The MCJ Story

a MUST-READ for every member of mcj

the marriage

that produced aN MCJ LINEAGE of over

6,000

This is where it all started. From one marriage to generations of family, the following timeline shows how our family came together and why we keep showing up.

Black-and-white photo of a woman standing outdoors, dressed in a long coat with fur trim, wearing gloves, and holding a handbag. She has a hat and stands in front of a painted backdrop that appears to depict a rural scene with a fence and trees.

  • AUGUST 28, 1863 – SEPTEMBER 23, 1957

    Parents: Green Hill & Annie Wright
    Spouse: Nathaniel Metcalf

    Family matriarch and the heart of our earliest MCJ memories. Her birthday gatherings became the foundation of the MCJ Family Reunion.

    Known for:
    “I have my health and strength, all my teeth, and I can see how to thread a needle.”

Black and white photograph of a person wearing glasses, a hat, a plaid shirt, and a dark jacket, with weathered and worn appearance.

  • 1864 – SEPTEMBER 7, 1947

    Parents: Joseph Metcalf & Bettie
    Spouse: Mary Hill Metcalf

    Built his life in the Mississippi Delta alongside Mary, raising a family that would carry the Metcalf name forward.

    Notable memory:
    Nathaniel was remembered by his granddaughter Ernestine Metcalf as a kind man. She recalled sitting with him on the porch while he visited his son Bennie Metcalf, spending time talking on the porch.

MORE bios

and facts

  • During this time

    • Mississippi was still deeply segregated. However, rumblings of change were beginning to emerge.

    • Black communities accounted for roughly 45% of the state’s population.

    • The Mississippi Gulf Coast experienced a hurricane

    • Housing cost $12,400.

    More facts:

    • Mary Hill and Nathaniel Metcalf were both born into slavery

    • Despite the hardships, the family continued to gather, support one another, and build lasting memories.

  • NATHANIEL’S FATHER

    Born September 1835 — Alabama

    Spouse: Bettsey Turner
    Residence: Tallahatchie County, Mississippi

    One of the earliest known anchors of the Metcalf family line.

    Farmer and head of household raising a large family in the post-Reconstruction South.

    Legacy:
    Helped establish the foundation that future generations would build on, during a time of significant challenge and change.

    Household Members in 1880:

    • Bettsey Metcalf (37)
    • Nathaniel Metcalf (16)
    • William Metcalf (14)
    • Candace Metcalf (11) (Married into Bellamy and Quarles)
    • Harriet Metcalf (8)
    • Josephine Metcalf (5)
    • Martha Metcalf (1)

    By 1900, Joseph and Bettsey were also caring for their grandchildren, including Prince, Dotson, and Willie Quarles (Candace’s children), along with their youngest daughter Martha.

  • DAUGHTER OF MARY AND NATHANIEL METCALF

    SISTER OF NATHANIEL, MATTIE, BENNIE, AND IDA BELL METCALF

    SPOUSE OF JOE JOHNSON

    “She was born Sept 11, 1898.  She met and married Joe Johnson out of Coffeeville, MS who was born Jun 5, 1895.  They went on to have 6 children. Her nickname was Doll and her son Harvey couldn't remember but later found out why she was called Doll - it was because she was considered very cute.

    She was a domestic worker, cooked and washed for whites, a very loving mother.  She was only 46 when she passed away. According to her death certificate she died from Heart Failure - Cardiovascular Renal Disease.  She died July 11, 1946, at her sister Mattie's house because in those days black people were not allowed to stay in hospitals.” 

    — Shared words by Harvey C Johnson and OV Johnson

    Children:
    Booker T. Johnson (1917-2022)
    Harvey C Johnson Sr. (1919-)
    Joe Johnson (1932-)
    Nathaniel Johnson Sr. (1933-)
    Catherine Johnson (1936-)
    Ethel Johnson (1938-)

the reunion journey

  • Close-up black-and-white portrait of a woman wearing a hat with a surprised expression.

    1886

    THE BEGINNING

    Mary Hill marries Nathaniel Metcalf in the Mississippi Delta.
    They have seven children, and five live into adulthood:

    Ida Bell Metcalf (Collins)
    Bennie Metcalf
    Mattie Lee Metcalf (Johnson)
    Nathaniel Metcalf Jr.
    Maggie (Doll) Metcalf (Johnson)

    Those five children become the foundation of the Metcalf, Collins, and Johnson families.

    Ida Bell Metcalf marries into the Collins family (Lane Lee).
    Mattie Lee Metcalf and Maggie Metcalf marry into two different Johnson families.

    This is how the MCJ family begins.

  • Black and white photograph of a tall tree taken from the base looking up at the canopy, with a textured bark trunk and branches spreading wide.

    1949-1957

    THE FIRST GATHERINGS

    The family begins coming together each year in Crowder, Mississippi to celebrate Mary Hill Metcalf’s birthday on the fourth Sunday of August and continued until her passing in 1957.

    This is the start of the MCJ family tradition.

    Our family gatherings were under Mary Hill's Tree.

  • Black woman with a large afro hairstyle wearing a polka dot blouse in an outdoor setting.

