On a wall of the ground floor in the building which houses the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., in Nashville, Tennessee is a large picture frame containing at least three hundred pictures. The pictures are of ministers and others from many parts of the United States who had association with SSPB during the early years of its existence. MEMORIAL 300 is at the top of the frame. Members of the MORRIS MEMORIAL BUILDING COMMITTEE are also pictured and named. Two of the other individuals pictured are identified as Rev. R.L. Varnado and Rev. W.L. Varnado of Mississippi. The dates posted with the pictures are 1923-1925, and 1926. The Varnado names also appear on the opposite wall in recognition of contributions and services provided by the ministers.

Efforts have been made since about the mid-1990s to determine if the two Mississippi Varnado Ministers are related to the Varnado Family of my Pike County Mississippi Genealogical Research. Not yet have I been able to connect them directly to the family of Charlie Varnado, Sr., son of Harry Varnado. However, with the assistance of Rev. Willie B. Varnado, Jr., it has been determined that the two ministers are Rev. Robert L. Varnado, Sr. (1883-1974) and Rev. Willie L. Varnado (1879-1975), sons of Ransom Varnado of Pike County. The 1870 Amite County Mississippi Census shows Ransom most likely as a son of Robert and Tempie Varnado. The 1870 Census Documents do not show relationships.

Others from Mississippi pictured as part of the Memorial 300 are Rev. J.W. Gayden, Rev. C.A. Greer, Rev. D.W. Higgins, Rev. J.A. Marshall, Rev. J.J. Overstreet, Rev. R.T. Sims, Mrs. R.T. Sims, Rev. C.T. Stamps, Rev. C.P. Bohannon, Rev. A.B. Bolden, Rev. A.A. Costley, Mrs. A.A. Costley and Rev. J.S. Drew.

Many thanks to SSPB for showing the pictures! Special thanks to the Reverend Dr. Kelly Miller Smith, Jr., and his Executive Assistant, Ms. Vera L. Mays, for approval to share the pictures with visitors to this site who are interested in family history and genealogical research!

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This album is developed and maintained by Willie L. Robinson.

615-876-1852 (Home) 615-498-6074 (Cell)

Date Created: March 13, 2012 - Updated: April 14, 2012

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