the dowdie news gazette volume 1, issue 2

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 1, Issue 2 September, 2010

2011 Family Reunion Newsletter Published: 10/18/2010

"Like branches on a tree, our lives may grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one." -Author Unknown

Welcome to the second issue of the Dowdie Family News Gazette! Lots have happened since our premier publication and I’m excited to update you. My Journey Thus Far The past year and a half has been awe-inspiring for me. I wanted to explore my roots and decided to research and create a family tree to showcase my one-of-a-kind family! Growing up, I had heard bits and pieces of family history from the elders and the idea of a family tree was meant to be for easy reference purposes and just fun. The end result is a family history that I will be able to treasure for years to come. With the assistance and encouragement of my mother, aunts, uncles and cousins, my journey into the past began when I was told about two brothers that migrated to Jamaica and four Dowdies: David “Bignal”, Peter, Sanford and Mary A. “Dolly”. I really enjoyed finding out about my past by talking to family members.

While visiting the family of Mary A. “Dolly” Dowdie in Mountainside, St. Elizabeth, in August, I was provided with a wealth of knowledge. I learned that the patriarch of this family is named Peter Dowdie, one of the brothers that migrated to Jamaica. The four Dowdie names that I learned when I began my journey are only four of Peter’s 29 children. You read correctly…29 children. Relatives that were only names on my records before, now have birth and death dates and I’ve even added some of their descendants who were previously unknown to me. This means I have my work cut out for

me. Just as I thought that I was near completion of the family tree, I learned of Mary U., Gifford, Terah, Maude and Cameron. While searching the archives in Spanish Town, I was puzzled when I found birth certificates for Dowdie births, in Mountainside. I discovered that Sarah Dowdie gave birth to a male child in December 1879 and Letitia Dowdie gave birth to a male child in May 1880. I have not been able to confirm their (Sarah & Letitia) names, but something tells me they are a part of this Dowdie family puzzle.

August 2010 Jamaica Trip Highlights Dowdie family members attended a reunion on Saturday, August 21st in Black River, St. Elizabeth. It was a great evening and many family members were able to renew old friendships and create new ones. The evening was a success, despite the fact that the mosquitoes were having a feast. The following photos were taken at the reunion throughout the course of the evening and during roll call. I would like to thank those who traveled to Black River to be with extended family members on this special occasion. Attendance at family gatherings is valuable in staying connected, strengthening family ties, and in creating a greater feeling of love and camaraderie among us.




Melford Legister The next stop on our day trip was to one of Midred Dowdie’s sons, Melford “Mel” Legister, in Mountainside, St. Elizabeth. Our visit was short but sweet as we had jelly coconut and home made june plum juice and cherry juice. Mel shared his photo album with us and told us about his family, including his deceased daughter.

Lynette Faulker & Vivel Roache We (mommy, Ephraim Schofield, Judy Dowdie, Shanice Young and Fabienne Michel, a friend and George Scott, my brother-in-law and trusty driver) had a great time traveling throughout the island visiting family, over the course of two weeks. We stopped in Elderslie, St. Elizabeth to visit Lynette Faulkner nee Dowdie, Stanley Dowdie’s eldest daughter and then Niagara, St. James to visit Vivel Roache, one of the daughter’s of Muriel Roache nee Dowdie. Our visit with Aunt Lynette was brief and I was able to meet one of my cousins. On our way out, mom met a close family friend and neighbor from Pear Tree Hill and they reminisced for a short while. We hopped back into the taxi and headed to Niagara, to visit Auntie V who had a sugar cane awaiting my arrival. We enjoyed the cane while we spoke about life in general and reflected on Great-aunt Muriel, who passed away in February, at the age of 102. When it was time to head back to our next location, I decided I wanted to savor the moment of being back in the country by walking. The older folk (mommy & Judy) were not pleased with that decision, as they complained about the sun and the heat. (dem cuss mi di whole time). For me, it was a nice exercise and it was great to be back on the grounds I trotted as a youth. During our walk, mom was able to school us on how to identify the different types of dasheen, badoo and coco. We made it to our destination without anyone experiencing a heat stroke and ordered a nice cold drink at the corner shop while we waited for our transportation to take us to Montego Bay.

