The JMc Family Palmetto Society is a vibrant, multigenerational organization committed to preserving history, strengthening bonds, and supporting one another in spirit and in service. We are Keepers of the Flame—honoring the legacy of our elders, nurturing our youth, and carrying forward the values of unity, resilience, and love. Through storytelling, worship, education, and economic support, the Society continues to be a beacon of connection and pride. We are not only bound by blood but by a shared purpose to uplift one another and ensure that our family’s legacy endures for generations to come.

This legacy began with Carrie Johnson McFarland, our beloved matriarch, midwife, and community pillar who, from the 1940s until her passing in 1966, welcomed not only her children but also the extended families of her late husband Andrew McFarland—along with her own siblings, cousins, and their families— back home after much of the family had migrated north. Carrie became the anchor, hosting annual Thanksgiving weekend homecomings in McBee, South Carolina that kept the family connected and  the homestead in their sights. The JMc Family Palmetto Society, formally established in the late 1970s after her daughter Lorraine “Sis” O’Neil received a dream urging her to “Keep the family together”. We continue that sacred work to this day as Sis instructed “Keep doing what you’re doing.”. We do this because Carrie did it first—uniting her birth family, her in-laws, and many who called McBee their own.