By Tandrea Madison | OBSERVER STAFF WRITER

They came from across the country, traveling for hundreds of miles with a singular purpose — to connect with other family members. Many had never even met.

The Ellison family includes Terry Kinney, who is co-inventor of the solar-powered DPS power generator, shown here with his wife Kimberly Ellison-Kinney. Photo (c) Observer / Robert Maryland

During the weekend of August 3-5, more than 200 Ellison family members, from five generations, gathered in Sacramento for a reunion. With the theme of “Keeping the Legacy Alive,” they congregated at the Governors Inn Hotel and on the banks of the Sacramento and American Rivers at Discovery Park. The 2007 reunion marked a historical moment, as it was the first one to ever take place in California.

In the family’s effort to reclaim their roots, the inaugural Ellison reunion was held in 1997, at the Ellison Family Ranch in Arkansas. In 2006, it was suggested that a reunion be held in California and that became a reality.

The 2007 Ellison Family Reunion began with a fish fry on Aug. 3, at the home of Willie and Ruby Ellison. The festivities continued with a barbecue at Discovery Park on Aug. 4, and culminated with an Ellison Family History documentary by Perry Page and Wilmart Ellison that evening.

Several members of the family have been successful, including Major League Baseball player Gary Pettis; National Football League player Bernard Ellison; U.S. Navy fighter pilot Aaron Ellison; vice president of the Greater Sacramento Urban League DeNelle Ellison; and, Dr. Roslyn Ellison-Blake, president and CEO of Roslyn Blake Enterprises.

Additionally, young entrepreneur and inventor Terry Kinney, along with his father-in-law Johnnie Ellison, invented the solar-powered “Dragon Power Station” Power Generator, which is now being marketed in six countries around the world.

As an organizer, Dr. Willie Ellison said he felt the reunion was a success and a blessing.

“We were surprised at the number of young adults who came to the family reunion and delighted that there were 35 children under the age of 14 years in attendance,” Ellison said. “They had a chance to see young African American making contributions and old folks who have kept their lives in check. They saw doctors, nurses, counselors, teachers, preachers, engineers, pilots, chemists, data processing managers and technicians. We’re all in the family.”