History
Please visit the 64th Virtual Reunion https://roark-conner.org/
The R-CA held its first family reunion the weekend of August 15, 1959, at the request of Laura Roark Shropshire (1878-1968) and her four brothers: Joseph Walter (1882-1972) , Franklin Asberry (1886-1974), Thomas Jefferson (1889- 1984), and William Grover (1892-1973).
Laura, Lilly, and her brothers were the children of Virginia Ann Conner (1852-1934) and William Marion Roark (1843-1923). Their paternal grandparents were Juda Ann Carr (1813-1883) and Joseph Roark (1813-1876), and their maternal grandparents were Martha Palmer (1815-1890) and Maximilian Conner (1806-1893).
Their paternal great grandparents were Sarah Bolen (1776-1853) and Timothy Roark (1769-1843), who are buried in Cave Springs, Claiborne County, TN. Their great great grandfather was James Roark (1740-1792). (Read about Roark’s Gap Incident for more on James Roark.)
(It is in honor and remembrance of these ancestors, that the Roark Conner Association (R-CA) has continued the annual tradition of hosting a family reunion and remembering those recently passed family members. In addition, the R-CA sponsors other activities such as cleaning cemeteries and markers, installing historical markers, and issuing Newsletters to keep family members informed and to share family news.)
The first reunion was held at Lake Winnepesaukah, South of Chattanooga off Ringold Road, on Saturday August 15, 1959, not far from the ancestral Joseph Roark Homestead in Birchwood, TN. Dr. Dallas Roark and Reba Shropshire Wilson were instrumental in organizing the first reunion. The families of Laura, sister Lilly, Joseph, Franklin, Thomas, and William attended. Everyone brought food, and $20 was collected for expenses. There was a lot of singing, and Dr. Dallas Roark presented a sermon.
As part of the program, families gave a six minute rundown on their history including information of note on children. An outline of the early Roark and Conner family history, written by Laura Roark Shropshire, was also given.
The idea of the reunion was to get to know one another so the programming was kept to a minimum. There was a large registration book. Each family was responsible for their own meals and reservations.
The first reunion was so successful they continued meeting each year. By 1963, Laura had compiled her family history stories into a book entitled, Pioneer Days – Stories of the Conner-Roark Ancestry. In the forward, Laura explains why she wrote the book.
During the 1963 Reunion, Laura offered her book for sale. The inscription in the book reads, “The author has spent much time, energy, and enthusiasm during her lifetime studying the early history of this nation, with special emphasis on those areas, times, and people of her own heritage.” Laura dedicated the book to her parents, William Marion and Virginia Conner Roark, “who gave their long, useful lives to their home and community, Salem, and surrounding region.” The book is out of print.
Following that first reunion, each year a different family member organized the reunion. In 1992, the organizers began officially being referred to as Presidents and the R-CA ByLaws were adopted. Since then, the President, along with a Board of Directors and many volunteers, organizes the reunion and the other activities. Since 1959, there have been a total of 33 Past Presidents who have led the R-CA.
