Roots

When I was in high school, I did NOT like history class.  At all!  Now that I am older, I really enjoy reading historical novels - and knowing the history of my ancestral roots too.

Grandpa and Grandma Voran

I have this photo below in one of our guest rooms in the basement.  Our grandchildren call it the "dead room" because I have photos of ancestors who have passed on the walls.

Johann and Anna Goering, Allen's great-grandparents

Peter and Marie Goering, Allen's great-great grandmother and her first husband, who passed away.  She then married a Daniel Graber and Allen is decended from a child from that 2nd marriage.

Chris and Anna Graber, Allen's grandmother on his mother's side.

Christian and Dinah Hofstetter

(My mother's side, also from Switzerland, but this side of the family emmigrated directly from Switzerland to the United States.)

I have worked on putting together ancestry books on both sides of my parents and also of Allen's parents.  Al's parents and my dad share many of the same people.  Al and I are 3rd cousins; Allen is even a 3rd cousin to himself as his parents are 2nd cousins!  We say we do not have a family tree - we have a family bush!

I really enjoy the show "Finding Your Roots" on PBS.  Just fascinating.  Oh the twists and turns of the stories!

Last weekend, my distant relative, Jeanette and I went to a workshop at the Eden Mennonite church entitled "Travels to Ancestral Lands". 

Our ancestors are from Switzerland.

Unfortunately, there was persecution for Anabaptists, those who chose adult baptism.  They were drowned in the rivers,

put in prison,

some died there.

Some were burned at the stake.

Many met in hidden caves to worship in secret.

Our ancestors, the Volhynian Mennonites, decided to flee to what is today France.  Some choose to stay in Switzerland and France, and we can find relation there to this day.  We visited with one of our distant cousins in Tramelon, Switzerland.

The registry in the church in Montbeliard lists our ancestors.

From France, they moved on to Prussia, which now includes Poland, Ukraine, Russia.

Here is a picture of the group who took a tour several years ago.  My friend, Shirley (whose husband, Jim is my relative) was on this tour.  I would love to do this tour, however,  we would not be able to go to Ukraine now.  I asked if any tours are planned in other areas, but unfortunately, not at this time.

A genealogical chart of Mossi (Moses) Georing popped up on the slide show.  I had never seen this before so I was glad to get a picture!

I highlighted my husband's line up to his grandma.

Edna Ruth Goering, Allen's grandmother, is the last in line on that chart.  She was not married at that time.

After the workshop, Jeanette and I went to the Hopefield Mennonite cemetery.  (My Dad pastored that church for a while before moving to Japan in 1951.)

Another Peter Voran; not my Dad.  But my great-grandfather!

The white flags indicated those who came over on ship in 1874.

This guy was a douser, or water-witcher.  I found out several years ago that it is something I can do also.  Well, I've only done it once, but it did work!

But I had no idea that you can not only douse for water, but you can find graves from disturbed ground!  This guy has also been able to find lost Indian trails.

The first 3-4 rows of this cemetary, the markings for the bodies buried there rotted, so he was finding where the burials were and flagging them.

Pretty interesting stuff.

Of course, many people can't know their ancestry for one reason or another.  But you CAN know your Heavenly Father and that He created you, loves you, and has a plan and a future for you!  You have family, you belong!

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"

We all die.  No getting out of it, unless we are raptured.  Are you ready for eternity?