Hazel Foster We went to Mandeville to visit Hazel Foster nee Sawyers, the eldest daughter of Agnes Bernard nee Dowdie. While visiting Cousin Hazel, she confirmed the two Dowdie brothers who migrated to Jamaica. As some of you may already know, I travel with my portable scanner and it was for good reason on this day as I was able to get a copy of a photo with Margaret “Martha” Newsome (the mother of Agnes, Stanley and Muriel) and Agnes Sawyers nee Dowdie. It was a great visit and it is always a treat to listen to the elders reminisce about their childhood days. If you are unfamiliar with their character, you can easily mistake their conversation, for an argument. The topic of discussion is always random and this time it was about their grandfather (David “Bignal”) and uncle (Vecas). The Dowdie’s are famous for trying to out-speak each other and this occasion was no exception, as they told stories about their childhood. This is how I gained interest in the family over the years as I was always intrigued by their stories from the past. We bid Cousin Hazel farewell and headed to Mountainside.




George Dowdie As we sat on the veranda of Cousin Ivy, we were asked to turn our attention to the street as George Dowdie, rode by on his sunshine

yellow scooter. It was a sight to behold as we witnessed the 80 + year old man ride by with not a care in the world. Shortly thereafter, we bid Ivy and Glanville a fond farewell and proceeded to our final destination of this road trip, the home of George Dowdie. If he had a helmet, I would have ridden with him on the scooter, but I had to resort to riding in the van. When we arrived at the house, Mrs. Georgiana Dowdie (Miss Georgie as she is affectionately known) was on the veranda having her hair braided. Also at home, were daughters, Paulette and Faye (visiting from New York with her daughter, Sade). Cousin George gave us a tour of the farm he still attends. His farm included chicken, cows and some of the biggest pigs (I mean hogs) I have ever seen. As we were preparing to leave, Cousin George’s son, Sylvester was passing by. I said hello and introduced myself to my cousin ...and he granted me permission to take a photo.

Ivy Gayle Mel escorted us to an unexpected stop on the trip. We had the pleasure of meeting the granddaughter of Mary A. “Dolly” Dowdie, Ivy Gayle nee Taylor and her daughter Glanville “Kitts” Smalling nee Gayle, where we were provided with a wealth of knowledge and learned of Peter Dowdie and his 29 children. FYI, I am deathly afraid of dogs and there were two in the yard. As they came to “greet” me, I started to run. I know dogs smell fear I and think that my aromatherapy is really high for dogs. We were escorted upstairs and when I calmed myself down, the conversation was focused around the family and the different branches. I was also told of a poem that was created about him (Peter) and his legacy. With the knowledge that Cousin Ivy and Glanville shared, I was able to fill in all the blanks that I had and create new ones. I was also fortunate enough to see and scan photos of Mary A. “Dolly” Dowdie, one of the 29 children.




Our next road trip was supposed to take us to Westmoreland and then Negril. The trip was brief as we were caught in an unanticipated storm on Long Hill (outside of Montego Bay) on our way to Westmoreland. The rain began to fall in Montego Bay and as we ascended the hill, a vehicle ahead of us broke down. As we waited for what we hoped was assistance, the rain fell heavily and … Suddenly, the water on the road began to rise and the road was quickly transformed into a river. The pressure from the floods forced a car to turn crossways in the road. As we watched in awe (amazement), the water continued to rise and the passengers in the car managed to get out and crawled on top the car. Shortly thereafter, we witnessed a young lady wash down in the large mass of water. The young lady was saved by a friend and was later taken into our vehicle to await EMT. We were able to aid her while we waited for the professionals.

When the rain began to slow and the flood recede, our curiosity got the better of us (in other words…wi goh fass). We walked up the hill to find a car that was forced over the gully. The diver was able to escape unharmed. Further up the hill, behind a Leyland truck, hauling maul was a six-car pile-up. We were all in complete shock as we realized that if not for the truck, there would have been more cars over the gully that the story would have been more devastating. Unfortunately, there was one death reported. The young lady, who was rescued, was concerned about her cousin who was also washed down in the heavy waters. We hoped that the cousin was also rescued however we learned the following day that she was discovered in the gully, by fire rescue. After over three hours, we were able to turn around and return to our hotel, grateful to walk away unharmed and for my brother-in-law and his driving skills.




