Albert Edwin Watlington married Victoria Eugenia Powers on October 7, 1939 and they shared their lives and fortunes together for over fifty-eight years. During this time their work took them to Panama City and Plant City, Fla., and New Orleans, Plaquemine, Morgan City and Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge was the center for their work in the later years and for their children, also.
Victoria Eugenia Powers was the first born (Sept. 19, 1911, Pine Grove, St. Helena Parish) of Lawson Dallis Powers and Victoria Eugenia Morgan, of St. Helena Parish, La. A sister, Hilda Bell, was born Nov. 15, 1913, and the following July, 1914, their mother died, leaving two infant daughters. As often happened in such tragic cases, the mother's sister came to the rescue of the children and on Dec. 25, 1915, Minnie Lou Morgan (b. May 3, 1892, d. Oct. 23, 1978) became the second ``Morgan Mother'' to Victoria Eugenia and Hilda Bell Powers.
In the following years two sons were born to this marriage, L. D. Powers, Jr., (b. Feb. 3, 1917, d. Aug. 9, 1961) and Eldon Morgan Powers (b. August 23, 1918). Thus Minnie Lou Morgan became the dear caring mother of four year old Genie and was honored by the family. The Morgans had been a part of St. Helena Parish since before Civil War days, when John Elijah Morgan married Ann Whitehead. Their son Samuel Ratliff Morgan, b. April 8, 1850, married Aug. 1, 1879 in St. Helena Parish, Arminda Matilda Morgan (1859-1945), and became parents to Victoria Eugenia and Minnie Lou Morgan. It seems that Samuel R. Morgan lived in St. Helena Parish until he died Aug. 23, 1918.
Lawson Dallis Powers (b. 1887, Gilead, LA) was a son of John B. Powers (1872-1922) and his grandparents were Elijah Monroe Powers and Sarah A. Brown. Though he grew up on the farm he was inclined to seek inside work because of bad health. He worked as a railroad station agent, then with a Lumber Company Commissary, and as a Constable in Clinton, La. He also worked in various city and state offices in St. Helena Parish. Genie Powers Watlington had worked with family members in St. Helena Parish to conserve the records of the family there, and encouraged Edwin to do the same for the Watlingtons.
Other than her siblings, Genie kept in touch with her niece Vickie Sandra Kelly, who married Troy Cothern, Jr., and also their children, David Allen (b. 1958) and Darren Troy (b. 1960). Margaret Ann Powers, daughter of L. D. Jr., married Claude Underwood and their children are Charles (b. 1959) and Debra Ann (b. 1962).
Genie appreciated her own family and worked to give them a good life at home, and in church, community and school. She saw that her grandchildren had an opportunity to continue their education at college, and the tradition continues for the great grandchildren. She also appreciated her ancestors and sought to know more about them. She was a companion to her husband in his work and was acquainted with business and accounting procedures and helped in the family business. She died Oct. 26, 1994.
In their later years, Genie and Edwin made several tours in Europe and twice visited the town of Watlington, Oxfordshire, England where they bought historical booklets and souvenirs for the family. They have encouraged the collection of Watlington information and the publishing of the family genealogy and history.