Greer said the list of those expected to attend has grown in the week before the event, perhaps because of the lure of the 60th gathering. At last word, 175 were expected, most from within 45 minutes away but a few from as far away as Chicago, Iowa, Arizona, Florida, southern Virginia and New York.
Coming a long way is a theme this year, as the 12 Dorsey children were descended from slaves on their mother's side, were raised by parents with scant education and emerged as a family of educated professionals. As the T-shirt says: "From Yuca Purl to York Imperial," referring to Carrie Dorsey's eccentric way of referring to the apple tree under which they first gathered. She said it as "Yuca Purl," when she might have properly said "York Imperial."
Carrie and Edward and all the departed members of the immediate family and beyond will be remembered as always in a brief ceremony to open the day at 10 a.m. The names of the original 12 children will be called out, and roses placed in a vase for each name: nine white roses for the deceased, three red roses for Mae, Warren and Rosie.
