FROM STAFF REPORTS

On May 23 at Westover City Park, more than 250 people turned out for the first-ever Westover town reunion. The event was the culmination of several months of planning by a group of 15 current and former Westover residents to celebrate the history and culture of a great little town—“The town’ that built us”
Johnson Grass, 2012 Ms. Senior Alabama and Westover native Niva Moore Dorough and Pam Hawsey Wilson provided musical entertainment. Wayne Archer, Herschel Guthrie, Nubbin Moore, and others kept the crowd laughing with stories of their time growing up in Westover. Special guests included veterans, three surviving original members of the Westover Green Notes softball team and several of Westover’s senior stars, including Voncille McManus King (97), Ethelene Robertson Hallman (94), Lois Meadows McManus (91), Jo Mann (91) and Duffy Hughes (88).

Lots of pictures, history, census data, trivia questions and door prizes rounded out the day. Gary Moorer of Mo’s Hawg House cooked hotdogs and hamburgers, and guests brought favorite desserts prepared from recipes from their mothers’ and grandmothers’ kitchens. The reunion was made possible by the generous donations of Westover friends and businesses, and was dedicated to the memory of Westover family and friends who have gone on before us . . . a tribute to the memories they created for us and with us.
The idea for the reunion grew from a Facebook page started by Debbie Lybrand Marcus a little more than a year ago called “You know you’re from Westover if . . .”

“Stan Elliott and I were sharing memories of growing up in Westover and came up with the idea to start the page,” said Marcus. “It was a hit from the beginning, and now has a wonderful collection of pictures and stories that we hope will become part of the Westover archives.

“We had folks drive in from Virginia, Florida and many parts of Alabama to attend this reunion,” said Planning Committee member Wanda McWhorter Brown. “Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time, and we hope to start planning soon for the next one.”