Sunday October 1, 2006

 

 Sauder Heritage Tour

Saturday Morning

 

We have been looking forward to this day since the Sauder Reunion (Cerwin’s mother’s family) September 2005. 

After listening to some of Uncle John’s stories, one of Cerwin’s cousins said, “We should rent a bus and go on a heritage tour before these stories are lost.”

 

About fifty uncles, aunts, and cousins met in New Holland at 8:30 AM to go on a tour with Uncle John Sauder narrating.

 

A Few Highlights From Our Heritage Tour

It is believed the Sauders came from the area around Zurich, Switzerland.

 

This is where Cerwin’s great, great, grandparents, George H. (1827-1894) and Judith Sauder (1829-1910) lived.

 

This is another view of the house.  They raised nine children here.

 

In those days travel was almost totaly done by walking or horse and carriage, similar to this one that was on the road yesterday.  (However, the roads were not paved in those days!)

 

Cerwin’s great grandmother Barbara Sauder moved here after her husband Martin died in 1894 at the age of 36 years and 5 months.  Barbara raised their six children here, including Cerwin’s grandpa Michael M. Sauder.

 

They were buried in the graveyard of the Weaverland Mennonite Church – a current Wenger Mennonite (horse and buggy) Church.

 

Martin and Barbara Sauder’s tombstones.

 

A Few Interesting Scenes at the  Church

 

Sheds for the horses.

 

Hitching posts in front of another horse shed.

 

The interior of the church (through a window).  Notice the simple, open back benches.

 

Getting ready to board the bus for the last half of the tour.

 

Uncle John Sauder (age 90 years & 10 months) was our narrator, along with the help of his youngest brother Luke (age 73 & 9 months).

 

The Last Half of the Tour

 

 A view inside the bus.  Aunt Naomi is on the front left.  Her age is 85 years and 10 months.

 

This is the farm where Cerwin’s mother was raised. 

Grandpa Michael and Grandma Anna Sauder bought this sixty-three acre farm in 1924 for $13,500.00.  Uncle John said you could plow the whole farm without hitting a rock.  A lot of buildings have been added and today is located in a prime farming area.  It is worth more than a million dollars.  We don’t know the current owners.

We never knew the farm was so close to our Amish friends Amos and Linda – where we visited a few weeks ago.  It is the farm to their immediate east.

 

This is my favorite picture from the morning tour, probably because all the buildings we saw this morning have been upgraded.

As we were slowly driving around the farm, and Uncle John was telling childhood stories, he said, “Up ahead there used to be a field lane where we walked to…it’s still there!  This is the lane we used to walk to Hollow School.”

 

Hollow School

This one-room school is similar to the one they attended.  It was built on the same spot after the original burned down.  It appears that it is currently used as an Amish school.

 

Signing up for Uncle John’s fifty-page memoir.

 

Left to Right:  Uncle Luke & Aunt Willa Mae Sauder; Uncle Amos Sauder (Aunt Ruth is deceased); Aunt Naomi Martin (Uncle Isaac is deceased).  Cerwin’s Mother Ella High (Elvin is deceased); Aunt Edna Sauder – in wheelchair (Uncle Aaron is deceased); and Uncle John Sauder and Aunt Bertha.  Aunt Alice Newswanger and her husband Roy are both deceased, as are Aunt Laura High and her husband John David.

 

Cousins taking pictures of their parents, aunts, and uncles.

It was a morning to treasure.