Vanceboro
Vanceboro is a small town in Craven County known for its close-knit community and quiet, rural charm. Located just outside of New Bern, it offers a slower pace and a strong connection to land, family, and tradition. Towns like Vanceboro hold generations of stories, where family ties are rooted not just in people, but in place.
New Bern
New Bern is a historic waterfront city and one of the oldest towns in the state, founded in 1710. Located at the meeting point of the Neuse and Trent Rivers, it offers beautiful views, walkable streets, and a rich cultural history.
Visitors can explore landmarks like Tryon Palace, enjoy local shops and restaurants downtown, and learn about the city’s role in early American history. New Bern is also known as the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, adding a unique detail to its story.
Craven County
Craven County is the broader region that surrounds New Bern and reflects the natural beauty and heritage of eastern North Carolina. The county includes rivers, farmland, and nearby access to the Croatan National Forest, offering opportunities for outdoor exploration and quiet reflection.
With deep historical roots and a strong sense of community, Craven County provides the cultural and geographic backdrop for many of the stories and connections that bring families together across generations.
Relevance to the Bland Family
For the descendants of Johnnie Bland and Penny Elizabeth Pugh Bland, this region is more than a destination—it is home in the deepest sense of the word. The land, the roads, and the surrounding communities of Craven County and Vanceborohold the history of our family’s roots, relationships, and resilience across generations.
New Bern serves as a gathering place where we come together, but our connection extends beyond the city into the spaces where our family lived, worked, and built a legacy. This reunion is not only a time to reconnect with one another, but also an opportunity to honor the places that shaped our family’s story and continue to ground us today.
Bland Family Reunion 