More than 5,000 expected to attend 105-year family reunion in Omaha

By Alex McLoon

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) -- For 105 years, a Nebraska family has celebrated their ties to Omaha.

The Bryant-Fisher family has grown by the hundreds since 1917 when Emma Early Bryant-Fisher brought the family together to celebrate boys venturing off to serve in World War I.

"She wanted to see everybody together, but they were too large for the house," family reporter Sherri Wright Harris said.

So the 60-year-old brought food and placed it on one shared table at Mandan Park, according to the Bryant-Fisher family lure. The tradition continues in 2022, which is a significant year because the family turns in a census to keep its title as Nebraska's largest African-American family.

"It's great for our kids to be able to know who their cousins are," reunion chairman Kevin Williams said.

Kevin and Sherri are from the biggest branch of the family, which is all tied together through 12 descendants.

More than a hundred years later, their bond stands the test of time. More than five thousand family members are expected to attend Thursday's meet and greet, a banquet Friday, and Saturday activities like a boat ride on the Missouri River.

Kevin and Sherri say the family will worship Sunday, then send relatives off after a potluck Monday.

"It's our responsibility to keep it going and pass it on to the next generation so that they know the history of our family," Kevin said.

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