About Us

We are the descendants of Robert “Big Bob” Ealy of Leake County, Mississippi. This large family was birthed under the cloud of slavery when a young girl, Jane Parrott from Virginia, captured the heart of Big Bob, a young man from North Carolina. They were allowed to “jump the broom” into holy matrimony. From c. 1845 to 1871, Big Bob and Jane had at least 12 children together. He was also the father of additional children, and thus the Ealy Family became one of the largest African American families in the Lena/Tuscola area of Leake County. While many descendants remained in Mississippi, many migrated to Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, Las Vegas, Seattle, Milwaukee, California, etc.

Our Reunion HISTORY

In 1974, the late Mrs. Liggie Marie Ragsdale McDougal, the daughter of Annie Ealy Ragsdale Nichols and the granddaughter of Paul Ealy, had a vision to unite the descendants of Big Bob Ealy. She then organized the first Ealy Family Reunion. It was held at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequently, the Ealy Family Reunions have been held biannually in various states. The following locations were: Detroit, Michigan (1976, 1980, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2010), Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1978, 1996, 2008), Mississippi (1982, 1984, 1992, 1998, 2014), Pasadena, California (1986), Chicago, Illinois (1990), Huntington, California (2002), New Orleans, Louisiana (2004), Miami, Florida (2006), Las Vegas, Nevada (2012), Atlanta, Georgia (2016), and Gatlinburg, Tennessee (2018). Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2020 reunion was cancelled, but a virtual reunion was held in 2021.

Reunion PICS

Professional photography was provided by TGR1.618 Photography of Louisville, Kentucky, in 2016 and in 2018. To view pictures and order prints from 2018, visit https://www.tgrphoto.com/ealy072018. To view pictures and order prints from 2016, visit https://www.tgrphoto.com/ealy2016

CONTACT US

Got any questions? E-mail us at EalyFamilyReunion2020@gmail.com.

Our Facebook Group

Are you on Facebook, and you are a direct descendant of Big Bob Ealy? Click image above to join the family group.

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