The Church at Höllstein, Birthplace of Elizabeth Degen Bushman, my 3rd Great-Grandmother

From my journal:  From Zollikofen we drove about an hour through farmlands and towns, winding up into some mountains with towns on hillsides and in valleys. We were on our way to find Hölstein, the birthplace of my 3rd Great-grandmother, Elizabeth Degen. I was feeling excited all the way, more and more so as we got closer and closer. Holstein is in Basel land, up high in the mountains. All was green and fertile.

We followed the signs and our GPS to the little town, stopping first at a small old church we found there. We had no idea how large of a town we’d find, not sure what to expect. I hopped out of the car to go to the church while John looked for a parking place.

This Margarethenkirche dates back to the 1230. It has been remodeled in more recent years (1968) and is still used weekly, so the inside looked more modern and functional. It was small. 5-6 rows of benches with an aisle down the middle. Simple decor. A cross hanging on the white wall, simple stained glass windows. A table up front with a simple flower in a vase and a candle (I lit it). There was a organ loft in the back with a small pipe organ and a small rug and table at the back of the chapel for children with a few pictures on the wall.

 

I picked up a couple of pamphlets about the history of the church. Then John joined me and we walked through the small cemetery behind the church. I didn’t expect to find any DEGENs there, but we Did! There were several. We went up and down every row, reading each headstone, photographing any with the Degen name. It was exciting to see that family members still live here. I am excited to look at what descendants might be in FamilySearch. This might be a fun project!

   

How tied I already feel to this place, where blood of my blood is found.  We will need to return after I do some research to find who is still living here.  My heart is excited.  I am seeing things Elizabeth saw.