Tolbert family holds 85th reunion in Sylvester

SYLVESTER – The Tolbert family is just like most families.

They value time together, look out for one another in hard times and celebrate the bright future of the younger generation.

But unlike many families, who grow too busy or drift apart, the Tolbert family has hosted a family reunion nearly every year since 1939. 

On the weekend of June 27, Tolbert descendants gathered in Sylvester for the 85th Tolbert Family Reunion. The weekend included a meet-and-greet, a Western roundup, and a time to honor family roots. The family members in attendance ranged from ages 1 to 86. Many have come to the gathering for decades, including Earl Morgan Sr., a 68-year-old Sylvester native, who’s attended since childhood

“Any time you can come together, and everybody’s not dressed in black, that is a significant milestone,” Morgan said. “It’s important that family know each other, if for nothing more than to … take care of the generations to come.”

Much of the weekend’s festivities took place at T.C. Jeffords Park in Sylvester. On June 28, several Tolbert men circled around a large meat smoker; the smell of barbecue drifting several blocks down the street. Children with tiny cowboy boots, hats and bright yellow shirts printed with the Tolbert family tree chased each other around the park. 

But inside a small building, cramped with about 50 Tolbert descendants, it was all business.

“Welcome to the 85th Tolbert Family Reunion,” Morgan said to the group. “Most people don’t live to be 85 years old, and we’re celebrating the opportunity to come together as a family for 85 years. That in and of itself is an award.” 

The group began its scheduled business meeting by singing “Glad to be in the Number” and with a prayer.

The Tolbert family is like most families. The elders shush the kids who ramble and squirm during the invocation. But unlike most families, the Tolbert descendants operate their family like a business, with presidents, core teams, committees and family member registration. 

“We work hard to make sure that this event is a success, to make sure that we’re taking care of education, to make sure we’re taking care of bereavement, of hardship and all these other things,” Morgan said. “We don’t get to choose each other. We are connected by blood, and there’s nothing that can separate that.”

A family tree with nearly 1,200 branches

Morgan estimates there are nearly 1,200 Tolbert descendants, all tracing back to Tom and Mollie Tolbert of Ninety Six, S.C., who married in 1884 and had 10 children. One of their daughters hosted the first reunion in Acree in 1939. 

“Most families start reunions, and they die out,” Morgan said. “Well, we’ve avoided that plague and have sustained it through 85 years.”

The reunion location rotates yearly. Family members have hosted it across Georgia, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey and more. Sylvester is a special reunion spot because of the family’s contributions to the Sylvester community.

The family’s early community efforts were centered around the church. Brothers Jimmie and Charlie Tolbert were active in the Zion Baptist Grove Church, hosting Sunday School programs for youths that emphasized reading. Sunday School attendees went on to become community leaders, veterans and college graduates. 

Sylvester Mayor Harold Proctor honored these contributions on June 28 with a proclamation naming June 28, 2025 as Tolbert Family Day. 

Morgan said the reunions have had powerful moments. 

“During the 1940s, a lot of folks left the South because of the conditions,” he said. “Many of the family reunions have served as homecomings … a person becoming reconnected with the family. You have folks … come back to this part of the world and see that there are hundreds of people with your bloodline.” 

‘Knowing you always have someone backing you up’ … That’s what family’s all about

Morgan stressed the importance of registering family members into the online database during the June 28 business meeting. About 300 family members were expected to come through Sylvester that weekend. The database tracked attendance but also those family members who didn’t arrive. 

“We need to figure out how many folks have been born on this planet that are connected to Tom and Mollie,” Morgan said. “If we do a couple of things … we can start to account for everyone born because of those two people being on the planet.” 

The Tolbert family has regional presidents, advisors, treasurers and a secretary. It has two committees: communication and education. 

Not only are the Tolbert descendants trying to track their family and keep the history alive, they’re trying to preserve a legacy of greatness. That means tracking family achievements and offering support in areas like education.

“Education is the single most important thing that all of us need to be focused on,” Morgan said. “We have reached a point where our youths that enter first grade and can’t read, we place them on the classroom-to-prison pipeline. We should not want any of our blood to be in that predicament.” 

Parents within the family that have children who are falling behind can access help from the Tolbert Family’s education committee.

“If you don’t have the wherewithal to get the right instructional materials in front of your child so that that child enters first grade reading at second-grade level, we will share free of charge,” Morgan said to his family. “In some instances, we’re prepared to identify an educator in your geographical area.”

The Tolbert family also wants to track youth achievements, both educational and extracurricular. During the business meeting, the family hosted a small awards ceremony, presenting high-achieving youths with certificates. The education committee awards graduating high school seniors with college scholarships. 

Morgan encouraged his family members to share stories of family success. He said the family has doctors, attorneys, athletes and veterans. 

Lloyd Cobbs, a 71-year-old Tolbert descendant, was recently inducted into the Florida A&M University Hall of Fame where he played football and was part of a 1972 state championship. He began attending the reunions nearly 35 years ago. He said it’s exciting for him, as the first in his direct family to get a college education, to see the youth being celebrated. 

“Every year you see the growth, the maturity, the fellowship,” Cobbs said. 

Alanna Milton, 24, is one of the young people who grew up attending the Tolbert Family Reunions. She said she always knew her family was special for the way it prioritized togetherness. 

“It was just knowing you always have someone backing you up,” she said. “Anytime anybody needs anything, whether any sector of life, we’re always here to help, and we’re always trying to pull them together. That’s what’s going to keep the family going.”

Milton is a Sylvester native but now lives in Houston, Texas, and works in schools. She’s active in her family’s leadership, serving as a member of the Education Committee. 

At this year’s reunion, Milton brought her own touch – putting together the awards ceremony but also planning events like a talent show and a mobile gaming van. 

“For someone in the younger generation, the reunions were sometimes a bit boring,” Milton said. “So I wanted to be able to share my ideas and be able to implement things for the younger generation.”

Milton said she wants to continue passing the family legacy down to the younger family members. 

“And we don’t just focus on education; it’s also community involvement – are you on a football team? Are you volunteering anywhere?” she said. “When you hear the name Tolbert or Morgan in the community, it holds some weight.” 

The Tolbert Family also will pick each other up when someone is down. Morgan said he knows there are people in the family who might face hardship and struggle to pay bills. Family leadership maintains a fund from an annual family assessment fee of $70 to pay for the reunion but also to provide help when needed.

“You have to make sure that you take care of your family because not everybody’s blessed in the same way,” Morgan said. “That’s what family is all about.”