Got word from Pearl Darden that the families of Clinton McKinley and Harriett Joyner Drewry held their 67th Christmas Eve Reunion at Forks on the River Community House.

The Rev. Scott Obenchain said grace before a covered-dish supper was served.

Among those attending were Eunice Blythe; Wayne and Beth Blythe; Newitt Blythe; Dillon Blythe; Pearl; Peggy and Reggie Rush; Harvey and Carole Darden; Ryan, Leslie and William Darden; Holly and Vernie Francis; Pam, Kenneth and Kendall Worrell; Gwynn Drewry; Bob Edwards; Vicky, Peter, Amber and Landon Copeland; Doug Candy; Courtney and Kaycie Edwards; Lisa, Scott, Kristen and Nicole Obenchain; Elliott and Phyllis Drewry; and Angela Drewry and guest Gary Bookman.

The Obenchain family traveled the furthest, coming from Troutville. Other out-of-town families were in for a treat with the snow that fell over the holiday.

Phyllis won the door prize — a dancing Santa. Angela gave each of the Drewry children a table decoration.

As in previous years, the photo album maintained by Pam Worrell was a source of fun and interest.

• Crystal Jones and Tiffany Vick, who work for The Hair Station in Ivor, dressed up a pair of deer in Richard Hickman’s yard as hunters.

The hair salon, owned by Sharon Garner, is next door to Hickman’s home.

“They did as a joke on area deer hunters,” Sharon said. “He put the deer out for Christmas.”

• Travis Felts on Jan. 20 will be returning to jail — that is, he will once again participate in the Suffolk Lock Up hosted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association at Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Center.

Every year MDA hosts Lock Ups all over Hampton Roads. Local community leaders agree to be “arrested” for MDA and are given one hour to raise bail in support of the organization.

Travis will be picked up at Felts Machine in Suffolk and hauled to “jail.”

Anyone wishing to bail him out can send a tax-deductible donation to Travis Felts or his mother, Anita Felts, at 672 Carolina Road-Suffolk, Va., 23434.

Travis was injured in a pickup crash in December 1991 near Sedley. His neck was broken and his spinal cord was badly mangled, leaving him wheelchair-bound.

Today, he works for his parents at their machine shop. He is married with three children and belongs to the Masons, Ruritans and Sedley Baptist Church. He also got into auto racing.

• Patricia Jackson’s son, Andre Gerard Smith, recently wrote and released his first novel, “Behind Closed Doors.”

“We are so excited,” said Patricia, whose son lives in Raleigh, N.C. “I used to tell him at an early age, ‘Boy, you need to write a book.’ Even the way he talked at an early age (was amazing).”

The book is about a family, who appears to be average, and what actually goes on “behind closed doors.” To find out more, go to author’s website, www.andregsmith.com.

Andre, 24, didn’t grow up here as his mother and her husband, Marshall Jackson, moved to Courtland five years ago. Patricia works at Bronco Federal Credit Union on Second Avenue in Franklin.

Andre went to school for accounting. He is a payroll analyst for Lockheed Martin in Raleigh.

GWEN ALBERS is managing editor of The Tidewater News. Her e-mail address is gwen.albers@tidewaternews.com.