A road trip in search of ancestors...

Tuesday was a quiet day so Rick and I decided to take a road trip.

We headed south on Hwy 52...

The Amish were out and about, we passed at least 5 buggies on Hwy 52

Had to take at least one barn photo, 

the barn quilts are very popular down that way!

Those of you that have followed me for awhile know that I'm intrigued by cemeteries and Rick is really into genealogy, he can rattle off dates of marriages, births and deaths of family on both of his sides sometimes all the way back to the 1700's. He knows where they came from, 

what kind of jobs they had and names of children.  

We have searched out many graves of those who came before us, 

this time our travels took us to Calmar, Iowa population 1000

A huge mural of the old train station in Calmar. 

Rick headed straight for the library to look for a book on the history of Calmar

He found his Great-grat grandpa's name, 

Oops they spelled the last name wrong, should be Hemmer.

The meat market was somewhere in this vicinity.

His Great-great grandfather was one of the first to be buried in the catholic cemetery in Calmar.

His grave, along with his 2nd wife and 2 kids site just inside the cemetery archway.

We traveled a few miles south of Calmar to locate John Hemmer's first wife.

The church in Festina, 4 miles south of Calmar 

where John Hemmer's 1st wife was buried.

(Rick's G-great grandma)

Trying to figure out where she is.... it's a big cemetery

He found her  "Theresa, wife of John"

This small little chapel sits on the grounds, it's quite beautiful!

Inside the little chapel, one bench seat....so sweet

Many old old tombstones in this graveyard.

I always wonder.... will our great great grandchildren make the effort 

to look for our grave sites someday, It certainly takes some interest and time but for us, 

it's been so gratifying to find family and pay respect to generations from long ago.