A deceased woman who was once enslaved has finally received a proper burial more than a century after her death.
Students at the all-girls Academy at Penguin Hall in Andover, Massachusetts, were instructed to select a subject to research for their class on enslaved women. During their studies, the girls encountered the story of Lucy Foster, reports WCVB.
Born into slavery in 1767, a four-year-old Foster was given to Hannah and Jacob Foster as a slave and “wedding gift.” Lucy was finally freed when she was 16 years old but she eventually returned to the Foster household to care for an ailing Hannah. When Hannah died, Foster inherited an acre of land, a cow and an unspecified amount of money.
Historians discovered an unusually large number of dishes and pans at her home and believe Foster ran a tavern to support herself. Her house may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, according to CNN.
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When she died in 1845, Foster was buried in an unmarked grave.
The students were touched by the story and decided to honor the late Foster's memory by raising money to buy a tombstone. The girls spoke to a historian and anthropologist to figure out where to erect the slab and determine how the inscription should read. Slate artist Michael Updike stepped up to design and carve the engraving.
"Born into captivity in Boston. Came to her freedom in Andover," it reads. "Known by God and her community."
Since the location of the corpse is unknown, the class buried notes they wrote to Lucy.
“We have spent all this time talking about Lucy. This gives us a chance to talk to Lucy," student Elise Welch told CNN.
The class hosted a memorial on Saturday at a local church.
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