TULPEHOCKEN 300th ANNIVERSARY TRIP - Chapter Eight - July 31 - August 2, 2023

HOMEWARD BOUND

Welcome Sign to Ephrata Cloister

Monday, July 31

Ephrata Cloister, 632 West Main Street, Ephrata PA

On Monday morning, we packed our belongings and consolidated everything into bags we could carry without too much difficulty in anticipation of our rail journey home. After a leisurely breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and headed southwest from Reading on Highway 222 towards Ephrata. We planned to look around the Ephrata Cloister before making our way to Lancaster to catch our train home in the early afternoon. 

Ephrata Cloister Historic Marker

Former Shady Nook Farm Barn Which Houses the Museum Store

Ephrata Cloister was founded by Conrad Beissel in 1732 as a religious community devoted to work, prayer, music, and self-discipline. My ancestor, Johann Gottfried Fidler, temporarily joined the Ephrata community in 1735 when he became dissatisfied with the Lutheran faith and was influenced by Beissel’s unconventional teachings. Gottfried and fellow Lutherans, Conrad Weiser and Rev. Peter Miller, were involved in a contentious dispute between the Lutheran and Moravian congregations to gain control of Reed’s Church in the Tulpehocken Valley. Beissel’s teachings appealed to the disillusioned men, and ten families of Gottfried’s church defected and were re-baptized into the Ephrata “Dunker” or German Seventh Day Adventist sect.

God's Acre Cemetery and the Weaver's House 

Grave of Peter Miller and Crypt of Conrad Beissel in God's Acre

Conrad Beissel's Gravestone Inscription

Peter Miller's Gravestone Inscription 

A day or two after their baptism, the converts gathered all the German devotional books associated with their former faith and burned them in front of the Fiddler home. However, the members of the Cloister followed rather extreme religious practices and Gottfried and his fellow converts left the congregation after a few years. By 1743, Gottfried was one of the founders of Christ Little Tulpehocken Church. Weiser also eventually left the Cloister, but Rev. Miller remained with Beissel and both are buried in the Ephrata graveyard. 

The members of the Ephrata Cloister lived, worked, and worshipped in the buildings preserved in the complex. Their food was grown and prepared onsite and residents did weaving, sewing carpentry, printing, and other work to support a self-sustaining community. Music was an important aspect of life in the Cloister and both Beissel and several women in the group were prolific composers of sacred music. A volunteer chorus still rehearses and performs music by the Cloister composers for concerts and events in the Ephrata area. Recordings of the chorus are available from the Cloister gift shop. 

Historic Marker Honoring Women Composers of Ephrata

The weather was lovely as we wandered around the perfectly maintained grounds of the Cloister. The vintage buildings were not open on Monday, but we were able to walk among some of them and read the signs explaining the age and significance of each one.

 

1743 Sister's Home or Saron 

1837 Academy Building 

Keeping an eye on the time, we decided to look for a place to pick up lunch to go and keep it until we arrived at the train station in Lancaster. As we drove down Main Street, we were impressed by the surroundings in the neat, clean, and charming little town. We soon found the Scratch Bakes Café and decided to order a takeout sandwich and cupcakes for the road from the quaint eatery.

We were due to return my rental car at noon, so we hopped back on 222 towards Lancaster and arrived at Enterprise Rent a Car in about twenty minutes. I finished our paperwork quickly and a pleasant young man gave us a ride to the rail station just down the street.

We savored our tasty lunch and then walked down to the outdoor platform to watch the Pennsylvanian pull into the station at 1:30. She arrived right on schedule and our trip home was uneventful. We had new books and documents to read during our pleasant time on the train and in the stations at Pittsburgh and Chicago. The Southwest Chief even arrived in Topeka right on time just after midnight on Wednesday morning! 

 

Crossing the Susquehanna River North of Harrisburg

Along the Susquehanna River Near Harrisburg

An Interesting Mosque on the Way to Pittsburgh

A Beautiful Bridge Near Pittsburgh

Strangest Encounter

Meeting a Train Carrying 15 Turbine Blades on Flatcars!

TULPEHOCKEN 300th ANNIVERSARY TRIP - Chapter Seven - July 30, 2023

 

SUNDAY FUNDAY!

