Posts Tagged ‘Gene and Pat Hertzler’

Local Hertzler Get-Together 2016

There is just something about kinfolk that is extra special.  There are three family lines of Hertzlers living in Cumberland, Powhatan, Buckingham and Prince Edward counties. We all connect to the same genetic pedigree several generations back. We love to visit together, live within easy visiting distance but just don’t get together very often.  We decided it was time to get together for a reunion.

Joe and Norma Hertzler graciously hosted the evening at their lovely, manicured homestead in Cumberland. The evening turned out to be perfect weather after a rainy week and morning and the turnout was great. I even heard something about this being the first annual!!!

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Helen and Tom Hertzler

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Betty and Ray Hertzler

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Tony Hertzler

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Bob Hertzler

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Marie Hertzler

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Norma Hertzler

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Joe Hertzler

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Bobby and Bob Hertzler

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Gene Hertzler

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Annette Hertzler

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Phil Hertzler

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Jeremy Khosropanah

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Lucy Miller

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J.R. Hochstetler

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J.R. Hochstetler and Jesse Hertzler

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Freeman Hertzler grilling his marinated venison tenderloins. They were delicious. This guy knows how to cook.

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Felicia Miller

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Michelle Hertzler

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Allie Hertzler

 

There were lots of things for the children/young folks to do:

Dutch Blitz, volleyball, target shooting, Corn Hole, play set, sandbox, dressup, and chasing bubbles.

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Cassidy played “dress-up”. I wonder how many different times she changed clothes during the evening.

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Allie Hertzler

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The setting and weather was perfect.

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Beef, turkey or sausage dogs and venison tenderloin.

Highlight: Gospel Hoe-Down

Some of the Hertzlers are fortunate to have inherited the music gene and they entertained us by playing their instruments and singing toe-tapping, old-time, gospel favorites. It was a fun, fun time listening and singing along.

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Joe Hertzler

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Paul Hertzler

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Gery Hochstetler

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Joe, Michelle and Phil

Videos

My camera battery died and I missed getting a hilariously funny performance by Joe called “The Tickle Song” and a crazy rendition of  “Black Gold Fever” by Tom.

“Jesus, Tender Shepherd” by Cassidy Miller

Joe shared some thoughts about his “pop” who is 99 years old and in his honor sang “When the Saints Go Marching In”.

 

 This picture taken by Annette Hertzler is my favorite of the evening.

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It is priceless and we dubbed it “The Hertzler Boys”!

 

Attending were:

  • Brothers Phil (Annette)and Tom (Helen) Hertzler from Prince Edward county and some of their children.
    • Phil’s son Freeman (Allison) and son
    • Tom’s daughter Michelle (Karl) & family (Note: Michelle married Joe’s son Karl)
  • First cousins Bob (Marie), Ray (Betty), Joe (Norma) and Gene (Pat) Hertzler from Powhatan and Cumberland counties.
    • Bob’s sons: Bobby and Tony
      • Tony’s son-in-law, Jeremy Khosropanah, and grandson
    • Joe’s children:
      • Veronica (J.R. Hochstetler) & family
      • Lucy (Roy Miller) & family
      • Karl (Michelle) & family
      • Jesse and his children
  • None of the Howard Hertzler line were able to attend.

 

 

Our Group

Way back in 1972, 44 years ago to be exact, four couples from our church got married in the same year. In our small, young congregation (50-60 people), that was a lot of weddings.  Several times through the years “our group”, as we call ourselves, have gotten together to celebrate. Last evening was one of those celebrations.

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Ray and Betty Hertzler are the oldest in our group, marrying at the mature age of 37!  They were married first (in April), in Chesapeake and made their home in Powhatan on a dairy farm. They started in a very small trailer but later built a house across the road where they still reside. The Hertzlers have two children.

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Gene and Pat Hertzler were next, marrying in June, in Harrisonburg. Hurricane Agnes (June 19-24) did her best to detrail our wedding plans. As she roared up the east coat, dumping 7 inches of rain on the area, the James River flooded, big time! The old, one-way trestle bridge on 522 at Maidens had just been replaced with a new, state of the art, bridge. The water reached the roadway of the bridge and washed out the approaches. Gene had to go to Lynchburg to get around the flooding to make it to Harrisonburg. The wedding day turned out to be a beautiful, warm summer day.  We made our home on a dairy farm in Powhatan where we still live.  We have two children and five grandchildren.

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(I put this picture in from my archives to show the magnitude of the height of the water)

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Harold and Elaine Alderfer were married in early September in Minnesota, Elaine’s home area.  Harold and Elaine met while she was in Voluntary Service in Chesapeake. After the wedding, they also settled in Powhatan on a dairy farm. They have moved the most.  They moved their farming operation from Powhatan to Minnesota, back to Powhatan and then to Brunswick County in Southern Virginia. After selling the dairy, they moved to Louisa in central Virginia where they now reside. The Alderfers have one son and twin granddaughters.

