Local historian Bruce Williams watches while Jeanne Beharry speaks about the experiences of her enslaved ancestors, Ed and Angeline Duson, during a speech in front of the South Harrison student body. She grew up in Kansas City, Kan., and spent many summers in Bethany visiting her uncle, Bert McGregor, another descendant of the slaves. She now is pastor emeritus of an A.M.E. Methodist Church in Los Angeles.
Descendants of Ed and Angeline Duson gather at the tombstone of the Dusons who were slaves in service to Dr. John Ford at his home in Bethany prior to the Civil War. Their grave is surrounded by new monuments honoring other members of the Duson family who are buried at Miriam Cemetery.
Bethany, MO: The family of an enslaved couple, Ed and Melisa Angeline Duson, and the descendants of their pre-Civil War master, Dr. John Ford, gathered in Bethany for a weekend of reconciliation that took place at several locations around the community.–By Phil Conger