It all began in Amity, Arkansas during the time of slavery. On May 4, 1854, William Cornelius (better known as Neil) was born on the” Biggs’ Plantation”. His mother was a Cherokee Indian who worked in the Big House and his father was a Caucasian who lived in the Big House.
The slaves were freed in 1864, and Neil was ten years old at this time. As we all know, slaves did not have last names, so when Neil left he adopted the name of the plantation owner. This is how we all came by our name BIGGS. We are not certain what Neil did after leaving the Plantation.
However, several years later he met a young lady whose name was Rosetta McClain (better known as Rose). Rose was born in the Choctaw Nation of Louisiana on July 10, 1857. Information about Rose’s parents is not known. Neil and Rose were married on October 24, 1878.
To this union nineteen children were born. The Lord blessed Neil and Rose with twelve (12) sons and seven (7) daughters. In those days LARGE families gave a man great status. We can only imagine that Neil and Rose had more prestige than they knew what to do with. None of Neil and Rose’s children have even come close to their parent’s outstanding record, but some of their grandchildren have come Mighty Mighty close!!
In the early part of the decade, on June 19, 1930, our Lord called Rosetta McClain-Biggs to her home that was not made by hands, for her well earned rest. Neil lived several years after Rose died. He never remarried and on September 30, 1944, he too was called home to be with his Rose.
When this Reunion organized in 1981, Neil and Rose had four living children: Booker T. Biggs, who was born on February 10, 1892, and was living in Los Angeles, California. (He too was called home on December 23, 1982).
Over the past few years, we have lost the remaining clan heads, Tony Biggs Sr., whose birth information is still unknown was called home in 1993 Rufus Biggs I, who was Neil and Rose’s baby died on March 11, 1995 and Mattie Biggs Duncan, who lived in Lansing, Michigan was called to her reward in July of 1996.
Rufus and Mattie were the only clan heads that ever got the opportunity to attend any of the reunions. A family is the primary social unit, first instituted by the Lord in the Garden of Eden. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
“The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children” (Psalm 115:14). From the birth of Pa Biggs to our present time covers a span of over 162 years.
