Allen, William & Addie's youngest daughter.  They gave us such a warm welcome and were obviously excited to have us visit!

We boarded the buses for the trip to Tarpum Bay, which is located a couple of settlements away from the airport.  The scenery was just beautiful!  Cousin Enid Carey proudly passed around a photo of her father, "Boy" Carey, Susan's eldest son as we rode.

First stop was the pier on Bay St. where William & Addie's offspring Mary, George, James, Samuel, Alexander, Gertrude & Charles began their journeys to the States more than 100 years ago.  They traveled away from everything familiar to a new life in a new world.  Can you imagine the excitement and anticipation, coupled with the sorrow that they were leaving family and friends behind, unsure whether they'd ever see each other again?   

From there we walked over to the corner of Culmer St., where Willie Butcher once owned a shop.  Today it's a neat little yellow and white house.  Cousin Gene Carey, who was conducting the walking tour, said he remembers helping out in the store as a child.  He pointed out the site of Willie Butcher's former home, and Newton & Boy Carey's homesteads, which were in the same block of this narrow little street.  Just down the way was Susan's property.  It was amazing to walk the same paths William & Addie's offspring must've traveled.  It was overcast that day, and very quiet in town.  Except for our group, no one was stirring.  You could almost sense the presence of generations of Allens accompanying us on our tour.

We continued walking through this quiet little settlement, stopping along the way to pick tamarinds and visit homes and family businesses.  At one house we ordered some fresh-baked bread and coconut tarts to be picked up later.

  We stopped at Carey's Grocery & Drug Store, which was the perfect little island grocery store.  There was everything from fresh Eleuthera-grown fruits and vegetables to specialties like old sour with bird peppers which had been bottled in a recycled Kalik beer bottle.  It was great!  We couldn't bring the produce back to the States, but I bought a bottle of the old sour and gave it to my mom.  She brought it home to use in boiled fish.

We took a peek in the Carey-owned gas station/hardware store, where we met Gene's son Ian and daughter-in-law Nadine.  Ian, who is a pastor, later joined us for lunch.

We visited Gene's home and met his wife of 45 years, Margaret.  He said he fell in love with her when they were children, married her when she was 16, and he hasn't regretted it a moment since!  Gene, who also farms, grows plantains, limes and bananas commercially.

 Our final stop on the walking tour was a peaceful little seaside cemetery.  There are several family members entombed there, including Newton Carey, the son of Susan.  Julian Carey told us he remembered when Newton passed away one Sunday morning a week before his 79th birthday. Julian and some other young men went to Rock Sound for a coffin and they buried Newton the same day.  Julian was 8 years old.  Julian's brother Gary is also interred there.  Unfortunately, we were unable to find Susan's gravesite.

Monday Afternoon:

Lunch at Julian's

We piled back in the buses for the trip to Julian's home where he and his lovely wife Samantha hosted us for an island-style feast!  I'm talking the most delicious conch salad, conch fritters, fish, peas & rice, Bahamian macaroni & cheese, potato salad, fresh fruit, coconut tart, cake and drinks, just to name a bit of the menu.  It was scrumptious!  We had a blast, meeting new family members and enjoying their generous hospitality.

  Everything was tasty, the music was great and we absolutely hated to leave.  After a couple of hours, we extended our gratitude to our hosts and reluctantly boarded the buses for the trip back to the airport.  On the way, we toured a new luxury housing development our cousins are working on and it seems like it's going to be beautiful!

We headed to the airport and wouldn't you know our plane was late - again!  Julian and Columbus came over to hang out with us while we waited, as did Dewitt and Gene.  We spent a rainy couple of hours talking and laughing.  Finally the plane arrived and we said our farewells, thrilled with the insight we'd gained, the sights we'd enjoyed and the family we'd met.

Monday Evening:

Farewell Dinner

Back in Nassau once again, we boarded another bus for Willie Delancy's lovely home.  He and his wife Phillippa graciously hosted a delicious farewell dinner for us on the back patio.  We weren't sure we could eat again after the feast at Julian's, but somehow we made do!  

