Street sign for Lexmond.
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DeGroot Family Documentary

A year ago I had the pleasure to guide Earl DeGroot and his family on a heritage trip. We visited three locations that were important for his family: Goudriaan, Noordeloos and Lexmond. If you want to read more about the research and the trip, take a look at one of my previous posts.

Earl made a short video in 2012, explaining how his ancestors Gerrit de Groot and Merrigje Zwijnenberg as newlyweds left the Netherlands and started a new life in the United States.

At the end of 2019 he recorded a second video, this time about his trip to the Netherlands. I love the words that he used at the end of his story: “As John drove us back to the train station, we struggled with our emotions. It is difficult to explain how connecting to your roots can be so emotional. It just is.” I am happy to share this second video with you, as it gives a good impression of the trip that I made with the DeGroot family.

Recently Earl recorded a third video. He compared the current coronavirus crisis with the cholera outbreak from which his ancestors suffered on their way to their new homeland. They too were in quarantaine. If you want to see all three parts, then simply start the embedded video from the beginning.

Disclaimer: Earl DeGroot gave permission to show the video on this website.