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Sam and Poe Powell were the last of our group, marrying in late September in Powhatan. Poe was the youngest, a 17 year-old bride. They made their home in Amelia County in a trailer on his parents family farm. They later built a house a little further back the driveway, nestled in the woods, where they still live. The Powells have 3 sons and seven grandchildren.

We had such a good time eating, story telling, laughing and catching up on our lives. Three of us still go to Powhatan Mennonite Church and even though we see each other every Sunday it is not the same as sitting and visiting at the same table.

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Our scrumptious, luscious Lady Finger Cheesecake and fruit topping made by Poe Powell

We learned some very interesting things… (for those who know us, let’s see if you can figure this out!)

  • There is only one in the group who has not had surgery.
  • There is one who is not missing any body parts or had body parts replaced. (hip, knees, hysterectomy, piece of colon, appendix, etc. Teeth did not count!).
  • As a group we take 17 prescription medicines. One does not take any.
  • We have traveled to the west coast, Argentina, Hawaii, Bermuda and Puerto Rico.
  • Only one still has her parents living.
  • All but three are taking their social security benefits.
  • Two couples are still actively employed and earning paychecks.
  • One couple still have the cars they each owned when they got married.
  • All but two have had car accidents.
  • The worse accident in our group was a chain saw injury to the face and arm.
  • One has used up 3 of their “nine lives”, another had a very serious illness and another is a cancer survivor.
  • Only one does not have gray hair.
  • We have lost two children to death and suffered 3 miscarriages between us.
  • Each couple was grateful for the children God blessed them with.  Each couple in some way has dealt with some uncertainty whether age, infertility, miscarriages or genetic disease.
  • One has twin granddaughters and one has a daughter getting married this summer.

It was a wonderful evening of sweet fellowship, story telling, reminiscing and looking at our wedding pictures.  Oh my, how we have changed!!!! We wondered ….why don’t get together more often. We departed determined to do this more often.

2016….Our group… we are still celebrating and looking forward to more years to come.

Our menu:

  • Appetizer: Stuffed Mushrooms  (The original recipe came from http://www.cooks.com)
  • Barbecued Cornish Hens
  • Sweet Corn
  • Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Orange/Pineapple Jello Salad
  • Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls and Honey Butter
  • Ladyfinger Cheesecake with Mixed Fruit Topping  (Recipe is from Taste of Home and is actually called Cherry Cheese Torte)

June on the Farm

I love June and especially this year. It has been absolutely gorgeous and the weather has been so refreshing and …well perfect.

I thought I would share some pictures I have taken around the farm this month. Some people call it the “dog-days of summer”.  I call it the “flower days”.  Come July-I may change my mind!!!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Hertzlers!

Bumblebees and honeybees love this tree.

Farm work…planting corn, making hay.

And well….maybe there is a dog!

Wildflowers abound…love thistle flowers-but not the thistle!

Hertzlers at the Powhatan Farmers Market.

My garden is doing so well this year.

Onions going to seed…as pretty as any flower.

Better Boy tomatoes.

Blue Lake Bush Beans (on left) and Fordhook Limas (on right)

Incredible sweet corn will soon be ready.

Corn Beans and Blue Lake Pole.

Asparagus is over and going to seed.

Farm critters!

Mama Cow and calf.

A mama and her twins.

Some of the beef herd.

The big bull-a contented sire!

Ducks

A tree full of nasty buzzards-there were several dozen!

Baby chicks hatching in the incubator.  I crossed Salmon Faverolles with a Delaware Rooster. Can’t wait to see what they are like. I love the Salmon Faverolles except that they lay a small egg. I want a big egg!! I am trying to see if I can keep their stunning appearance (muffs, feathers on feet and buff coloring) and improve the egg size.

These are the parents.

The horses at the stable.

June flowers.

Daylillies

Roses…. a blaze of glory and a touch of heaven.

Daisys

A summer faithful-Geraniums. They love the heat and dry weather.

I forget what these are called. (Someone can help me)

 Elegant, graceful Hostas.

Rose of Sharon Shrub. We used to make dolls out of these flowers.

And my absolute-top of the list-favorite….the stunning Evening Primrose.

Each evening at 8:30-8:45 they open before your amazed eyes. Yes, you can actually watch them unfold. The hummingbird moths love them. I have two kinds that come. One has a short beak and looks like a moth. The other looks like a moth but has a long dangling beak. He helicopters over the bud and inserts his beak deep into the flower. Never misses.

The moths with the short beak nuzzle their noses deep into the flower.

Supper

Barbecue chicken on the grill.

And recreation..Gene pitches for the church softball team.

Stunning sky and clouds.

Oh, Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c]

You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e]
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalms 8 (NIV)

For couple, farm livin’ is just fine

We were honored to be featured in our local newspaper, Powhatan Today, on May 23, 2012. They are doing an ongoing series of articles about farmers and farms in the area.

To read the article please click on the link For couple, farm livin’ is just fine.

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