Hi, I'm not aware of any relationship between African Americans and Mennonites other than, African Americans were generally poor and Mennonites would allow non-Mennonites to be buried in their cemeteries, and they didn't charge anything. There is a black Civil War soldier buried at River Hill Mennonite Church in Conestoga, one of his descendents told me his grave is slightly removed from the rest of the burials in that cemetery. Another Civil War soldier is buried at the Millersville Mennonite Cemetery, he is Benjamin Epps (any relation to you ?) He was born in 1835 in either Virginia, Maryland (depending on the census you look it) or prossibly Washington, D.C. He served in the Mass. 54th (according to the 1890 U.S. Federal Census of Veterans and Widows of Civil War soldiers, but doesn't appear on any of the lists of soldiers who served in the 54th, maybe he used an alias). He married a Millersville girl (I forget her maiden name but they show up on the census, there are few African Americans in Millersville. He was a coal merchant in Millersville and I've heard one of his sons was the first African Americans to graduate from the State Normal School at Millersville (now Millersville University), I haven't seen this first hand. Benjamin died in 1917, according to his tombstone but he may have died earlier, and is buried at the Mennonite Cemetery in Millersville. As to African American and Mennonites you might try emailing Dr. Leroy Hopkins of Millersville University, he African American, chairman of the German Department and interested in the relationship between African Americans and Germans. He grew up locally so he may have picked up information on the relationship between Mennonites and African Americans. I don't have his email address but you can find it by going to the Millersville University web page, click on Faculty and then the German department. I do the web page for the Conestoga Area Historical Society and have done research on African Americans for our page. Benjamin Epps and others are listed on our page of Civil War soldiers. http://www.rootsweb.com/~pacahs/index.htm Jim Timothy Epp <tepp@redeemer.ca> wrote: Hi! I'm the professor of Sociology at Redeemer University College in Canada. I'm currently conducting research on Mennonite-Black connections in the US and Canada beginning in the late 17th century, and continuing to the present day. Can anyone direct me to any resources (printed material, knowledgeable persons) on this topic? Thanks, My e-mail is: tepp@redeemer.on.ca Timothy D. Epp Assistant Professor, Sociology Redeemer University College 777 Garner Rd. E. Ancaster, Ontario L9K 1J4 Fax: 905-648-2134 ==== PALANCAS Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe first check and see if you are getting list or digest mode then e-mail PALANCAS-L-request@rootsweb.com or PALANCAS-D-request@rootsweb.com with unsubscribe in message. --------------------------------- Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out.