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My cousin Pat was the 64th member (of over 1300) to join AAFA, but she was working with me several years before AAFA was even conceived. In fact she was working with our family history years before that. Pat served on the AAFA board of directors, and at the time of her death she was in charge, assisted by her sister Joana Breeland (AAFA #1142), of mailing the AAFA quarterlies and maintaining the inventory of back issues.

Pat was probably the only member who knew and visited my parents before she even knew me. I think it would be true to say that had Pat not come on with such enthusiasm and provided me so much information that my interest in family history and genealogy would not have grown to the extent that I would have published "About Alfords" - which of course led to my starting AAFA.

She was noted far and wide as the person to see about local family history, and it was not unusual for folks to visit the grocery store she and her husband owned and ask for directions to various cemeteries. I remember that in about 1982 several of us including the late Mr. Claude Alford (AAFA #0017) of Progress, and the late Glenn A. Alford (AAFA #0038) of Covington, asked Pat to show us some of the cemeteries. We arrived at their store on the date arranged, and they had arranged for someone to run the store for them that day. Pat dragged out a large picnic basket that she had filled with an assortment of delicious sandwiches, fruit, cake etc. We visited every cemetery in the Mt. Hermon, LA and Progress, MS area in which Alfords were known to be buried. We lunched in front of an impressive Alford gravestone in one of the Mt. Hermon cemeteries.

I have been in more graveyards with Pat than I have with anyone else in the world, except possibly my wife. Pat and I talked on the phone together more than I do with any other member. We sometimes talked about our ailments (she took the lead). We both have/had a number of ailments. We shared Pulmonary Fibrosis (part of COPD). As I understand it, she had been coughing a lot, which comes with COPD, and she had been to see her doctor for that the week before she died, but he could do nothing for her. The following week she went to the ENT doctor in McComb (MS), and as soon as he saw her he sent her to the ER. She died there of a massive heart attack.

We all miss Pat very much.

Gilbert Alford
AAFA Co-Founder and Member #0019

• AHNENTAFEL
  • Short version
  • Long version
    
    
• BRANCH GENEALOGY
  • John 1645 VA, James 1687 VA, Julius 1717 VA and Jacob 1761 NC
  • Julius 1717 VA, Jacob 1761 NC, John Seaborn 1807 LA and Jeptha Martin 1862 LA
  • John Seaborn 1807 LA, Jeptha Martin 1862 LA, Frankie Leoda 1888 LA, Dollie Lura Smith 1908 MS and Patricia Ann Brock
    
    
• PHOTOGRAPHS
  • Most of Pat's photos are from the AAFA Photo Archives.
    If you can contribute others, please CONTACT AAFA. (See top margin.)
    
    
• LETTERS
  • From or to Pat Smith
    Addition of letters will be in process for some time.
    
    
• FUTURE ADDITIONS
  • Thelma's Annual Reunions
    Setting this up will take some time.
    Background on Pat's aunt & uncle, who were
    responsible for the reunions, will be included.