Sunday, July 30

Bernville Road into Robesonia

Bern Reformed United Church of Christ, 3196 Bernville Road, Leesport PA

Painting of Bern Church Hanging in the Entry Hall

Sunday was the last full day of our stay in Pennsylvania, so we were up early and ready to pack as many activities as possible into our last hurrah in Berks County. I suggested that we attend services at Bern Reformed United Church of Christ because of our many family ties to the congregation. Some of our Hiester, Reber, and Lieb ancestors were life-long members of this church and are buried in the adjoining graveyard. The church was a quick ten-minute drive from our hotel.

Bern Church Sanctuary

We had seen the exterior of the church several times as we explored the county on both of our trips to the area, but we had not been inside before today. Bern Church was founded in 1736 and baptism records were kept since that early date. Our fifth great-grandfather, Johann Jost Hiester, was a trustee in 1762 when the church lot was enlarged with land purchased from his brother Daniel. A log meeting house and another stone structure was built on the same lot before the present brick church was built in 1837. Conrad Reber, the second husband of my third great-grandmother, Catherine Lerch Lieb, was on the building committee.  The structure has subsequently been enlarged and modernized several times, although the interior retains the simple beauty of rich, dark wood pews, balcony, altar, pulpit, stairs and doors in the sanctuary. The incredible stained-glass windows at every turn bear brilliant images reflecting scriptures and portraits of Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, founders of the Lutheran and Reformed Church doctrines.

Heister, Kershner and Lieb Family Names on a Church Plaque

We arrived several minutes before the 9:30 am worship time and were greeted in the spacious entry area by friendly faces from the membership. Barbara Reed was especially warm and welcoming to us. After explaining our ties to Bern, she graciously gave her contact information to me in case I ever had questions about the church or cemetery. 

The sound of the organ prelude soon signaled the start of the service and we joined the others who were making their way into the sanctuary. Inspirational music, scriptures, prayers and a sermon based on five of Jesus’ parables regarding faith followed and provided a great start to our day. When the service was finished, we took the time to compliment and thank the organist and pianist for the lovely music and Rev. Jim Roth for his words of wisdom.  

A Sample of the Stained-Glass Windows in Bern Church

The Rich Dark Wood Pews, Balcony, Stairs and Doors in the Sanctuary

The Wine Glass Pulpit is Enormous! 

There was social time with refreshments after church, but LaRita and I used the time to examine and admire the beauty inside the worship space. There were several displays of artifacts from the early history of the church and even the wooden doors had decorative panels and cutout shapes in them. The windows include memorials and dedications to a “who’s who” of families in the church and were interesting to read. As we were making our way out of the church, Rev. Roth approached us and handed a copy of A History of Bern Reformed Church to each of us! The pretty little hardbound book is a history of the church and contains baptism records from 1736 to 1985 and many interesting stories about the church and community. What a wonderful and unexpected gift! 

Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society, 116 North Front Street, Womelsdorf PA

We had driven by Plum Creek Creamery just down the road several times and decided to go there for lunch. However, we were sorely disappointed that it was closed on Sunday, and we had to settle for Panera salads. We spent a little time at our hotel before deciding to explore the Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society Library and then return to Hain’s Church before our dinner plans at 5:30. We took the scenic route to Womelsdorf from Reading on Brownsville and Bernville Roads and enjoyed the gorgeous countryside. We entered Robesonia on my favorite stretch of highway where an enchanting arch of lofty, evenly spaced trees line the roadway, creating a momentary living tunnel for travelers. So lovely!

The Tulpehocken Library is well-stocked with Berks treasures, and we were glad to see Steve, the librarian, whom we had met in 2021. I asked if he had a copy of the new Hain’s Cemetery directory and he found it in his computer, but it had not been printed and bound yet. He printed it and said, “No charge” when I asked what I owed. (I left a donation!) I looked through the directory and made note of the locations of a couple of other graves we wanted to find after the library closed. Then LaRita and I browsed the collection for items of interest.

Our cousin John Grimes, who frequently volunteers at the library, soon arrived and we exchanged a few words while we each continued our tasks at hand. I was busy looking at a Berks land records book when I noticed someone come through the door. It was my cousin Pernell from Annapolis! I think I startled him when I squealed and rushed over. We had not met in person but had corresponded for a few months and also took a Pennsylvania Dutch language Zoom class together. He drove 2½ hours to have dinner with us and some other cousins and had arrived early, so came to the library. We chatted a bit and looked at the shelves which contained books for sale or items that were free for the taking.

