The Heritage of Person Co., NC (cont.) p. 154
Thomas Preston Featherston Family

Little did James Wiley Featherston dream when he settled on the hills bordering Hyco Creek in the early 1800s that his place would be the setting for the first Featherston Reunion held in 1932. Wiley had been an only child, however he had two large families, having re-married after his first wife died. One of his sons, George, was the father' of Thomas Preston and it is the descendants of this family that make up the largest percent at the Featherston Reunion held annually on the second Sunday in June at Concord Methodist Church. However, Thomas Preston's sisters, Annie, Hattie and Fannie Lee, descendants are also a vital part of this Featherston clan.

Thomas Preston Featherston, born in Person Co., married the lovely Amanda Magnolia (Maggie) Hester of Caswell co. In the Frogsboro Community near Leasburg they reared their large family. T.P. was a. man of discipline who spoke plainly the things he believed to be the truth; Maggie on the other hand, was gentle, loving and kind. each supplemented the other, together making a wonderful team.

T.P. believed girls especially should have the very best education possible since they would be the mothers of future generations. Seeing that his daughters were well educated was no easy task in those days for sometimes it was necessary to walk long distances to school through thick forest and to cross deep streams on foot logs. Therefore it was often necessary to hold a daughter back a year until another sister was old enough to accompany her. Sometimes, too, it was necessary to send a daughter off to boarding school because she had completed the schooling available in her vicinity.

Lizzie and Annie became teachers, Hallie and Hulda were nurses. Mamie, Sue and Bertha became leaders in civic, church and community affairs. Sue was the first woman ever hired by the People's Bank. Recently Sue was given an award for her outstanding contributions to the city. George became a detective with the police department in Durham and later was a license examiner. McIver was a supervisor with Collins and Aikman and received an award for his many years of faithful service.

One by one the children married and moved establishing homes of their own. Lizze (Mae Elizabeth) married Nash Lea Winstead (deceased) and they had eleven children: Edith (deceased), Hattie Mae, Wesley, Keith, Dorothy (deceased), Ralph (Killed in World War II), Annie, Lizzie, David, Nash and Jean.

Hallie married T.M. Phillips (deceased) and moved to Raleigh. Their children are: Hallie, T.M., Jr. (killed in World War II), Ruth and Betty Bowe.

Annie married Jack Brooks; all their babies died at birth so Annie became a foster mother to all her nieces and nephews. After Jack died Annie married Dan Bauert. Both Annie and Dan are deceased.

Mamie married Arthur Thaxton and was the only child who reared her family in the area where they were born. Their children are: Louise, Thomas Preston and Henry Speck, who are twins, Laura and Arthur, Jr. (deceased). People would sometimes ask Mamie if twins were more trouble than one child and she would reply, "Yes, just twice as Much! ". Both Mamie and Arthur are deceased.

George married Myrtle Strain. To this union were born: Margaret Strain (deceased), Billy, Louis, Ann, Tom, Jane and Becky. After Myrtle's death George re-married, and had a son named Fred.