Family is very important to me and though this process is sometimes overwhelming, I am enjoying myself immensely. I have met countless cousins over the past year and a half and I’m sure I will meet a lot more between now and the reunion. Needless to say, this trip to Jamaica was magnificent and memorable. Hopefully, you will join us for our next trip.

Reunion Details

Date: July 20 – 24, 2011 Place: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Cost: $250 Payment can be made in full or installments: Payment Schedule: 1st installment: December 31st, 2010 2nd installment: February 29th, 2011 Final payment due: April 30, 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 BoA 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, by November 30, 2010: 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.

Our final visit took place at the Sangster’s International Airport, in Montego Bay. It was more like a pass through and not a visit. Cherron Dowdie is the daughter of Theophilus Dowdie and is employed with Caribbean Airlines (formerly Air Jamaica). Most Dowdie family, who travel via Air Jamaica, is told of a Dowdie that works for the airline, however, they have no way of confirming the family relation. I am pleased to confirm that Cherron is that Dowdie. The next time you are in Sangster’s International Airport, locate the Caribbean Airlines booth and hail up your cousin.




Family News and Updates

Happy Birthday September October Pansy Watson 01 Antwayne Dowdie 02 Jetaun Wilson 11 Jevon Smith 10 Janelle McCallum 13 Jonathan “JC” Dowdie 14 Nasya Bailey 14 Jordan Smith 15 Asannia Dowdie 17 Tracey Dowdie 18 Alphonso Rock 19 Shantal Dowdie 19 Kersha Clarke 24 Khadian Parchment 20

Angela Legister 26 Patricia Scott 28

Sonia Dowdie 29 Antonia Allen 29

Happy Anniversary Delano "Dicky" & Saundria Dowdie – Aug. 29 Andrew & Antonia Williams – Aug. 26

2010 New Arrivals Exton Voce -11 March 2010 Proud Parents: Andrea Dowdie Proud Grandparent: Ceslyn Dowdie Great-Grandparent: Stanley & Wilhelmina Dowdie Casharn Rowe - 4 April 2010 Proud Parent: Sonia Dowdie Proud Grandparent: Ceslyn Dowdie Great-Grandparent: Stanley & Wilhelmina 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 Kelsey Bailey - 7 May 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 Josiah Mercy Sawyers - September 10, 2010 Proud Parents: Leopold Sawyers, Jr. Proud Grandparents: Leopold “Jimmy” Sawyers, Sr. Great-Grandparent: Ralph “Roy” Sawyers

Expecting Bryan Dowdie & Monica Vines – October 2010 Collin & Stacey Roache – May 2011

Contributions A talented cousin wrote the following spoken-word, and I wanted to share it with the family. This time around.... There is an opportunity for you...for us all, each and every time something happens which we may not understand, or even want to happen, or feel we deserve to have to go through...Live through. Yet I have heard it before ...without the bitter, the sweet would not be as sweet! Every time you are feeling to give up, give in or stay down...realize it has happened so you can feel and enjoy the glory of getting back up! To build yourself up, to climb that mountain, by diggin’ your heels in.. to be able to look in the rearview mirror. To celebrate yourself, your journey...when deep down you always knew, know, and will know, not so much of the past, present or future, however what's most important>> The Truth. Not anyone else's but your own >>>TRUTH. We all must live through the darkness to really experience true light. To shine as only you were meant to do>>BEING YOU!!! The journey from the heart, your heart...to the mind, your mind, is the longest journey of one's life (in my opinion). Having them unite with one, to one, peace. A sense of self, an act of forgiveness, a release of all your guilt, turmoil, judgments, and most importantly again, others and your expectations! You are great, you are special, you are needed, you are beautiful -- a god of your own existence and for that, diggin’ your heels--for you, WALK TALL!!! Only you can do it for you! Who would be your role model? Do you now know your role? ---Open your eyes and look in the mirror -- that's you model! Then say it with me -- I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!! Author: Andre T. Smith aka “Mr. Walk Tall”

Thank you, Andre, for sharing your work. I’m sure the family will enjoy it as much as I have.

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. 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.

the dowdie news gazette volume 1, issue 2

Documents

family tree

family of mary

dowdie family puzzle

family gatherings

family ties

oneofakind family

dowdie family news gazette

extended family members