Their home was designed by our own Craig Delancy (Willie's brother), a talented architect and co-designer of this year's reunion logo.  The home is perched on a hill and features a beautiful view of the countryside and the water from the patio.  It was overcast and raining lightly, but suddenly the sun shone in the distance and a gorgeous rainbow appeared.  What a wonderful way to end this incredibly special reunion!

Conclusion:

The 2006 Allen Family Reunion was one we'll never forget.  Our Bahamian hosts were so very gracious and made us feel so welcome that visiting Nassau and Eleuthera felt like coming home.  We can't thank them enough for making this reunion all we could've hoped for - and more! 

Most of all, we thank and glorify Almighty God for bringing the Allen Family together once again and for blessing us with a magnificent time.  He is the true head of our family.  May we be forever in His grace, and forever in His service.

See you in Orlando in 2008! 

Reunion Recap

Day 5:  Monday, July 3

Trip to Eleuthera & Farewell Dinner

Photo credits

Ben & Dannica Fitts, Mary Turner, Tangela Lusain-Johnson & Carmen Turner

(Click on photos in gallery to enlarge)   

Waiting at the airport for our plane to arrive: Dawn Taylor, Doreen Major, Dr. David Allen & Gus Moncur.	Still waiting for our Bahamasair plane to pick us up at the Nassau airport. We passed the time chatting, eating and catching up on the news.
We finally boarded the plane and once Gus said a prayer for safe travel and fond memories, we took off for Eleuthera!	Arriving on Eleuthera - finally! For many of us, it was our first visit. You could almost feel the excitement in the air!
Ben Fitts caught Carmen & Mary directing the photography as we arrived at the Airport on Eleuthera. You know we had to get just the right shots!	At the Rock Sound airport on Eleuthera: Eureka Allen Stevens and daughter Mary. Tarpum Bay was just a couple of settlements away.
Carmen and Cousin Gene Carey, who met the family at the Rock Sound Airport.	Several other family members met us at the airport as well. I think they were as excited as we were to visit our family island!
These buses, which we boarded at the airport, took us to Tarpum Bay. As you can see, they're designed to bring the family "closer together!"	Lovely Allen ladies: Anita Bethel Wallace and Faye Carey Smith on the bus as we travel to Tarpum Bay from the airport.
This is a photo of a photo of William Albert "Boy" Carey, son of Susan Allen. His daughter Enid Carey shared it proudly!	This was a beautiful little chapel by the sea in Tarpum Bay called St. Columba's.
After a quick snack, we explored the dock where our ancestors began their journeys to the U.S. more than 100 years ago.	This is the view from the pier, looking back at Bay St., the angle our ancestors would've seen as they gazed back from the ships before sailing.
Allen family members at the pier on Bay Street in Tarpum Bay.	This was the site of another of Willie Butcher's shops, on the corner of Bay and Culmer Streets. His home was behind the shop.
This is Willie Butcher's shop from the Culmer Street side.	This is Culmer St., where Willie Butcher, Newton and Boy Carey once lived. These narrow streets remind me of Key West.
Cousin Eugene Carey gave us a walking tour of Tarpum Bay, pointing out family homesteads and places of interest. He did a superb job!	We listened intently as we learned about life as our ancestors experienced it in Tarpum Bay. It was our own personal history lesson!
Our group was delighted with the walking tour of the neighborhoods in Tarpum Bay because it was like walking in our ancestors' footsteps.	Daniel Clark walking along Culmer Street in Tarpum Bay, just down from where our family lived for generations. He's the son of Lynne Leggett Clark
We stopped at this house to order several loaves of fresh-baked bread and delicious coconut tarts. They were ready several hours later. Yum!	This house stands on the lot where Susan Allen once lived and raised her sons Boy & Newton Carey.
Several of us stopped to pick tamarinds that were growing wild on the side of the road during the walking tour. Just like home!	The scenery was so peaceful and beautiful in Tarpum Bay! It was so quiet, as though we were the only ones there.
The walking tour took us to Cousin Enid's son's body shop.	We passed by this quiet road on our walking tour.
