The Diaspora

The news of their arrival was a very pleasant surprise for Charles who longed to be reunited with his childhood neighbors. The family landed at Lansing airport in two Northwest Airlines planes between 7:00 and 9:00 P.M. a far distance from Port-au-Prince. The winter season was fast approaching that presented an enormous challenge for the Garderes to acclimate themselves to the cold weather with the exception of the eldest Ketly who had attended college on a scholarship to Harvard. She was a brilliant student who exemplified the character of this immigrant family. Upon graduation in 1965 Ketly had returned to her native land to marry her teenage sweetheart. She, her husband and three children would join the entire family in 1975. These ambitious members of the Diaspora would make their mark in the years to come.