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WEALTON FAMILY REUNION - Miss Emma looked and, with a twinkle in her eye, said "now you're not going to report my age are you?"  Miss Emma or Cousin Emma or Aunt Emma--she is well known by all three--is Emma Allen Whealton and will be the guest of honor in spirit if not in presence at the Whealton Family reunion planned for Sunday, July 13, at the home of Rudolph Jones in Mesic.  Miss Emma's 200 or more relatives who are expected for the day long celebration will all know she will be 98 years young in September.  Miss Emma was born in Vandemere in 1882.  Her father died when she was 15 months old.  Her mother, Kitty Messick, remarried when she was 5 and the family moved to Swan Quarter in Hyde County where Miss Emma started school.  Miss Emma's grandfather, S.R. Messick, was the first postmaster in Mesic.  Her uncle changed the spelling of the family name to Mesic, the way she community spells its name today.  Miss Emma's parents were determined that she and her brother have an education.  Pursuit of that goal saw Miss Emma attend schools (in addition to Swan Quarter) in New Bern, Newport News, Virginia, and in Charlotte where she graduated from Kings' Business School and also worked as a stenographer for Textile Mills Supply Company.  In 1908 Miss Emma left Charlotte to marry Zebulon Vance Whealton.  After the wedding in Newport News, they returned to Mesic where Vance, as Miss Emma calls him, was a farmer, woodsman and oysterman.  Recalls Miss Emma, "Vance was the "oyeteringest" man in the county.  He could tong a half a tub of oysters as a time."  Miss Emma and Vance have 4 children: Janet Carawan and Alma Carawan both live in Alliance while Zeb Vance Jr. is in Rhode Island and Lois Allen is in Idaho.  Miss Emma has always been active in her community, especially the church.  She has taught Sunday School, played the piano and served as superintendent of the Sunday School.  The Whealton family roots go deep into Pamlico County history.  A James Whealton from Pamlico County fought in the Civil War for the south while his brother fought with the northern army.  Their grandfather was known as Levin I and his father Levin 2 appear on deeds for tracts of land in Pamlico County.  The Whealton line moved to Pamlico County from the Chincoteague area of Virginia.  Miss Emma's family on her mother's side were sailors from the north and, according to Miss Emma, her grandfather Allen settled in Vandemere because he liked the Bay River oysters.  The Whealton Family Reunion began 10 years ago from a suggestion of John D. Whealton, Miss Emma's brother-in-law.  John thought the entire family should get together and began making the necessary arrangements.  John died, however, shortly before the first reunion was held.  [The Pamlico News - 1980]

EMMA WHEALTON CELEBRATES 98^th BIRTHDAY - Mrs. Emma A. Whealton of Alliance and formerly of Mesic, celebrated her 98^th birthday on September 21.  Her son, Zeb V. Whealton of Providence, R.I.. and daughters, Mrs. Alma Carawan of Alliance and Vandemere, Mrs. Janet Carawan of Alliance and Mrs. Lois Allen of Boise, Idaho, were among those present.  Most of her grandchildren and their families, including her youngest great-grandchild, Richard Allen Hamilton (6 weeks) and her only great-great-grandchild, Steven Eric Voliva (3 weeks), and many other relatives and friends with her to celebrate the happy occasion.  For many years, Mrs. Whealton wrote the Mesic News for The Sun Journal.  [The Sun Journal - [New Bern, NC] - Thursday, October 16, 1980)