Searching for Ancestors

I've been posting for this trip in the order that we've done things so that it helps me remember later, but today was our last full day in the Netherlands so this one is in "real time" and I'll go back to completing the travelogue when I can.

Today we set out for Echteld - the area near Tiel where the DeHoogh's came from. Linda's brother, Ron, provided us with the address of the church where their great-great-great grandfather and grandmother are buried. Although we had visited this church years ago, we had not found a single deHoogh grave - and no wonder - their gravestone is the only deHoogh in the entire cemetery.

Today we were successful, but it is one of the gravestones that you have to work very hard to read. Here is a photo from an online grave location site (http://www.online-begraafplaatsen.nl/graf/109666/171076/Jerphaas-de-HOOGH-1795-1876)

The names are Jerphaas de Hoogh and Dirkje van Deest.

The stone has a lot more lichen on it now and is even harder to read. It was a challenge to get a readable image using the natural light which was available, but here's what I managed to get.

I'll have to see if some additional manipulation with photo software can make it more readable, but at least we know where it is.

We took the long way home, winding our way on secondary roads through small towns and past farms. It was nice to "linger" a bit instead of racing by on the A roads. This evening we were invited to dinner by our wonderful host, Jannie Visser.

So now begins the bittersweet task of packing for tomorrow's departure. If only putting it off would also put off the schedule for the plane trip. I'm not ready.