During those years a budding romance developed between my grandmother and "The Prince." They later married, even though there were laws and strong feelings against mixed marriages. So they lived a simple quiet hardworking life apart from the larger community. They took his last name Banneka and did little to bring attention to themselves.

They had four daughters: Mary, Katherine, Esther and Jemima. The oldest, Mary, who was my mother, was born around 1700. Not too long after all four girls had been born, my grandfather, "The Prince," died. That left Big Mama to raise the family by herself.