Fannie Williams

Communal meals are a traditional part of celebrations at Lakeland’s churches. Members of Embry A.M.E. Church have lunch in their parish hall following a Sunday service in 1943. Among those at the table are the pastor, Rev. Jesse A. Williams (wearing the collar), and his wife, seated to his right; and former pastor Rev. Herman R. Curtis and his wife (far side of the table, first and second from the left). At the head of the table to the right is Leon Robinson, a longtime church member and trustee.

Teas were a favorite social activity for the ladies of Lakeland. These events were sometimes held in the churches as fundraising activities, but most often they were social occasions in homes. Each hostess took great pride in her ability to set a fine table. Pictured here is one such gathering at the home of George Henry and Agnes Gross. Their guests are, left to right, Maria Lomax Dory, Fannie Williams, Annabelle Stroud, Ellen Lomax Briscoe, and Ellen Randall Gray.