Day 3 - Our third day was long and joyful.  After a breakfast of farm eggs and toast (Lorrie & Bill had "eggs in a nest" - it's a recipe their dad, Norman Deck, use to make. (You cut a hole in the bread & fry the egg in the middle).  We headed toward Stouchburg to the Church and gravesite of our 6 times great-grandfather Georg Christoph Herrold.

Georg was orphaned at age of 5.  He was married at age 20 and was a vinter. In 1743 he came to America at the age of 55. He brought his family. (Most likely to protect the boys from Alexander the Great).

Christ Lutheran Church is an imposing site (HUGE!!).  The surprise was that the rally old graves were not in front of the Church but in a very old section surrounded by stones and a iron gate.  So Cool!!!
Many soldiers from the French & Indian War as well as the Revolution were buried there. One grave was of a little girl who had been kidnapped by the Indians.  Many stones had been just wood, now petrified. Many stones were unreadable.  Georg's family had placed a newer (1970) marker.

We did a libation ceremony and offered a prayer of thanksgiving for our ancestor.

A member of the Church & cemetery board, Dave, met with us. He gave us a history of the Church, the area and shared church documents.  He was very knowledgeable! One document was communion (most likely Georg's last communion, based on the date.  

Qualities that Georg possessed and passed to on to his future relations (us). 

• Resilience
• Love of family
• Courage

We drove ...........a long way.......to Greensburg, PA.

Greensburg in the 1770 was known as Harroldton, because "Stophel" Harrold, our 5 times great-grandfather founded the community.  Christopher  "Stophel" and his wife donated 158 acres of land for "Good Purpose".  So Churches and schools have been put on this land.

We met with our cousin, Tom Harrold.  We share Christopher *Stophel" as our common ancestor.  Tom shared a ton of history with us. We

Rob, a member of the Church cemetery board, toured us through the Church and cemetery sharing history.

This is St. John's Harrold Church. 

It was built when the stone church was taken down.  The first Old Zion Harrold Luthern Church started as a "house church". Then a log building was the Church and the school. Then the stone church was built. There was a dispute over using English or German so the congregation split. The German speaking congregation built another Church. That building is now the historical society building.  The picture above would have been English speaking.  That is where Stophel is buried, but his family would have attended the German speaking church.

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This is Stophel*s grave stone. It is leaning. Because of it*s age the have to figure out the best way to fix it without damaging it.

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Tom took us to the school and drove us around, showing us all of Stophel's land (where the farm was located).

This says "Harrold School #8" on the glass.

 Bill sitting in the corner of the classroom.

Lorrie and I got to ring the school bell.

The drive around town really gave us an idea of the breath of Stophel's land. Bill was able to recognized the strategic advantage of the area. The views gave an understanding of why he picked this spot.

Qualities from Christopher "Stophel":

• Bravery
• Industriousness
• Value of education and religion
• Generosity