Monday October 23, 2006

Another Heritage Trip

Those who read my site, may remember that Cerwin and I went on a Sauder heritage tour the other week with a busload of aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

There were a few places where the bus could not travel, and since Cerwin’s youngest sister Doris is here, and could not go on the first tour (they live in Minnesota), a few of us decided to visit several places before she and her family travel home.

Seeing this field lane the other week – at the farm where Mother lived until age 16 – left me wanting to explore it, and Mother wanted to get a closer look at the buildings.

After driving in the main lane (on the other side of the buildings), I went to the house to inform the Amish residents what we were doing there!  Mother said, after 73 years, not very much looked familiar – except the main barn (with the silo behind it).  Many other buildings have been added.

Then we decided to be brave and drive out the field lane – the same one Mother and her siblings walked on to go to school.  It looked quite different from a few weeks ago – as the corn has been harvested.  (I took this photo from the middle of the field, while the first one – taken a few weeks ago was taken from the road – near the tree.

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The view of the school from the lane.  Today it is an Amish school.  We would have liked to stop, as all the children were outside for recess, but after the Amish shooting the other week, didn’t think it was a good idea.

From there we went to the graveyard where Mother’s parents are buried.

We were surprised to see the tombstone of Cerwin’s sister, Thelma, who died in 1946 – as her remains have been transferred to the place where Daddy is buried.

Left to right:  Cerwin’s sisters Doris and Velda, Mother, and Doris’ daughters Judi and Juanita.

Our last heritage stop was the house where Grandma Sauder Groff and her second husband, Elam Groff lived.  I remembered visiting here in the early years of our marriage.

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After this we returned to current life by shopping at Wal-Mart, a Reuzit Shop, and having lunch at a local restaurant.