The leisurely pace of our tour allowed us to truly appreciate the beauty of Tarpum Bay.	We stopped by Roosevelt Carey's home where he and his wife greeted us. He's the son of Newton Carey and grandson of Susan.
More beautiful scenery from the walking tour.	Many of Susan's descendants are entrepreneurs. This grocery store is owned by them, as is the gas station and hardware store.
Jewel, Dietra & Jasmine check out the watermelons in the store. I bought some "old sour" with bird peppers in a Kalik bottle!	Pastor Ian Carey and wife Nadine manage the hardware store. They greeted us very warmly and were such a nice couple!
Eugene Carey with his wife of 45 years, Margaret Carey, at their home near the store.	This is the view of the dock on Bay St. from the little cemetery in Tarpum Bay. It was a little overcast, but what a beautiful shot!
The graves at this peaceful little cemetery by the sea have to be encased in stone because the water washes them away during storms.	The gravesite of Newton Carey, the son of Susan Allen. He died just a week before his 79th birthday and was buried the same day.
This gravesite was creatively decorated with conch shells.	Mary Turner took this picture of an old community water pump by the side of the road. It was used many years ago, before the houses had running water.
These are some of the homes in Tarpum Bay, right on the coast.	This winding road hugs the craggy coastline in this picturesque shot.
Cousin Gene told us that this is where many of the men of the settlement (and hopefully some women!) gather to discus issues of the day.	Mary & Carmen at the crossroads, near the Police Station/Clinic/Public Library/Post Office/Town Governernment Center.
Everywhere we stopped, we were greeted with friendly waves from relatives!	Julian Carey (right) hosted us at his house for a delicious lunch of conch salad, conch fritters, fresh Eleuthera-grown pineapple and watermelon ...
... fried fish, grilled chicken, peas & rice, Bahamian mac & cheese, potato salad, garden salad, cole slaw, cake, coconut tart & other yummy dishes!	More descendants of Susan Allen, including granddaughters and great-granddaughters. What a pleasure to meet them!
Men doing what they do the world over: stand around the grill during a cook-out!	We certainly enjoyed the picnic our Tarpum Bay cousins planned for us!
The youngest Allen on our Eleuthera tour: Martin Allen Seals, the son of Norbert Seals, and descendant of James Allen of Key West.	Two Pastor Careys: Ian Carey (standing, great-grandson of Susan Allen) and Theodore Carey (grandson of Rev. George W. Allen).
Sonia Carey Gibson (left) Mandy Moncur and Carmen chat with new cousin Audrey during the picnic at Julian's home.	Descendants of Susan Allen: Roosevelt, Chris, Enid, Julian, DeWitt, Eugene & Steve (Columbus).
Mandy thanking the Tarpum Bay family for their kind hospitality before we boarded the bus for the airport. We had a wonderful time!	Getting addresses before we leave Tarpum Bay because now that we've met, we have to keep in touch, family!
On the bus, sadly waving good-bye to our Tarpum Bay cousins as we head for the airport after a delicious lunch.	This cutie has a beautiful smile, and didn't hesitate to share it during the bus ride back to the airport!
Waiting for our Bahamasair plane to pick us up in Eleuthera and take us back to Nassau. Yes, of course it was late!	On the plane: cousins Jay Smith of Daytona Beach & Dale McHardy of Nassau, the daughter of Ivis Carey and great-granddaughter of Willie Butcher Allen.
Back in Nassau, on the bus on the way from the airport to Willie Delancy's home for our Farewell Dinner.	Waldo Allen enjoys the rain-cooled breeze with his aunt Ronnie at Willie & Phillippa Delancy's home during Monday evening's farewell dinner.
Dale McHardy, left, looking out over the crowd at the Farewell Dinner.	Descendants of Rev. Alexander Allen: Siblings Kevin, Adeesha, Al, Dannica and her husband Ben prior to enjoying dinner at Willie D's home.
Phillippa Delancy (right) gave the family a tour of their beautiful home while hosting our Farewell Dinner.	Touring Willie D's home. The view from the balcony is fantastic, especially when combined with the beauty of the setting sun.
What a perfect way to end our family reunion! The rainbow was visible from Willie's patio while it rained lightly and the sun shone in the distance.