I am sorry it has been so quiet over here on my blog! Here is the reason - we have been traveling in Europe; the trip of a lifetime. For five lovely weeks we enjoyed the countries of Germany, Sweden, Norway and Iceland. The biggest motivation for this trip was to meet newly discovered relatives in Germany; certainly a highlight for me as I have been researching my genealogy for about 20 years. We are so thankful for the warm welcome this group of folks gave us as they took upon themselves to share themselves with us for 4 days, thinking of what may be of interest to us. It was fabulous and I am still just basking in the glow of the experience. Words cannot adequately express what those days meant to me. Thank you, thank you!
So here is the big reason for the trip - the gentleman in the red jacket next to me and I are related to each other. He would be my my "second cousin, twice removed" which may sound like no big deal to you but to ME it was a very big deal. Very. My great great grandfather Adam Herlich left his village of Sehlen, Hessen, Germany in 1857 as a young 16 year old man and immigrated into New York City. Adam's youngest sibling, a sister named Helene, was born a few years after he left and we believe that they never met. When I began researching I had no idea if Helene grew up to adulthood and if she did and married, what her surname would be after marriage. Last year, 2015, with the help of a good contact in Germany (now a good friend), Helene's marriage was learned and I then located her grandson still living in the same small village of my ancestor's birth. To meet him in person felt like coming full circle for the siblings Adam and Helene. It was wonderful.
We ate together. Often.
We walked the village.
And photographed the homes.
We toured the city of Marburg.
And posed for more pictures.
We attended my ancestor's church in Grusen.
And walked the cemetery.
We ate brats!
And wiener schnitzel.
It was hard to say good-bye...
And to this gal - my heartfelt appreciation and thanks!!
(more posts of the trip coming; next up, the village of Odenbach and more wonderful relatives.)
