If you didn't make it to the reunion this year you missed a really great weekend. It was held on July 25th and 26th, Saturday and Sunday, at several sites in Franklin County, Henry County, and Patrick County, Virginia. Saturday's events included a driving tour of historic homesteads and old cemeteries as well time for sharing photos and documents, and a presentation on recent research on the family history. Sunday's events included the traditional annual potluck luncheon, swimming and good times at the park, a brief business meeting, and lots of time for meeting and greeting.
photo by J. Rogers
We met early Saturday morning and headed north from Henry County with carloads of people for a driving tour through the hills and curvy roads of Franklin County. Our first stop was a beautiful 2 story log home built by either Shadrack Turner or his descendant around 1780 in Henry, Virginia known as "Kings Grant". The home remained in the Turner family until 1968, when it was purchased by Dr. Harry Lee King, a Turner descendant, and reconstructed as his home. Many thanks to Frank King who graciously allowed us to visit the grounds as well as the interior of this National Historic Register site.
photo by J. Rogers
Though Exonia never lived in this house, Exonia's great aunt Ruth Prillaman did. Ruth, daughter of John "Jack" Prillaman and Sarah Grayson, married Stephen Turner in 1832 and lived in the home for 47 years. Here they farmed and raised eight children. Those eight children married into the Philpott, Pyrtle, Turner, Shumate, Pace, Eggleton, and Cahill families. While Ruth and Stephen were living in the home, Stoneman's troops came by and ransacked the home for food, supplies and valuables but fortunately did no personal harm to the family. Ruth's older sister Rachel Prillaman Dyer probably visited often as she lived nearby at Town Creek. Rachel and her husband Joseph Dyer had migrated to Missouri but after Joseph died, Rachel returned to Virginia with four children to be near her extended family. Ruth, Rachel and Exonia all descend from Daniel Prillaman, b. 1759 who lived just a few miles away.
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