LEALI FAMILY HISTORY

George Washington Leali, known as ‘Wash’ to everyone, was brought to Arkansas as a slave by the Walsh family. His exact place of birth is unknown. As closely as can be ascertained, he was born right around 1817. We do know that he was brought to Arkansas from the vicinity of Somerville, Tennessee.

He was unusually independent for a slave and so he was sold away from his family. Unfortunately, his grandchildren knew nothing of his parentage. whether there were sisters or brothers, or other relatives. We do know that he married and had a child. As far as we know, his wife and child were his only known family at that time.

He arrived in Princeton, Arkansas where he and his family lived for several years. Wash and his family were given to a daughter of the Walsh family. She had married an Italian doctor who had come to America as a stowaway to escape compulsory military service in the Italian Army. Wash and his family assumed the surname of their new owners, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Leali.

The doctor moved his household from Princeton in Dallas county, Arkansas, to a place twelve miles north of Kingstand in Cleveland County, Arkansas. It was from here that Wash and his family were freed in 1865. Wash lived and worked as a tenant farmer on his former master’s farm He and his older children also worked as odd jobbers for people in the surrounding area. In 1875 the family moved to the south of Fordyce, Arkansas where he continued to work at odd jobs. In 1876 the family moved to a place two miles east of Fordyce and homesteaded eighty-five acres of land. Wash lived an active and progressive life, well respected by all that knew him.

George Washington Leali died in April, 1901, at the age of 84. His widow, Lucy, and eight of their sixteen children survived him.

The first family reunion was held in 1955 in Manly, Iowa. All of the surviving Sons had died by that time, but they were well represented by their surviving grandchildren:

• Of Macon’s children, there was Pearl, Essie Mae, and Suella.
• Of Andrew, there was Rosalie, and granddaughter Ann Cochran.
• Of George, there was Albert and his wife, Pauline.
• Of Charlie, there was Grace, Charlie, Selma, and Mamie — who was represented by granddaughter Jane.

The next reunion was in 1958 and was held in Denver, Co. By this time, four of the surviving grandsons had died. Albert and Frank, in 1956; Robert and Baber in early 1957.   Since 1958, the reunion has been held regularly in August of each evenly numbered year.  The Leali family has had 32 reunions in the following locations.

Manly,  IA
Denver, CO
Flint, MI
Santa Monica, CA
Fordyce, AR
Anaheim, CA
Toronto, ON
Orlando, FL
Las Vegas, NV
San Francisco, CA
Durham, NC
Atlanta, GA
New Orleans, LA
Caribbean Cruise
Williamsburg, VA
Little Rock, AR
Houston, TX
Detroit, MI
Myrtle Beach, SC