The area around Schmiedrued

Comments on Schmiedrued

Just a couple of quick comments. The town was only about 25 miles north of Lucern. While visiting at Schmiedrued I asked if the family might have gone to Lucern to get supplies, shopping, festivals, etc. Everyone sort of drew a breath and said, "Oh no, never. Lucern is Catholic! Schmiedrued people would have gone north to the Protestant town of Aargau or Bern. " (I can't remember which it is off the top of my head)

I now understand that the Reformation was not a peaceful thing and some families were split over religious affiliations. I mentioned to one fellow that his surname was in Star Valley and had originally come from such and such a town in Switz. Without any hesitation he assured me that they might have been from the same family before the Reformation, but such and such was a Catholic town and his were from the Protestant town of ______ .

Wouldn't it be nice if we could get a translated history book? If anyone has a lead please let us know.

Thanks for taking a look. The numbers keep going up. Don't be shy about leaving a comment or question. We'll just use first names to keep things sort of private. This is an open forum for our history. We each know a little and if we pool our knowledge we'll all go away richer.
I still haven't caught some folks by phone, so please keep spreading the word!

Outside Church at Schmiedrued

The cemetery(where you are buried for a 50 year period of rest) just east of the church. Lots of familiar names there.

Mike and the historian stroll along the north side of the church.

And the watering trough in front of the church.
Lovely place - so much like Star Valley.

Organ loft at Schmiedrued

Our Grandparents' Church

The protestant church sits a bit farther down the road from the museum.

It replaced a wooden one which burned prior to 1580, so this is considered the "new" church.

According to Frau Luthi, this is where all the marriages, baptizms, weddings and funerals were held for both the Webers and the Goldenbergers since 1580.

The interior is simple with a choir/organ loft at the back and the traditional raised pulpit in the front. The building gave a feeling of reverence. It reminded me of the Freedom and Bedford churches. Very clean, simple and quiet.

The Rueder Valley

This was Easter Sunday 2007 when we had the opportunity to visit Schmiedrued, where the Webers lived.

We dropped over a ridge and there was the little town. The buildings were sturdy and snugged together. Large roofs covered the dairy barns and silos. It reminded us of the Star Valley and Logan areas.

The area's museum is housed in an old building with about 3 floors. I believe it was a mill of some kind.

The village economy diversified from strictly agricultural and dairy to home weaving about the time Samuel and Verena were children. Here are some of the looms and equipment used to make ribbons. (Ribbons for medals, hair, zippers, bindings, sewing, etc.)



The lady in black is our cousin, Frau Luthi. Her grandfather was Verena's brother so her mother is Martha's 1st cousin. Her husband is the tall fellow and the valley historian is the fellow on the left. He could speak English, Frau Luthi could also speak a bit of English. I wished I could do better than just the dictionary. But we spoke the same language when it came to photos and pedigree sheets. She wanted to know so much about the American family.

Thanks!

I appreciate the feedback from several of you. Would any of you like to share your memories?

As you probably all ready know, the last post included an article written about Martha's parents by Marilyn's husband Ron several years ago. He gives great insights into what it was like coming to a new country with all the expected adjustments, etc.

The photo is of the older Weber grandchildren and their Grandmother Weber who came with them. LaNece B. says that little grandmother is buried in a Salt Lake Cemetery. She also told me the Grandfather Weber stayed in Switzerland and missed his family the rest of his life. I believe she learned that from a Swiss cousin who remembered him as an old man who was very sad. Perhaps his health wasn't good enough for a long journey. LaNece, please fill us in on anything else.

The drawing illustrates the Weber home as Forrest (Dad) wanted it drawn for a reunion letter.