Get outside and enjoy the late summer weather, and learn the story of the influential Moyer family, on this self-driving tour to churches and cemeteries where the family has been prominent, with on-site interpretation by historians Joel Alderfer and Forrest Moyer.
The tour is open to all. Registration is limited to 40 participants (in two groups), and six-foot distancing will be observed for everyone’s safety.
There will be six stops on the tour, and you will receive an itinerary with specific times to arrive at each location for historical interpretation. We will visit these sites:
Franconia Mennonite Church and Cemetery
Learn about the Moyer immigrants, where they settled, and their influence on colonial eastern Pennsylvania.
Delp’s Meetinghouse and Burial Ground
Surrounded by early Moyer farms, hear the story of the American Revolution as they experienced it, and the family and church conflict they faced during the war.
Mennonite Heritage Center
Take an hour to view the fraktur, photography and history exhibits on display, or look up your branch of the family in the library and archives.
Blooming Glen Mennonite Church and Cemetery
The Moyer family were early settlers at “Birkenseh” (Perkasie). From here they moved west. Learn about the family’s pioneering days in early America. This cemetery includes a monument to Christian and Hans Meyer.
Deep Run East and West Mennonite Churches and Cemeteries
These “twin” churches in a serene Bucks County setting had many members who spelled their name Meyers or Myers; and the cemetery and schoolhouse are a sight not to be missed! Learn what it meant for our Moyer ancestors to choose conservative or progressive Mennonite faith in the 19th century.
Saucon Mennonite Church and Cemetery
This early community in Northampton/Lehigh County was home to immigrant brothers Peter, William, Jacob and Henry Meyer/Moyer, and their mother, who is buried here. Learn about the “Saucon Incident” that challenged the pacifist faith of these early settlers during the Revolution.
Optional lunch: A delicious picnic lunch by Blooming Glen Catering (a Moyer owned company) will be served in the pavilion at Blooming Glen Church, where there is ample room for distancing. The lunch will include two hot entrees and three sides. Cost is $20 per person. If you would like to include the lunch, be sure to select it in your registration.
Otherwise, lunch is on your own, and we will provide a list of drive-thrus and eateries along the route.
Tour fee: $45 per person ($40 MHC members). Optional lunch: $20 per person. The registration fee is not refundable but is transferable.