    1957–1974

    THE TRADITION CONTINUES

    After Mary passed, her daughter Ida Bell Metcalf Collins became the next honored elder. She believed the gathering should continue.

    The reunion date was moved to Thanksgiving, closer to her birthday on November 23, and the location shifted to her home in Charleston, Mississippi. The family continued to gather there each year until her passing on December 17, 1974.

    One unique detail in our history is that the original five siblings passed away in reverse order, with the oldest, Ida Bell, passing last.

  • Black and white photo of two men standing outdoors near a building. One man on the left is smoking a cigar and wearing a cap. The other man on the right is carrying a bag.

    1976

    THE FIRST TRAVELING REUNION

    After her passing, the family made an important decision at the 1975 reunion. The reunion would no longer stay in one place. Instead, it would travel from city to city, hosted by different family members. The date was also changed to Labor Day weekend.

    First up — Kansas City, Missouri, the home of Willie Collins (left), one of Ida’s sons, his wife Minnie Mae, and their 7 sons. He and his son Ernest Collins (right) (our current President) hosted the first reunion away from home in 1976, marking a new tradition.

  • A large group of people, including children and adults, gathered outdoors in a field, with some standing and some sitting, possibly posing for a photo. There are trees and open land in the background, and a covered vehicle is visible on the right side.

    1977-TODAY

    THE REUNION GROWS

    From there, the reunion continued to grow and move. With each year, the reunion became a way to stay connected across cities, states, and generations.

ALL MCJ REUNIONS

  • 1977 — Dayton, Ohio
    Hosted by Robert and Geneva Collins and family

    1978 — Kankakee, Illinois
    Hosted by Eugene Collins and Mary Hoover and families

    1979 — Charleston, Mississippi (Return Home)
    Hosted by Mary Lane Collins, Hattie Collins Travis,
    Bessie Lee Collins Scurlock, and Lueora Collins Hollis and families

    1980 — Gary, Indiana
    Hosted by Harvey C. Johnson, Joe Johnson, Nathaniel Johnson, Catherine Johnson Draper, and Ethel Johnson Barnes and families

    1981 — Kansas City, Missouri
    Hosted by Earnest and Willie Collins and families

    1982 — Louisiana
    Hosted by Melvin and Lettie Stokes and families

    1983 — Memphis, Tennessee
    Hosted by Spencer Collins, Wilma Collins and families

    1987 — Missouri
    Hosted by Earnest, Willie, and Minnie Collins and families

    1990 — Colorado
    Hosted by Michael and Audrey Collins and families

    1993 — Georgia
    Hosted by Marla Stokes and families

    1994 — Wisconsin
    Hosted by Frank and Lisa Metcalf, Calvin Metcalf and families

    1996 — Ohio
    Hosted by Robert and Geneva Collins and families

    2002 — Michigan
    Hosted by Peggy Owens, Walter Lee, Pearl Askew and families

    2003 — Arizona
    Hosted by Sheila, Terry, Vada Johnson and families

    2004 — Wisconsin
    Hosted by Frank and Lisa Metcalf, Calvin Metcalf and families

    2005 — Kankakee, Illinois
    Hosted by Mary Hoover and families

    2006 — Ohio
    Hosted by Geneva Collins and families

    2007 — Kansas City, Missouri
    Hosted by Minnie Collins, Dorice Merritt and families

    2008 — Tennessee
    Hosted by Alma and Lavell Flippen and families

    2009 — Washington, D.C.
    Hosted by O.V. Johnson, Tamika Caldwell and families

    2010 — Texas
    Hosted by Carolyn Johnson Holloway and families

    2011 — Illinois
    Hosted by Larry and Tiffany Henderson and families

    2012 — Tennessee
    Hosted by Lige and Lil Johnson and families

    2013 — Georgia
    Hosted by Naomi and Erin Hill, Jennifer Hill Booker and families

    2014 — Mississippi
    Hosted by Laverne Leigh, Lawrence Scurlock and families

    2015 — Arizona
    Hosted by Constance Love, Jane Beasley and families

    2016 — Ohio
    Hosted by Geneva, Inisher, Brenda, Akiva, Cozetta Collins and families

    2017 — Bahamas Cruise
    Hosted by Will and Dee Simond

    2018 — New Orleans, Louisiana
    Hosted by Ernest and Dawn Collins, Melvin Stokes, Rev. Larry Steib, Dee Dee Steib and families

    2019 — Virginia
    Hosted by Sandra Owens, the Croskey and Hamilton families

    2021 — Missouri
    Hosted by Otis, Lee, Michael, Ernest, TC, Charles Collins and families

    2022 — Nassau, Bahamas Cruise
    Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean

    2023 — Washington, D.C.
    Hosted by Tameka Law, Jaali and family

    2024 — Arizona
    Hosted by Kay Bodude and family

    2025 — Illinois
    Hosted by Dorothy Ann Owens and Curtis Barfield

VIEW PHOTOS

A MUST-SEE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF MCJ

The family tree shows our connections.
The timeline shows our rich history.
Our people tell the juicy details.

These are the voices behind the names who share the facts and memories that shaped this family.

SEE + HEAR THE STORIES