My Grandfather, Rev. Caleb Richardson, Jr.

Like many people, I never knew my grandfather. He died long before I was born. Unlike many people, I got to know my grandfather by delving into research. I literally felt like I made a connection with Rev. Caleb Richardson, Jr. He married my grandmother, Minnie Esther Walker Richardson in 1914. Theirs was a story of love and dedication. My grandfather had lost his first wife, Aggie Bowman Richardson and left my grandfather with four young children. My grandmother accepted my grandfather's proposal to become his wife. She also accepted his children as her own. When they made the decision to leave South Carolina in 1922 to move to Philadelphia, my grandfather left first. However, he wrote to my grandmother nearly every day until she and their, now five children, joined him. I had the pleasure of knowing my grandmother, my aunts, uncles and cousins as I was growing up. There was little to know about my grandfather except for one photo of him that had been duplicated and shared. After my grandmother died in 1985, almost 50 years after my grandfather died, my sister found the stack of letters in the bottom of an old trunk. What a treasure! It was through these letters and tons of research that I was able to learn about my grandfather. Why did I embark on this journey into the past? Believe it or not, it was a request from my grandfather. One day, as I was walking past his photo, I felt compelled to stop. I looked deeply into the eyes of the photograph, and then I felt in my spirit a message. I received the words from my grandfather, "Please do not let me be forgotten." Although I felt it strange to receive a message from the grandfather I never knew, I was certain that I must honor his request. So, after completely immersing myself into learning about Rev. Caleb Richardson, Jr., I wrote the book, "My Dearest Minnie." This book tells his story, my grandmother's story of many of the dear members of the Richardson/Bowman Family. I feel that I accomplished a very important mission. Because of "My Dearest Minnie," Rev. Caleb Richardson, Jr. will not be forgotten.