Harmony Homecoming 2023

 SUTTON – The Harmony Church on Highway 73 in the Sutton Community started an annual homecoming event in 1925.

As founding families grew, more and more people attended the church services and “dinner on the grounds.” What was once a lawn picnic moved to a large tent for years before the congregation raised money for an open pavilion.

Years ago, hundreds packed the church and cars filled the spacious open area in front of the church. There was a time 50-60 years ago that cars lined the dirt road in front of the church for more than a quarter mile.

The church is home to one of Southwest Arkansas’ oldest cemeteries, which has gravesites dated back 150 years, including several Civil War soldiers from both the Union and Cinfederate armies.

Area Civil War soldiers met at the church for reunions; while the majority of attendees were former Confederate soldiers, one, Charles Montgomery Andres, always attended and is pictured with his war comrades holding his Union drum.

This year, after a break during Covid, the crowd was small, with about 100 attending. Members of pioneer families — Waddle, Bullock, Franks, Andres, Bright, Lambert, and  Ghormley, among others — were in attendance. One couple journeyed from California and others attended were from Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

The oldest attendee this year was Homer White, 96, of Blevins; he’s had that honor for several past homecomings.

One Sutton resident, who retired and built a house in the community in 2011, George Smith, said he was two weeks old in 1945 when his mother, Mildred Brownie Andrés Smith, brought him to the homecoming. In the service he told the congregation he had only missed five homecomings in 78 years. “It’s Father’s Day. You go to Harmony Homecoming. It’s what you do.”

Following the church services, which ended with the long tradition of singing “Amazing Grace”, attendees had lunch and visited graves, some decorated with fresh fliers and magnolia blossoms.