Gravette Day

14 • 128TH ANNUAL GRAVETTE DAY • SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 G ravette Day has a long, proud history of celebrating the town and surrounding area. And the family and offspring of John and Leota Payne have made it a part of their family tradition, too, for nearly forty years. "My mother was born in Copan, OK and my dad was born in Galena KS," began Snooky Garrett, one of John and Leota's surviving children. "They got married on July 27, 1931, and they came down for the weekend to visit my dad's sister when they had been married for only three days and they never went back." The family settled in Hiwassi just outside of Gravette. They went on to have children—a lot of children—ten in all. As they grew up, some stayed in the area and some went on to find their destinies elsewhere. They never seemed, however, to be able to all get together at the same time in the same place. "It wasn't until 1980, my mother's 65th birthday, that we decided to all get together," Snooky said. "The ten of us had not been together since our dad's funeral in 1973. There was always one of us missing and couldn't get back home. We decided that we wanted to have a reunion so we all came back to celebrate our mom's birthday which is on August 31." Five years later in 1985, they got together again to celebrate her mother turning 70. But this time they decided to plan the reunion around Gravette Day so the family members could see everybody they went to school with and friends they grew up around. From that time on, a tradition was established. Today, as many Paynes as can make it every year come from as far away as Virginia and Idaho to celebrate Gravette Day. They ride on their own float wearing Payne family t-shirts designed around that year's Gravette Day theme. On Gravette Day, August 10, 2019, more than 60 of the Payne family members wore green "Making Memories" t-shirts as they proudly rode on their own float in the parade. Those attending from the hometown of Gravette included Bill and Clara Payne, Sue Rice, Lanny and Snooky Garrett, Lana Turner, Katelyn Johnson, Wyatt Morgan, Chuck and Lisa Garrett, Blake and Lyndsy Garrett and children Kylee, Noah and Zechariah, Tom and Debi Boettcher and Amy Garrett. The Paynes have held their reunions every year except for 2020 due to Covid. Like every other family in the country, the Paynes couldn't stay as connected as in the past. "2020 was to be our 40th reunion but due to Covid we had to postpone," Snooky said. "We had shirts already made for the parade float but it turned out to be a sad year for us. We lost some family members in 2020. I lost my great niece to Covid. My eldest brother was 88 years-old and my other brother David in Wichita also passed away, neither from Covid." The Paynes did have a float in the parade last year but only about 12 family members were able to make it. "So, we decided we're not making a new shirt this year, we're going to wear our last year t-shirt," Snooky said. "We're going to wear the one we designed for 2020 to celebrate the fact that we all wanted to be together last year but we couldn't make it." Snooky is quick to say just how much she loves Gravette and her friends and neighbors. "Everybody knows everybody," she said. "I worked at the hospital in Gravette since I was 17 years old until I retired. We all go to the games together. We support each other's church events. It's just the way it is. A great community where everybody helps each other." Gravette Day is a tradition for the Payne family | By Randy Rice Westside Eagle Observer/SUSAN HOLLAND Members of the Payne family smile at the crowd, and one snaps a photo of the spectators, as they make their way down the parade route in the 2019 Gravette Day Parade.

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