2003 Vardeman, Holmes & Stephenson Family Reunion

4-6 July 2003 - Crab Orchard, Kentucky

Rededication Ceremony

Reenactments: Militia, Daniel Boone, Rev. Jeremiah Vardeman

Holmes Descendants

(d. 1789) Descendants

Descendants

Fun activities: Catching fireflies and frogs, balloon fights and 19th  century period games

Crab Orchard Baptist Church where

pastored in the late 1700s and early 1800s

written by Larry Vardiman

"I was 35 in 2003 when my family drove across half the United States from San Diego, California to Crab Orchard, Kentucky in our R.V. for the extended Vardeman family reunion.  It lasted for three days during the 4th of July weekend and included several reenactments from a militia to Daniel Boone to Reverend Jeremiah Vardeman's connection to the notorious James gang.  My Uncle David coordinated it all with the help of our distant cousin, Jack Vardaman, long-time genealogist.  I was impressed and fascinated by the quality of the program they put together even having little details like a bluegrass band playing during our festivities and a reenactment group camped under a tree with 19th period games for the kids to play. There were so many high lights but one of the purposes of our get together was to rededicate the Cedar Creek cemetery that had to be moved from Vardeman property for the man-made Cedar Creek Lake to be put in.  Uncle David coordinated with the University of Kentucky's Archeology department and followed the process as archeology students excavated our family's ancestral graves, and researched our family and neighbors "19th-century Kentucky population through the analysis of human skeletal material". Uncle David met with several family genealogists like Jack Vardaman and Gary Vardaman and supplied me with photos and documentation to populate this website for our family to stay informed of the progress. This website has continued to grow over the years as there are still plenty of documents to make available to the extended Vardeman family in hopes of preventing someone from redoing the same research one of us has already done.  If you have anything to contribute please email me at michelle@fansler.us."