4This is the story of one family of former slaves and Free People of Color who left the South after the Civil War to settle in the Midwest. Not much has been written about such ordinary families of African Americans who struggled in an extraordinary era to overcome obstacles that challenged their values and efforts to succeed. The attitudes and practices which influenced this family's actions, however, are not uncommon to other cultures. Indeed, the discoveries that may surface in this account may simply remind us of a deeper human connection to be nourished.