Jack Weems Celebrates 91st Birthday!

Today is the 91st birthday of one of my favorite people, Jack Pershing Weems, the husband of my father's cousin Phyllis and the father of my cousin and best friend, Steve Weems. Jack, who grew up in Rockdale, Texas, is truly a family treasure. Phyllis's father, Phil Gupton, was the younger brother of my grandfather, S.M. "Buff" Gupton. Phil and Margaret Gupton lived next door to Buff and Eula Gupton at the end of Gupton Lane in West Columbia for the entirety of their married lives. And now my wife Peggy and I have inherited my grandparents' property and Steve and his wife Rhonda have inherited the adjoining property once owned by his grandfather. Together, Steve and I carry on that "Family Tradition" as neighbors, along with our individual extended families.

Many members of our extended families, as well as many close friends of Jack and Phyllis Weems, gathered at Steve and Rhonda's home this time last year to help Jack celebrate his 90th birthday. I had my camera with me at Jack's party and snapped lots of photos. In today's edition of my blog "The World According To Gup," in honor of my cousin Jack's 91st birthday, I share several of those pictures taken at last year's party. In the photo below the birthday boy addresses the crowd prior to opening his presents while his wife Phyllis, left, and his daughter Jackie Weems Jenkins, right, look on. And in the top photo my buddy Steve and his mother Phyllis listen intently as Jack displays his sharp mind and keen sense of humor, entertaining the family gathering with one of his humorous tales or jokes. I tip my hat to cousin Jack on his special day and thank him for making me laugh for half a century, taking me on numerous trips with his family when I was a kid, being an excellent role model as a husband, father, grandfather and man, but primarily for always making me feel like I was important in his life. "Important" cannot adequately describe what Jack Weems and his wife Phyllis have meant to me over the past 50 years. You, Jack, are the greatest! I love you.

Posing for a family portrait below are Margurite Gupton and two of her three sons, Ronnie Gupton, left, and Tommy Gupton. The Gupton family members were in attendance last September at the 90th birthday party for Jack Weems, the husband of Margurite's late husband's sister Phyllis Gupton Weems. Children of Phyllis's two deceased brothers, G.R. "Footsie" Gupton and Dr. J.W. Gupton, attended the party at the former home of Phyllis, Footsie and J.W.'s parents, Phil and Margaret Gupton, in West Columbia to honor their Uncle Jack.

Steve Weems, left, and his wife Rhonda hosted the 90th birthday get together for Steve's father Jack last September at their beautiful West Columbia home. Jack, who celebrates his 91st birthday today (September 5, 2009), looks over one of the many birthday cards he received at his party in the photo at right.

Talking over old times at the 2008 birthday party for Jack Weems are, in the photo above, cousins Tom Gupton, left, and Cody Gupton. Tom is the eldest son of Phyllis Weems' younger brother Dr. John W. Gupton while Cody is the eldest son of Phyllis's first cousin Rex Gupton.

In the photo above one of Jack and Phyllis Weems' great-grandchildren is pictured with his grandmother, Jack and Phyllis's daughter, Frances "Chug" King and her husband, Jack King. And in the photo below Jack Weems is pictured with his grandson, Stephen Hill, the eldest son of Mary and Clay Hill. Stephen was the ring bearer in my wedding in 1980 when he was a little boy. Steve Weems was my best man.

Two of Jack and Phyllis Weems' grandchildren who were in attendance at Jack's 90th birthday party last September were Megan Wallace Savant (pictured with her youngest child at left), the daughter of Margo Weems Wallace and Melvin Wallace, and Logan Hill, right, the son of Mary Weems Hill and Clay Hill.

Kelli Gupton Kuban, left, joins Rhonda Weems on the deck Steve and Rhonda added to the old family home on Gupton Lane where Phil and Margaret Gupton once lived. Kelli and Rhonda, who are cousins and coworkers at city hall in West Columbia, were observing the large family gathering held in September 2008 in honor of Jack Weems' 90th birthday.

Kathleen Gupton, left, and Jack Weems' daughter Frances "Chug" King enjoy each other's company at the September 2008 birthday party when Chug's father Jack Weems turned 90. Kathleen is the wife of Chug's first cousin Tommy Gupton.

In the photo above a couple of Gupton cowboys engage in a heated argument over which of them is the baddest outlaw in their family, Cody Gupton on the left and Billy Ralph Gupton on the right. The Gupton cousins gathered in September 2008 at the West Columbia home of Steve and Rhonda Weems to celebrate Steve's father's 90th birthday.