Good afternoon, everyone -- Since John Beatty and I have probably spent more hours wading in the early Vick records than just about anyone, I would like to expand a little on Suzanne's comments and on the will of John Vick. Joseph Vick was probably a dissenting Anglican when he emigrated to Virginia. Gloucestershire was a center in the movement to purify the Anglican church of both Roman Catholic practices and Anglican clerical laxity. Southside Virginia was settled by these religious dissidents. Some were Brownists, some were dissatisfied Anglicans, some were Quakers. In subsequent generations, some Vicks did become Quakers, some became Baptists, some became Methodists, and some remained Anglican/Episcopalean. What is consistent is deep-seated religious faith from generation to generation. By the same token, a fair number of Vicks were slave owners; most were not. Enough were slave owners to produce 1) goodly number of free men of color surnamed Vick in the decades before the Civil War and 2) a goodly number of freed blacks surnamed Vick after the War. So black and white Vicks share a common heritage. That heritage is southern -- something I think we are all proud of. Perhaps our common heritage can help us put our differences behind us and building on our religious convictions (and I do mean the teachings of Jesus) and mutual respect create a "more perfect union" of North and South and of blacks and whites. We are a wonderful group of cousins. May I suggest that we now practice that fine Quaker custom of silence? When I first came to Philadelphia, I happened to become fast friends with a Quaker who lived in my building. She took me to Meeting one "first day" and I kept waiting for something to happen. I waited and waited. Nothing happened and finally a man stood up and said the Meeting was adjourned. Nancy explained to me that something had happened: all in the Meeting were at peace. I subsequently attended Meeting with her several times (she is now dead) and I came to love the peace that does seem to flow over one. So, peace to each one of my Vick cousins. Di Ann