Descendants of Jeremiah Gardner and Clarrisa (Leflore) all gathered at Old Church in Bennington, Oklahoma on Sunday June 15, 2025. The Gardner family and friends’ reunion has taken place on Father’s Day for 72 years. Father’s Day is an important day for all family’s as it’s a day to spend time with one of the most important people in your life.
In attendance were 55 people including children. Mary Perkins received an award for oldest living family member. She is 99 years old and the daughter of late Nora Lee Pettey (Gardner), who was an original enrollee on the Dawes Commission rolls for the Choctaw Nation. Hudson Ingram was awarded youngest family member. Hudson was 7 weeks old at the time of the reunion. He is the son of Kristen and Bryce Ingram. Vickie and Terri Gardner received an award for farthest traveled. Vickie and Terri drove from Lubbock, Texas. They are the descendants of Martin Luther Gardner. Harold Gardner was awarded largest family. He is the son of late Roscoe Gardner.
The present slated officers were re-elected: David Gardner, President; Tyler Gardner, Vice President; Pearl Seaboy (Gardner), Secretary.
The Gardner family has a Newsletter that will be coming out the end of June 2025 for Gardner family member to keep updated. To sign up for the newsletter you are encouraged to email gardnerfamilyandfriendsreunion@gmail.com
The Gardner family would like to invite family and friends to next year’s reunion on June 21, 2026. The reunion will take place at Old Bennington Presbyterian Church in Bennington, Oklahoma. The church started out as a Presbyterian Indian Mission Church. The Gardner family has had strong ties to the church grounds for decades and is part of the reason they host the reunion at the church.
