Family History Honor and Legacy

My mother, Veronica Peters Jones b 1934 used to climb the cherry trees in her grand parents orchard.  She and her cousins would eat cherries and then fall out of the trees.   LoL Her grandfather was John Henry Peters 1881 - 1960 Her grandmother, Ella Ashby Peters 1882 - 1978 They owned property on Seminary Hill in Alexandria VA. At least 5 acres of the property was purchased prior to 1910.  John and Ella married in 1908  and had 7 children.  5 boys and 2 girls.  Many Black property and home owners were forced to sell during the city of Alexandria's urban development. I found this picture of my family's home on Seminary Hill  in my grandmother's photo album.  INOVA Hospital now sits where their homestead was.    In addition to the cherry orchard our family  raised cattle and hogs.   People from neighboring households would come to get milk from the cows.    It's evident that the Peters cultiva...

I w as thrilled to be a part of the Descendants’ and Black Seminarians’ weekend at  Virginia Theological Seminary.   I decided to participate in all the happenings.   On Saturday morning, April 22, 2023,  I arrived at the chapel a little late.  As I entered the chapel, the minister was reading a passage from the prophet Zechariah.   I thought of how beautiful that moment in the chapel was and how beautifully the weekend was going.   I felt deeply connected to God and to my ancestors, John Holman Peters and his father John Henry Peters , who both worked on the property of Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS).   I asked myself, “Who prayed this moment into existence?   Who prayed the beauty of these blessings on my life?” THE BLESSINGS of experiencing God in a deeply passionate way. The blessings of spending this weekend at VTS in honor of my grandfather and great-grandfather.     I imagined my ancestors walking the grounds of ...