Family Gathering (#52Ancestors Week 26)

 #52Ancestors Week 26 - Family Gathering

My 5th-great grandmother, Margareth "Peggy" Crose Fite (1761-1864), lived to be 103. For her 100th birthday, her son Jacob had a family birthday party for her.

(from The biographical and Genealogical Records of the Fite Families in the United States by Elizabeth Mitchell Stephenson Fite, page 46):

"At the celebration of her one hundredth birthday the tables were run the length of the dining room, out across the porch and down on the lawn under the trees. "Granny Fite" was seated at the head of the table in the dining-room, and her descendants were placed according to descent, the small children being seated at the far end of the table under the trees."

Nashville Banner (Apr 1, 1861); image via Find-a-Grave

A BIRTH DAY CELEBRATION. -- On the 12th inst. the birth day of Mrs. PEGGY FITE was celebrated at the residence of her son, JACOB FITE, in Wilson county. A large number of her descendants, including the fifth generation, were present, on this interesting occasion. Mrs. Fite that day entered upon her second century, having the previous day completed her hundredth year. She was in excellent health for one of her age, and greatly enjoyed this reunion of a portion of her descendants. She is the mother of twelve children, one of whom died in infancy; the remainder are still living. Her oldest son is 80 years of age; her youngest child, (a daughter) 56 years of age. Her living descendants number 464, as follows:

11 children

76 grand children,

305 great grand children,

71 gr. gr. grand children,

1 (perhaps 2) gr. gr. gr. grand children

When she died in 1864, news of her death was carried in newspapers in at least 15 states, plus multiple locations in England, Scotland, and Wales.