Pictured (all “Mullinax” surnames unless otherwise stated), front row, left to right: Lloyd, David, Paul, Hunter, Jay, Wendy (US339) & Tod Arnim; remaining, left to right: Nellie & Wayne (US351), Faith Ferguson, Peyton Ferguson, Charles Molineaux (US137), Dylan Blanchard, Gordon (US284), Brian Ferguson, Wyatt & Carolyn, Walter & Inez, Linda & Reggie (US126), Carla Armstrong, Debbie Chesnutt; not pictured: Pat Molineaux, Rhett, Van, Ginger, Wally, Helen, Di, Chance Sikking, Michael Sikking, Jr.

This year’s reunion took place October 8-10, 2010 in the little town of Central, SC, a suburb of Clemson. In 1809, John (m. Alsey) Mx purchased property in what later became Central where some of his descendants still live today. Our meeting place for much of Saturday was on the campus of Southern Wesleyan University (SWU), literally on the spot where “The Old Mullinax House” once stood and where several, if not all, of Dr. R.C. Mullinax’s five children were born. Dr. Mullinax, GG-grandson of John & Alsey, was the president of SWU 1948-1968. In 2006, a residence hall, affectionately known by students as “The Ritz” for its very nice accommodations, was built in Dr. Mullinax’s honor and could be seen from the meeting facilities where we met.

The theme of this year’s reunion was “Learn, Connect, See,” and there was plenty of each throughout the weekend. The main events took place on Saturday and included seminars, cemetery-hopping, &, of course, some good southern barbeque. We were blessed with special speakers, including a local historian, Anne Sheriff. She told us, among other things, about the Cherokee Indians who lived in the area until the end of the Revolutionary War. Another very special guest was Charles Molineaux (US137), of Northern Virginia, who descends from William Mx of the infamous Delaware border dispute. DNA links Charles to our group, and we are working on finding our common ancestor. Charles shared with us about the 3 main European branches of the Mx family tree: Sefton in Lancashire, Nottingham/Teversal, and Dublin/Calais.

Although the elders of our group, Eldred & Sarah Mullinnix (US068), were unable to attend due to health concerns, we were fortunate to have them share with us, via video, about our Norman roots. Wendy Mullinax Arnim (US339) shared about Mxes in Colonial America, including a brief overview of how DNA helped link her direct ancestor, John (m. Alsey) Mx, to the Mxes of western Virginia (see her article in the August 2010 MXWorld). We are thrilled to have had several more sign up for DNA testing and believe this will help us better understand how each of the Mx branches of SC fit together.

Another highlight of the weekend was the Sunday morning service, held in the historic Freedom’s Hill Church on the university campus. This was the first Wesleyan Methodist Church in South (moved from North Carolina) and bullet holes can still be seen in the old door of the building, compliments of those who did not appreciate the stand the church took against slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. At the service, Gordon Mullinax (US284) shared about the history of the church, Esther Mullinax led us in singing some of the old hymns of the faith, and Wyatt Mullinax shared with us from various appropriate scriptures.

It was a great time together, and although some of our “regulars” were unable to attend due to recent surgeries or other health issues, 32 family members attended some part of the reunion. Two door prizes, a 1-year membership to IMFA, were given by Wayne & Nellie Mullinax (US351), recipients of a previous year’s door prize given by Brady Mullinax (US133).

This article was first featured in Mx-World Volume 25 Number 2, November 2010. Discover what else is in this issue.