Four o’clock came too soon and we each went our separate ways before our scheduled dinner a bit later. LaRita and I went to Boyer’s Market to buy Dieffenbach potato chips and some locally made pretzels to take home with us. We then drove to Wernersville and found the grave of our fifth great-grandmother, Margaretha Elizabetha Lerch. We snapped some photos with her and my third great-grandfather Thomas Werner’s grave markers. 

My Third Great-Grandfather Thomas Werner

My Fifth Great-Grandmother Margretha Elizabetha Lerch 

Cousin’s Delightful Dinner!

Heidelberg Family Restaurant, 910 West Penn Avenue, Robesonia PA

I contacted three distant cousins in the Berks County area, and cousin Pernell from nearby Maryland, a few months earlier to see if they would like to have dinner with LaRita and me while we were in the area. Luckily, everyone was able to meet on the last evening of our stay. We arrived first and were seated at a round table that was perfect for conversation. Pernell, John, Brad Smith and Jim Beidler soon joined us. What a stellar group of guys! I had not met Pernell, Brad or Jim in person before today, but recognized them from their little “Zoom squares” from shared virtual meetings. Brad taught Pernell and my beginner’s Dutch (German) classes and Jim frequently presents online lectures on a variety of genealogy research topics. All six of us are descendants of Johann Michael and Elizabetha Catharina Lauck Schauer through one of their children and we are also cousins with each other through several other combinations of ancestors.

We had a fabulous time discussing our connections, telling stories, and enjoying our shared Pennsylvania German heritage. The food was pretty good, too! After lots of laughter, hugs, and a couple of tears, it was all too soon time to part company. As we said our goodbyes, Jim handed a copy of Annette Kunselman Burgert’s book Eighteenth Century Emigrants from Langenselbold in Hesse to America to me! Langenselbold was the home of several of my German ancestors and the book is a fabulous resource for them. I will always cherish the book and treasure the memories of the time we six had together in our beloved Berks County!

My Four Favorite Dutch Guys!
Jim, Brad, John, Me and Pernell at Heidelberg Family Restaurant

NEXT - HOMEWARD BOUND

TULPEHOCKEN 300th ANNIVERSARY TRIP - Chapter Six - July 29, 2023

 BACK IN BERKS

Saturday, July 29

Janssen Library in Berks History Center, 160 Spring Street, Reading PA

Research Room in the Henry Janssen Library in Berks History Center

Our Saturday morning was much more relaxed than the hectic start of the past three days. We enjoyed coffee and a hot breakfast from a well-stocked buffet at the Homewood Suites on Papermill Road in Reading and then took our time driving to the Henry Janssen Library in the Berks History Center complex.

The library is an incredible resource staffed by experienced and knowledgeable archivists Lisa Adams and Bradley Smith. In addition to a huge collection of books, the library houses an astounding number of periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, and one-of-a-kind documents from Berks County. I had prepared a list of books, Kershner Family Association journals, and documents from the online catalog and Lisa began placing them on my table almost immediately after our arrival a few minutes past 9:00 a.m. 

I spent most of the morning looking for familiar names in the treasure trove on the table. I used post-it notes to mark the pages I wanted copied as I quickly worked through my list. After I finished, I decided to try to find the 1834 death notice of my fourth great-grandfather, William Werner, in a Reading newspaper. I had seen an online copy and thought I saved the image but didn’t notice until much later that it failed to save properly. I found it during a free trial of a pricey paid subscription service, and I recorded the date and page of the issue I needed. There was one little complication, however. The newspaper was written in German. I hoped I could find the obituary while Lisa made copies of the pages I had marked. 

I assumed I would have to look through microfilm of the 179-year-old newspaper but was surprised when Lisa brought out a bound volume of the 1834 Der Readinger Adler! Every sturdy page was perfectly preserved with no creases, tears or yellowing. It could have been printed yesterday. Lisa explained that the handmade rag paper used in 1834 was far superior in quality and durability to the wood pulp paper used since the 1870s. Luckily, I could decipher enough German to locate the article quickly. Since the paper was too large to place on the copy machine, I was allowed to take a photo of it.

