Thirteen Years Too Long

Well it’s been about 13 years since I’ve gone back to the little town of Hettinger, ND where my Dad is from. There’s a lot of my family who lives there and I haven’t seen many of them in a very long time, most have never met Lizzy. So this last weekend was a family reunion there. Lizzy and I packed up and took off on Thursday (my wife couldn’t get the time off from work). We had a blast out there and made me realize I really need to go back more often. I’ll post more about it as I have time to get the pics together but one of the highlights of the trip for me was going out to the small cemetery where my immediate family elders are buried.

This is the church our Great Grandfather John played in an instrumental part in building.

Great Grandparents John and Antje Hendricks with the church in the background.

Grandparents William and Katherine Hendricks’ resting place.

Our beloved Aunt Dorothy passed away this summer. We placed this cross to honor her.

Lizzy in front of the church.

Lizzy and I behind grandpa and grandma’s resting place.

A highlight for Lizzy was going to an actual cattle farm for the first time in her life Sunday morning. She got to feed a calf that was abandoned by his mother.

Then she got to play with one of the new barn kittens. She really didn’t want to leave.

There were more kittens to be found back in town at my aunt’s house.

That’s really cool

I love western ND

It’s great to get the kids out in the country. Did I read the dates correct on John’t Monument 1869 to 1972, that’s 103 years old!!!

I love everything about both dakotas. Nice work dad!

Beautiful pictures..wow. I love pics of old America, especially barns.

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It’s great to get the kids out in the country. Did I read the dates correct on John’t Monument 1869 to 1972, that’s 103 years old!!!

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You did, Great Grandpa John lived to be 103!! I was a year old when he passed so didn’t get to know him but I hear he was a great man.

My Grandmother was a farm child, farmer’s wife and lived to be 112. Must be the fresh air back before all of the modern contrivances polluted it, eh?

Love the old church pics. And the barn Moxie.

Shane I think I could have taken lesson’s from you on how to be a good Father! DIRTBALL2

Family Reunions are great, looks like you had a great time.

I have the Aasen-Ausen Reunion coming up in 3-weeks down by Albert Lea on the original Aasen Farm now run by my cousin.

The Farm had nearly every building destroyed by a Tornado on June 17th, 2010 and now all is rebuilt.

My Great Grandfather homesteaded the land (160 Acres) in the late 1800’s, with Abe Lincoln signing the Deed which is in the possession of my cousin.

My Grandfather took over the farm and then my uncle and now his son. This will be a large event since my dad had 4-brothers and 5-sisters whom brought forth 45 grandchildren. Our last reunion had over 200 in attendance.

We have documentation tracing our roots back in Norway to the early 1400’s.

No Kidd’n ! I was in Hettinger ND at this time last summer for a wedding. Really nice people out there. The parents of the bride have a ranch right on the ND/SD border and the wedding was out there with a beautiful setting. Have a ton of invites to go out there bird hunting

IDO Members,

There was a Spammer who made a reply to this post. When I dusted off that post I inadvertanly deleted the 2 or 3 other replies that were made after the spammer post. I apologise. Please re-post.

Also, looks like a fun trip. Those old buildings are very cool to visit!

-J.

there’s not much cell phone coverage out that a way, the small town just to the west of Hettinger we stopped on the main street bar to get a 6-pack to go. Of couse being dressed up for the wedding everyone spun around and about broke their necks looking at the stranger. I asked how did they stay in touch with no cell phone service. They just laughed and said this is how we stay in touch.

Looks like a great setting for a wedding. My cell service was non-existent out there but those who lived there had it. It’s a different lifestyle out there for sure.