1 lb. dried Navy or Great Northern beans
End of ham or 1 lb. cooked ham
2 qts. water
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 to 4 ribs celery, chopped
6 to 8 sprigs parsley
3 tbsp. butter
Salt & pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. flour

Soak beans overnight. Slowly cook beans with ham in 2 quarts water, covered, for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Chop onions, carrots, celery and parsley and cook slowly in butter until tender. Season to taste. Add sugar. Remove ham from beans. Cut into chunks and return to beans. Add vegetable mixture, season to taste. Cook together for 30 minutes. To thicken, make a paste with flour and water; add to soup, cook slowly for about 30 minutes.