A Canadian Mission

I eagerly anticipated my 2016 Canadian visits in September for three reasons. First, I would be able to see my good practically-since-kids friend, Suzanne and visit Stratford.  (Yes, I sort of buried this post and just getting back to it!) But I was also anticipating a visit to the Cambridge/Waterloo area where Rick and I were on a quest to learn more about my ancestors.

One of the surprises in my family history journey was that we had Canadians in our family tree. The other surprise was that we had many Mennonites in the tree as well. I knew little about that faith and was very curious. When I learned that the cemetery where my third and fourth great grandparents were buried wasn't far from our route, we decided to make a stop.

So, we went off to find the cemetery -- very small and very old. And very difficult to find (now in an area where there are more McMansions than historic homes). And somehow, we found them. The fourth-greats were easy -- they had a large stone that had been erected by descendants.

The third greats weren't so easy. We started out by looking at a lot of tombstones that resembled this or worse -- at least on this one you can read parts of the writing. Some were just covered with lichen.

And that wasn't getting us anywhere. It was just a fluke that by looking at names I saw the third great grandmother. I could barely read her husband's headstone.

                   

So, word to the wise. If and when you are planning on having your descendants find you after you are long gone, make sure you are in a cemetery that will keep things in order or that you have a family member that does so. Otherwise, you'll be walking in the rain like we were, trying to read writing that doesn't show up at all! Otherwise, if you're going the cremation route, take good notes and pass them down!

From there we went to the small town of St. Jacob's and after a nice lunch and walk about, visited the "Mennonite Story," a historical center that told the history of this religious sect.

I learned that Mennonites, similar to Amish, fled persecution in Switzerland after the Reformation. They went to the Palatinate area of Germany and then came to America, most to Pennsylvania as part of William Penn's movement to populate his "plantation" (what is now the state of Pennsylvania.) Often you will hear the term "Pennsylvania Dutch" and this refers to groups like the Mennonites, Amish, Anabaptists and Brethern.

They continue to live by high principles, very simply and with a focus toward anti-war.

I felt very proud to be part of this heritage as I learned more about them. Whether one was interested or not personally, the center was very well done with excellent exhibits accompanied by video and audio features and contemporary media. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in learning about various religions.

From America, J.P. Leatherman's maternal ancestors north to the Waterloo, Ontario region of Canada. It is uncertain why but a possibility is that the Mennonites did not believe in war and many moved north to avoid the conflicts in this new world.

To think we came from a line where peace and non-violence were a critical part of the doctrine is powerful and resonates all the more today.

The town itself was very nice -- a bit geared toward the tourist, but the shops we went to had lovely merchandise (and the prices right now with the Canadian exchange rate are to the advantage of the U.S. traveler (see travel tips below).

And, the drive was picturesque as well. Wide stretches of farmland, lots of signs for maple syrup and produce. They have quite the quilt auction which we didn't see -- but a video was included in the center and it was pretty amazing! I'd recommend this part of Canada for a visit if you are in the region.

It's interesting to think that we came from people -- on both sides of J.P.'s family -- with great devotion of faith and very hard work. Seeing the farm country in Canada and learning more about the Mennonites certainly added to the depth of the family journey experience.