1834 Der Readinger Adler Newspaper
Died - on last Friday eight days ago William Werner in Heidelberg Township Berks County
in his 65^th year of age

Lisa expertly packaged my legal-size copies so they would survive the long train trip back to Kansas in good condition. I paid for my loot and could hardly wait to read each of my ninety pages carefully! I had copies from original handwritten documents including a November 1809 jury list on which my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Reber served, six pages of October 1807 township election results showing the number of votes my fourth great-grandfather Nicholas Lieb received for the office of county commissioner, a 1799 list of Berks County jurors, and several articles about my Werner, Hiester and Kershner ancestors. 

Old Dry Road Farm, 202 Highland Road, Wernersville PA

Dundore-Hottenstein House

We grabbed a quick lunch and began the short drive to Jim and Emily Werner’s home in Wernersville. We called their son, David, to let him know we were on our way. After we arrived and exchanged greetings, Dave, Jim, LaRita and I hopped into David’s pick-up truck and made our way towards Old Dry Road Farm. The Farm is a living history site of three preserved homesteads containing representative historic buildings from 1776 through the early nineteenth century. The farms were taken by eminent domain when the Blue Marsh flood control project was deemed necessary. Many other similar farms were demolished and covered by the lake. The farm was only about four miles from Jim’s home, so we arrived in just a few minutes.

I had been advised that the long driveway to the farmsteads was not in great condition, so David had offered to give us a tour in his truck. I didn’t want to risk damaging a rental car in a pothole! Sure enough, the road resembled a washboard, but David eased the truck over the rough terrain. We began by driving through the Essig homestead and admired the log house, huge barn, and octagonal smokehouse from inside David’s vehicle. While we were stopped, a gentleman drove a tractor up by the lane and walked over to the truck.

Beautiful Barn on Old Dry Road Farm

 

Mr. Shuster by the Octagonal Smokehouse on the Essig Homestead 

I thought he might ask us to leave, but I was sure that the farm was open to the public as long as the private residences on the property were not disturbed. The site is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineering and leased by a non-profit organization. Jim and David immediately recognized our visitor as Dick Schuster, the farm manager and volunteer for the Heidelberg Heritage Society. He chatted with us for a few minutes and graciously offered to show us the interior of the Dundore-Hottenstein House.

We followed the tractor down a side lane, parked and entered the house after Dick unlocked the door. He gave us a wonderful guided tour and explained how the house is used as part of a living history experience for area school children. During a day at the farm, kids make pretzels and butter, complete a scherenschnitte craft and make turkey feather darts, dip candles, hike, and tour the house. It is an example of a Pennsylvania German log home built in about 1842. 

The house, the bank barn, spring house, smoke house and granary were dismantled and moved from their original location on Union Canal and reassembled here. The furnishings and farm equipment on the farmstead are from the 1840-1880 period when the farm was in operation. We inspected the other structures near the house and thanked Dick for giving us a private tour. He invited us to explore the other parts of the Farm at our leisure. He knew and trusted the Werner men! 

Fireplace Hearth in the Dundore - Hottenstein House

Bedroom in the Dundore - Hottenstein House

Farm Tool Display in the Dundore - Hottenstein House

Dundore - Hottenstein Spring House

Dundore - Hottenstein Bake Oven 

We turned around and followed Dick’s instructions to reach the Staudt Farm farther back in the property. After bumping down a long lane, we were able to park and inspect the beautiful bank barn, 1776 Speicher or Spring House, and outbuildings once owned by several generations of the Staudt family. The lovely old two-story home is occupied by renters, so we kept our distance, but could see that it was once a fine residence. Sadly, only the Spring House appears to be in tip-top shape. The other structures need painting and minor cosmetic repairs and much of the area is overgrown with weeds and old shrubbery. Just a little “TLC” could bring the buildings and landscape back to their original grandeur.

Staudt Bank Barn 

 Staudt Farmhouse

Staudt 1776 Speicher or Spring House

St. John Hain’s Church, 591 North Church Road, Wernersville PA

Jim Werner and Son David at Henry R. Werner's Grave

Returning to the old Hain’s Church Cemetery, less than three miles away, was next on our agenda. LaRita and I came to Hain’s two years ago but missed visiting a few ancestors’ resting places because we didn’t know they had headstones. A new census of the burials was completed in April of this year and a comprehensive list of their locations, described from a central walkway, was included. The mapping project also resulted in several new photos of headstones being added to the Hain’s FindaGrave.com listing.

