Melvinia “Mattie” Shields McGruder was born enslaved in South Carolina in 1844. At age 6 she was brought to the nearby Shields farm in what is now Rex, Clayton County, Georgia. Her family endured a five-generation journey that began in oppression and led to her descendant becoming First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama. Their story is one of hope. Melvinia “Mattie” Shields McGruder is buried in Kingston, Bartow County, Georgia.