On July 4, 1980, the first Coleman Family Reunion was held to honor “Papa Coleman” who was 95 years  old.  The planning for this reunion took almost a year.  Mary Sampson started things going.  With  her encouragement, the first letters were typed and distributed.  After that, Jaynell Evans and Ann  Williams took over to organize things in Dallas.  The final preparations were done by the Dallas  relatives under Jaynell’s guidance.  That reunion was the beginning and it was very well attended. 	Papa Coleman took his first airplane ride when he attended the second reunion in Los  Angeles, CA.  When asked by Donald Dorsey how he liked being in the air he said, “It was just like  sitting in a rocking chair.”  In the beginning we decided to hold the family reunions every two  years and alternate between Texas and California.  However, since then we have held the reunions in  Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ also.
 	Family reunions are a way to keep our history and memories alive.  It is important that  future generations never forget the struggles their parents and grandparents went through to live  decent and productive lives.  It is up to those future generations to continue these traditions and  pass along the values we have tried to instill.