I asked the Werners if they knew where the burials we missed on our previous visit were located. Jim was kind enough to ask Hain’s historian Jim Olinger to help find them for us. Mr. Olinger found the headstones and placed colored broomsticks in the ground next to them so we could locate them easily in the large cemetery. We paid our respects to our fourth great-grandparents, William and Magdalena Reber Werner, and their three sons. We took photos with our third great-grandfather, Thomas Werner, and Jim’s great-grandfather Henry R. Werner’s memorials.  We also revisited some of our Lerch and Lash ancestors and took some photos with their gravestones. While we were in the cemetery, the church bell struck 3:00 p.m. followed by a lovely hymn played from the church chimes. The music was a wonderful addition to our experience. 

LaRita and Me with Our Fourth Great-Grandparents
William and Magdalena Reber Werner

My Fourth Great-Grandparents Johannes and Ann Catherina Lasch Lerch
Johannes was a Drummer Boy in the Revolutionary War 

Our Third Great-Grandfather Thomas Werner

Werner Family Time

Emily, LaRita, Jim and Me 

Jim and Emily invited us into their lovely home for the rest of the afternoon. Many beautiful photographs on their walls immediately caught our eye as we made our way to their family room. They had laid out loads of family photos, scrapbooks, and documents on a long table to share with us. Jim and Emily pointed out family members in the charming photos, repeated family stories, and talked about their seventy-three years of married life. They still live independently in their own home and Jim drives to Hain’s Church, where they were married, every Sunday to attend worship services.

We asked them a few questions and their answers revealed delightful details about their memories. Emily’s favorite foods were the lemon strip pie and the raspberry pies she enjoyed as a child at her grandparent’s homes. In contrast, Jim is just a meat and potatoes man! When I asked Emily what she liked to do in her spare time, she replied with a giggle, “I don’t have much free time because it takes me so long to do everything now!”

As dinner time approached, David took our orders for salads and sandwiches from a local Italian restaurant and announced that he had also brought some homemade delicacies for us to sample.  We talked about family recipes at our Tuesday evening dinner and I mentioned I had never eaten shoofly pie and wasn’t sure I would like it. The Werners all assured me that David made a tasty version of the Pennsylvania Dutch treat and I would love it. I suspected his pie was on the menu!

David’s wife soon arrived with the food and we sat down to enjoy another meal together. Meanwhile David pulled out a huge container of pickled beets and red beet eggs, a jar of chow-chow and two shoofly pies to add to the feast! Of course, our delightful dinner conversation turned to recipes and cooking instructions for everything from chow-chow to “filling” to shoofly pie. LaRita and I took notes and made sure we knew that Heinz’s Apple Cider Vinegar and Mrs. Schlorer’s Turkey Table Syrup were essential to the success of the pickled dishes and the yummy pie. The family was right – David’s shoofly pie was delicious!

LaRita and I didn’t want to wear out our ninety-five-year-old hosts, so we reluctantly said goodbye to our beloved Werner cousins early in the evening. It was difficult to leave since we live more than a thousand miles apart, but we left with smiles on our faces because we had so much fun together!

David's Delish Shoofly Pie

Additional Hain's Cemetery Photos:

Our Fourth Great-Granduncle John Yost Lerch 
One of Fifty Revolutionary War Veterans Buried in Hain's Cemetery
Our Fifth Great-Granduncle Christopher "Stophel" Lasch is also a Vet Buried Here

The View from Hain's Cemetery

NEXT - SUNDAY FUNDAY

TULPEHOCKEN 300th ANNIVERSARY TRIP - Chapter Five - July 28, 2023

THE HUDSON VALLEY

View from the East Bank of the Hudson River at Clermont State Historic Site near Germantown NY

Friday, July 28

Katsbaan Reformed Church, 1800 Old Kings Highway, Saugerties NY

Katsbaan Reformed Church 

We scurried around Friday morning in order to get dressed, have breakfast, check out of the motel and find our seats on the bus before our 9:00 am departure time. Everything went smoothly and we were right on schedule for our hour-long journey to the Katsbaan Reformed Church. The rain was long gone and the day was sunny and breezy. We savored our last glimpses of the Schoharie Valley and made our way on Highway 145 to the earlier home of our Palatine ancestors on the banks of the Hudson River. 

