DALLAS, N.C. - The 2024 National Costner Family Reunion will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Philadelphia Lutheran Church, 1910 Philadelphia Church Road, Dallas, North Carolina.

Cousins from across the United States are already making travel plans.  All Costner / Kastner descendants and relatives are invited to join their relatives.  Bring photos, stories and news clippings of your family.  Don't forget your camera! Also bring a favorite dish or two.

The pioneer Costner, George Adam Kastner, who was born in Germany, lived in the Southern Rhine Country in Germany, traveled to our United States on the ship, Patience, in 1748.  After arriving in Pennsylvania, Adam and his family migrated to present day North Carolina.  He settled in the Old Tryon area where he started the Kastner Church.  He became the first person to be buried in the Kastner Cemetery.

After the Kastner Church (renamed Philadelphia in 1776 or 1867) was destroyed in a flood in July of 1916, members began fellowshipping a few miles away with the existing Philadelphia Lutheran Church built in 1917.

Adam's eight children married into the Fritz, Brooks, Rudisill, Dellinger, Barringer, Rhyne and Hoyle families.  Descendants of Adam Kastner and their families have multiplied vastly and spread all across the United States and even further.  All descendants of these families are invited back to the area where Adam Kastner once lived, worked and worshiped.

Our 2024 National Costner Reunion will begin at 9 a.m.  You can meet and greet and share with cousins, new and old.  When you sign in and receive your name label, please provide correct contact information in the guest register.  We want to keep in touch.  Lunch for this reunion will be provided by each of you with covered dishes and begins at 12 p.m. Our pioneer ancestor, Adam Kastner, was known as a Master Baker.  You could honor Adam Kastner by bringing a favorite family dish.  There’s always a table with free handouts available for everyone.  You are welcome to share your recipes too.

Our guest speakers this year are from our Costner family.  At 10 a.m., Richard Fudge of Sugar Mountain, N.C. will be presenting a program on his knowledge and photos of Edenkoben, Germany.  Richard has traveled to Germany numerous times and has actually lived in Germany. Richard will focus on Edenkoben as it is now and during the time which Adam Kastner and his family lived in Edenkoben.  At 10:30ish a.m., also sharing with us is Keith Stone of Winston-Salem, N.C.  Keith has put a lot of time and talent into creating a searchable website for Costner relatives. He has also been digitizing records for Gaston / Lincoln Genealogy Society.

At 11:45 a.m. just before gathering for our Noon meal, we’ll assemble for a group photo. A photo booth will be available during the day for individuals and families to make souvenir photos.

Also present throughout the day will be Keith Norris who assisted with the research for the George Adam Kastner book published in 1998. Bring your questions for Keith and other researchers.

Once again before the day ends, we hope to journey back to the Adam Kastner Cemetery around 3 p.m.  Remember to bring good walking shoes and insect repellants. We will need to car pool with vehicles which can travel thru fields.

Sometime throughout the day or the week, you might like to visit the Gaston County Museum where the Kastner Bible will be on display.  The museum is located at 131 West Main Street, Dallas NC and their hours are Tuesday thru Friday, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturday, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Adam Kastner's Bible contains wood art to depict Biblical scenes.  In 2008, the Gaston Museum began selling limited edition prints of the wood art from the Kastner Bible.  There are currently 7 limited edition prints available.  A new limited edition print will be available for this year.  All 7 limited edition prints will be available at the National Costner Family Reunion on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

If you have authored any books, you are welcome to bring your books for others to purchase.  If anyone has extra copies of the Adam Kastner book authored by Charles Costner, please bring those too.  There's always someone looking for a copy to purchase.

Current officers of the National Costner Family Reunion are President, Todd Cloninger of Dallas, NC; Vice-President, Mary Atkins of White Pine, TN and James Rudisill of Waco, NC (deceased); Secretary / Treasurer, Vickie Costner Rudasill of Lawndale, NC.

Please contact one of us by phone or email for questions or more details.  Todd Cloninger may be reached at 704-922-4076 or by email at ToddCloninger@yahoo.com.  Mary Atkins may be reached at meoatkins@att.net.  Vickie Costner Rudasill may be reached at 704-538-3292, or by email at costnerreunion@earthlink.net.

Directions to Philadelphia Lutheran Church may be found on their website, www.philadelphialutheran.org.