Overview

Left destitute after the Civil War by the death of David Winfree, her former master and the father of her children, Emily Winfree underwent unimaginable hardships to keep her family together. Living with them in the tiny cottage he had given her, she worked menial jobs to make ends meet until the children were old enough to contribute. Her sacrifices enabled the successes of many of her descendants. Authors Jan Meck and Virginia Refo tell the true story of this remarkable African American woman who lived through enslavement, war, Reconstruction and Jim Crow in Central Virginia. The book is enriched with copies of many original documents, as well as personal recollections from a great-granddaughter of Emily's. The story concludes with pictures and biographies of some of her descendants.

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9781467150507

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Dr. Jan Meck and Virginia Refo are both native Virginians and long-term residents of Richmond. Dr. Meck is a retired NASA scientist, and Virginia Refo is a retired foster care and adoption social worker as well as an experienced genealogist. Since retirement, they have been docents and researchers at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and received the Volunteers of the Year Award in 2019 for their work on this book. Dr. Meck also gives a free tour titled African American Heroes of Richmond.

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