Bethany Veney Headstone Unveiling Event

Greetings,

We are the living descendants of our great-great grandmother, Bethany Veney, who was born into slavery in Luray, VA, 1813. In 1858, after negotiations with her enslaver for the freedom of herself and her five year old child, Bethany moved to Worcester, MA. In 1889 she her life story was a published and archived at the Worcester Antiquarian Society, where it was discovered almost a century later by her great grand daughter, Charlotte Wilson Carlton. Her life has been the subject of many historians. In two separate events 2022 and 2023 her life was commemorated by civic organizations in Luray, Virginia. We want to do the same in Worcester, a community where she spent more than half of her life, having lived until the age of 103. Bethany was buried in Hope Cemetery. Over the years her headstone disappeared. On October 5, 2024, we will unveil her new headstone, accompanied with commemorations and presentations from family members, officials, and community members. We have raised money for the headstone and installment and now we are raisings funds to cover expenses of the surrounding events on October 5th. Please consider a donation of any size, and just as importantly, familiarize yourself with the extraordinary woman who refused to accept a life of slavery for herself and her family. We continue to be inspirited by her indomitable spirit. Engraved on her new headstone is Born enslaved, but her soul was never in bondage. Feel free to view Worcester Gazette Interview about Bethany Veney.