An annual membership mailing was sent out this week to all the Payne descendants 18 and older for whom we have addresses. We have done a very good job keeping in touch with most of the family.
The charter of the Payne Company limits membership in Club Payne (thus, ownership rights) to direct descendants of Byrd and A Payne, as well as children who are legally adopted by a direct descendant. Once one of these family members reaches age 18, they are eligible for Club Payne membership. Right now, the fifth and sixth generations are being born and growing up. Irene’s great-great grandchildren are growing up and will undoubtedly be starting the seventh generation of Paynes within the next decade!
To illustrate the sixth generation:
Byrd and A Payne (Gen 1)
Irene Payne (Gen 2)
Kathryn Ault (Gen 3)
Judy Breckenridge (Gen 4)
Suzanne Tremaine (Gen 5)
Jack Tremaine (Gen 6)
??? (Gen 7)
The grandchildren of Byrd’s grandchildren are the sixth generation. The seventh generation will be Byrd and A’s 4Great-Grandchildren (great great great great grandchildren!)
We feel an obligation to offer access to Club Payne membership to eligible family members, and will maintain a database through the sixth generation. We would like to put everyone on notice, however, that our ability to keep track of this very prolific, and very dispersed, family is limited. Going forward, we are going to depend on those of the third and fourth generations to let the club know which of their own descendants are interested in maintaining ties to the LMH.
In other words, it is up to YOU to send us addresses for Generations 5-7 as they come of age. Make sure you let all your family know they are welcome to be a part of Club Payne and the decades long effort to maintain the LMH; and, for those who are interested, make sure we know how to contact them!