Clifford Wicker Buydden (14 February 1881 – 3 April 1918) was the daughter of Rachel Reno Wicker (1840 – 1910) of Ohio and William Wicker of Alabama (1836 – 1907), a Civil War veteran of the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and bricklayer. While laboring as a domestic servant for Horace and Anna Gordon of Dayton, Ohio, she met Wade James Buydden whom she later married on 25 November 1903.

Clifford had general interests in art, illustration and poetry, as well as informed interests in history and health. While living in Dayton Clifford frequently returned to Catawba, Ohio to visit her family. Clifford had several sisters with whom she corresponded, Lucie Wicker Cain (9 February 1879 – Unknown), Mary Wicker Pritchett (1872 – 1933), sister-in-law Edith Mae Cain Wicker (12 April 1878 - 15 June 1966), as well as her niece Alice Carnay (1890 – Unknown).

Wade James Buydden (1 September 1876 – 27 April 1949), an African-American attorney in early twentieth century Dayton, Ohio, was the son of Sarah Lawrence Buydden of Ohio and Rufus Buydden of Santo Domingo. Wade studied law at Ohio State University and was admitted to the bar in 1904. As evinced by his own letters and a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher, Wade had a Latin education and frequently drew on it in his writings. He was also interested in freemasonry and trying to improve the lives of his fellow African-Americans.

Following Clifford’s death in 1918, Wade spent twenty-seven years as a widower before remarrying Erva Byrd Watkins (1910 – Unknown) on 7 September 1945. Clifford and Wade had three children who predeceased them, Sarah Rachel Buydden (1905 – 1907), an unnamed child (1907 – 1907), and Candace Buydden (1909 -1917). Wade additionally had several brothers with whom he corresponded, Joseph Buydden, James Buydden, Ulysses Buydden, and Clarence Buydden.