The story of one Savannah woman’s journey from slavery to freedom will be told next month in St. Joseph.

The story of Adeline will be the topic of a presentation on Thursday, June 9, at the Black Archives Museum of the St. Joseph Museums. Adeline, a slave in Savannah, Mo., was present when Abraham Lincoln debated political opponent Stephen Douglas in 1858. With the North’s victory in the American Civil War, she became free, but chose to stay with the family to which she had been sold. The featured speaker for the program will be award winning author and storyteller Dr. Gladys Caines-Coggswell, who will tell the tale of Adeline’s amazing life in the first person, tracing her journey from slavery to freedom.

Dr. Caines-Coggswell has been named a master storyteller by the Missouri Folk Arts Program. Her previous awards include honorary life membership from the National Association of Black Storytellers, the 2005 Missouri Arts Council’s Individual Artist of the Year award, and the 2005 Griot Award from the St. Louis Black Museum. Her book Stories from the Heart: Missouri’s African American Heritage received the Missouri Humanities Council’s Outstanding Achievement in Literacy award in 2010.

The story of Adeline will be presented at the Black Archives Museum, 3406 Frederick Avenue, St. Joseph, Missouri, at 6 p.m. It is open to the public and admission is free.