Location of the Palatine Village of Gerlach Dorf on Route 30 just South of the Route 30A Intersection

 

We arrived at Katsbaan Reformed Church and had a few minutes to explore the historic house of worship near the Catskill Mountains before our speakers gave their addresses. The congregation was established in 1710 by indentured Palatines living in the West Camp on the Hudson. Surviving records show that my ancestor, Gottfried Fidler, and his wife lived in the West Camp in 1710 and were likely members of this church or the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church less than three miles away. Katsbaan was built in 1732 – the same year George Washington was born! Church services conducted by ordained ministers have been held continuously since construction of the building was completed. 

Welcome Sign at Katsbaan Reformed Church 

Historic Marker for Katsbaan Church 

Names of Church Builders in the Back Wall of the Church 

Two ministers, one Lutheran and one Reformed, spoke to us while we enjoyed the well-preserved interior of the church furnished in vintage style. Pastor Sonya Tillberg Maclary focused on the differences in the various Protestant religious sects that settled in New York, while Rev. Deborah Zuill talked about the challenges our Palatine ancestors faced in the New World. 

Rev. Deborah Zuill in Katsbaan Reformed Church 

List of Katsbaan Pastors Beginning in 1710

We adjourned for lunch and made our way across the highway to the social hall associated with the church. We were treated to a wonderful potluck buffet provided by members of the Katsbaan congregation. As usual, I sat in the company of my sister LaRita, my cousin John, and different other members of our group. Consequently, I became acquainted with several lovely fellow travelers during our three days together. Today, during conversation with Jeremy Lutz, we discovered that we were both descendants of Palatine immigrants Gottfried and Anna Elizabeth Solomon Fiddler.  What a coincidence that we should discover that we are cousins while sitting near the same place the Fidlers lived more than three hundred years ago!  of course, we recorded our new-found connection with a “Kodak Moment.”

Our New-Found Cousin, Jeremy

Crossing the Hudson River near Clermont Historic Site

Clermont Mansion, 1 Clermont Avenue, Germantown NY

Clermont Mansion on Livington Manor 

After lunch, we boarded our bus to cross the Hudson River to visit Clermont Mansion. The home is on the estate of the Livingston family, where Robert Livingston lived while he supervised and supplied the indentured Palatine immigrants with food, clothing, and tools from 1710 to 1712. Robert's patent to Livingston Manor from England initially covered 160,000 acres. The original mansion was burned by the British in 1777 but was eventually rebuilt and is now decorated in circa 1920 Colonial Revival style. It was the home of several generations of the Livingston family, including Chancellor Robert R. Livingston who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the New York Constitution, served as the first Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was the lead negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase, and was a co-inventor of the first commercially viable steamboat with Robert Fulton. He also had the honor of giving the presidential oath of office to George Washington in 1789.

In this area, the Hudson River is a broad, placid waterway bordered by heavily wooded banks on either side. The Catskill Mountains provide a towering backdrop to the river beyond the west bank. Clermont is perched on the east bank and offers a magnificent view of the river, forest, and peaks in the distance from the double doors in the front all the way through the house to similar doors to the back terrace.

View of the Hudson River from the Double Doors in Clermont Mansion

I joined the first group that left the visitor’s center to tour the mansion and marveled at the sumptuous furnishings and artwork in every room. The landscaping on the remaining five hundred acres of the estate that was sold bit by bit over time was equally lovely. After the tour, I watched a short video about the history of the estate and the succession of Livingston family members who lived in the mansion. Part of the visitor’s center still retains its original contours from use as a carriage barn. It contains horse stalls in the stable section that are almost as pretty as the interior of the mansion! 

Clermont Mansion

Clermont Mansion

Horse Stalls in the Clermont Carriage House/Visitor's Center

It was late afternoon when we took our seats for the last leg of our journey back to Conrad Weiser Middle School. We grabbed bottles of water and snacks from the shared snack stash in the bus one last time because we were not stopping for dinner on the way home. We crossed over the Hudson River one more time and began the long trek back to Conrad Weiser Middle School. 

Friday's Destinations

I spent lots of time conversing with my distant cousin, John, during the New York trip and I used our last big chunk of time together on the bus to pepper him with questions about his life and his seemingly endless knowledge of families in the Tulpehocken Valley area. The time passed all too quickly, and we were soon back in Womelsdorf picking up our rental car at John’s house and saying a temporary goodbye to him. I drove to Reading where LaRita and I checked into the Homewood Suites for the rest of our stay in Berks County. 

NEXT - BACK IN BERKS