I never tire of waking up to this beautiful scenery on a warm summer morning.

Yesterday as I was thinking about the blessings of my dad and my godly heritage on each side of my family – for many generations, I thought again that I am so pleased at the many young farmers who own the properties surrounding us, meaning this will stay farmland for a long time – if they have anything to say about it. When I talk about young farmers, many around us are in their 30’s and 40’s.

For some reason I began thanking the Lord for the young farmer couple, Conrad and Callie, who recently purchased the farm to our southwest. As I thought about my great-nephew Travis (who owns the Hershey Homestead (pictured above) along with his wife and parents) and the young farmer, Conrad, I suddenly thought, “Travis and Conrad are related through the Hershey bloodline!”

I wrote this down to prove to myself that I was correct.

1. My Great-Great Grandpa John R Hershey and his wife Elizabeth bought the 136 acres of the Hershey Homestead in 1875
2. Next it was owned by my Great Grandpa Jacob G. Hershey, and his wife Annie
3. Two of Jacob and Annie’s ten children are:
   • Milton L Hershey (my grandpa) and Lizzie Hershey Longenecker
   • Their children Bruce Hershey and Carl Longenecker were cousins
   • Their children Nancy Hershey Becker and Barry Longenecker were second cousins
   • Their children Karen Becker Dull and Angie Longenecker Stoner are third cousins
   • Their children Travis Dull and Conrad Stoner are fourth cousins
     • They are the current young farmers of adjoining farms.

Most of you won’t care about or understand the following information, but somebody might enjoy it. 🙂

Added to that, Karen Dull’s sister Amy and her husband Kevin Rohrer live on the adjoining farm to the east. My sister Nancy and her husband, Marlin live on Kevin and Amy’s property, we live on land adjoining the Dull farm (which you see in the above photo), and our son Jere and his wife Kristen live on property that adjoins Conrad and Callie’s farm. Great-Grandpa John Hershey would be pleased that his bloodline have expanded his original 136 acres.

PS: Conrad Stoner came into our neighborhood when he married Callie Lehman, granddaughter of Denny and Karen Lehman who previously owned Conrad and Callie’s farm.

I find it amazing how life happens over the generations.