Ephriam Neal's land in Hopkins. According to Cousin Wilhelmina Neal Prioleau who was born in 1905, "Aunt Penny DeVeaux married a Walker and went off from around here for awhile."

Census records not only list names, they imply stories of family events. The April 1910 SC Census lists Penny (b. 1850), her spouse, and son residing with a daughter in another county. The following month, the family reappeared in the Richland County Census with a granddaughter added to the household. One could surmise that Penny went to the bedside of an ailing daughter for a period. There are no further records of Penny's daughter; perhaps she died early.

Tracing the emancipated DeVeaux- Neal family from Kingsville has been a rewarding challenge. A descendant of plantation owner J. Neal reported she discovered in the South Carolina archive records that her ancestral uncle sold land to Joshua DeVeaux (b. 1840) near Eastover. We speculate that Joshua worked the land and later purchased it. DeVeaux family members still reside in the area, and some family even now farm the land.

Joshua DeVeaux had a twin brother, Caleb (b. 1840). Atypical of twins, Caleb Neal migrated to the Privateer area in Sumter County. Amazingly, Caleb eventually purchased over 500 acres, and the majority of this land still remains with the family.

Caleb's son, Joshua Neal Sr. (b. 1878), founded a school and church on the land. The name associated with both is St. James. Joshua Neal Jr., now in his 80s, confirmed that history of the school and church. The family is in the process of having the church's cemetery listed on the National Register Properties in South Carolina.

Why Ephraim Neal (1844- 1905) migrated to Hopkins after being emancipated in 1863 is surmised to be tied to the proverbial "40 acres and a mule." Forty- two acre land tracts were purchased by the South Carolina Land Commission and sold to freedmen at a meager price plus interest.

Ephraim settled in Hopkins with his wife, Eliza Eikerenkoetter Neal (1850- c. 1910), who was said to be from Beaufort. How Eliza came to meet and marry Ephraim and from which plantation she came, is yet to be deciphered. Some Neal family members have met the "charismatic" television evangelist who has the same Eikerenkoetter surname and is called "Rev. Ike" for short. Kin from that family branch did attend an earlier DeVeaux- Neal family reunion.

The story written in the 1978 reunion program was that Eliza's father was a German nobleman. At one reunion, Eikerenkoetter gave a performance as colorful as would the TV preacher. She recited a poem with at least 40 verses! It is well remembered. It was a very hot July 4th, and there were only a few electric fans.

Later in 1881, Ephraim bought an additional 74 and a half acres from the Swygert family of Lexington, S.C. According to family lore, Ephraim farmed, cut and sold lumber from his first 40 plus acres, and worked clearing trees for the railroad companies. Neal family members still own the land and marvel how a former slave could have amassed the $188 required to purchase the land. No family member has ever stated knowledge of the promised mule, though.