Only Miles Can Separate a Family.

This is an email Danny received from a family member in California. Please read.

I am the oldest daughter of A.V. and Reta Isbell. A.V. was the youngest son and Uncle Elbert was the oldest. I have heard of your reunion for years and wanted to come. Martha Alice called me a couple of times this year and my brother Allen and I looked into coming this year. But Allen has a law practice in Houston and simply could not get off. We do want to come next year, so as soon as you have the dates set, please let us know and we will come in 2010.

My siblings are Allen (71), Mary Sue (60), and John Paul (58).

*Allen lives in Galveston on the weekend where he preaches for the Church of Christ there. The building was destroyed in the Galveston hurricane this year, so the church meets now in Allen's garden room on his property. His wife, Mikey, lives all the time in Galveston and Allen lives in Houston during the week where he has a solo criminal law firm.

*Mary Sue is married to John Scott, a dentist, and lives in Tyler, Texas. Between them they have seven children and have 11 grandchildren with 2 more on the way. Mary Sue is a Reading professor and head of the department at Tyler Junior College.

*John Paul is married to Melissa. He has four children from his first marriage and two from his marriage to Melissa. He has two grandchildren. John Paul is a gynecologist practicing in Woodinville, Washington. The four of us and mates will go again to his house in July for a small family reunion which we began last year.

*I am 74, married for 54 years to Jack Scott, whom I met at Abilene Christian College. We have lived in Texas, Connecticut, and California; we moved to California in 1962. We are the parents of three daughters and two sons, but our youngest son, Adam, was shot to death in 1993. We have 10 grandchildren and 8, soon to be 9, great-grandchildren. We have had and continue to have a wonderful life. Our family home is in Altadena, but we now live primarily in Sacramento. Jack began as a preacher, went to Pepperdine to teach, then to the community college system as an administrator. After retiring as president of Pasadena City College, he was asked to run for the California legislature. He served 12 years, 4 as an Assemblyman and the last 8 as Senator. Because we have term limits, he was termed out last November. But he took another job, that of Chancellor of the 110 California Community Colleges. He is very healthy and is vigorous beyond his years (75). We bought a small house in Sacramento when he was a Senator and now we live here most of the time, though we maintain our house down south.I am a lucky one. I married before graduating from college, but eventually got two degrees and began teaching college English part time. When our youngest graduated from high school, I took a full time teaching position and taught for 20 years. I retired 5 years ago. I write a monthly column "Life Lessons" for 5 newspapers. Any one in the family who want to read my essays has only to e-mail me and I will put them on the list.

I look forward to meeting you and seeing all the family.I understand from Martha Alice that your mother is not well. I am sorry. I would like to know how she is.
Greet all the family for me.
-Lacreta Scott