visit to Denver

I had a conference in Denver last week and added some days to the trip to visit some members of this blog. It all worked out well and I visited cousins, aunts and uncles; and some cousins, once removed.

see this site to explain all that: http://www.genealogy.com/16_cousn.html

First off Randy Vander Laan picked me up from the hotel and gave me a detailed tour of the old dutch neighborhood, which the dutchies left, and is now inhabited by hipsters and yuppies. There are at least two sushi restaurants there! this area is terrific! small, well designed brick houses on small lots, with a good network of quiet streets, and Pearl Street - a great main street - 2 parallel parking lanes and 2 thru lanes. I was going to pace it off but forgot. Probably no more than 36 or 38 feet, curb to curb. Maybe 10 foot sidewalks. Perfect. Slow, low volume traffic; but thriving businesses. Later i went back for a bagel at the coffee shop, filled with sandal shod computer operators on the deck. (It is almost always nice weather in Colorado!)

Randy told me the names of many of the former inhabitants including his grandparents, and we found great aunt Etta's house. Somewhere grandma DeBoer live here for a year or so with Aunt Lou and Unc Bud. My mom stayed with Aunt Etta for a few months. I tried to imagine these folks walking around Pearl street while I ate my bagel.

The 2 CRC churches are still there and a reformed church. A few members I suppose.

This neighborhood is really awesome! There is even a light rail station a few blocks away. Why did the dutchies move away!? Big mistake. these little houses sell for $500K now. If we have a reunion in CO, we should have a guided tour of this pointing out where everyone lived, and what stores were where. Then maybe some of our cousins once removed will be inspired to reinhabit the homeland.

Randy had some good stories about his growing up there, climbing on the side of the church and being sent on to catechism by the candy store owner.

I also visited Aunt Lynn who was taking Uncle Bill finally out of the extra care section to their apartment. they were in fine fettle and good spirits. Aunt Lynn (how can she be 85? she seems like only 70 to me) plays golf and gets speeding tickets. She told me where to look out for the cops.

Then I visited Jim, Merial and Skye; we talked out the night and visited their new house, and some urban developments that I was interested in, and where their church used to meet. It was a big, failed mall; now it is a town. Ha! We found some common interests in organic growing and fair trade.

Tuesday I was lunching with Sandy and son Nate, who is going into film/video work; so we had to link him up to my son Ben who is eking out a living in LA in movie work. Also a second cousin husband is in LA in this business, but i have lost that link. Will have to study the family tree. While we were eating Linda Peter's son happened by, so met him. There are so many deBoers, so many.

On the way to the airport I found Bud and Wilma's house, and managed to slip in to their highly secure, gated community behind 5 other cars also slipping in behind the one person with a gate card. Oh its secure alright.

Linda was there as well, and word had spread across Denver that I had connected with her son. I guess there was a wacky cousin watch on. ("He's on Arapaho now, headed your way.")

We caught up on the latest news and what had been our worst jobs ever, and other important topics. By the way I did have to pay tolls on the e highway. Maybe Unc Bud has a way with the nice ladies at the toll booths.

So even tho I was 30 miles away from the most spectacular outdoors in NA, I spent my time with my fellow deBoers, talking about the pig killing episode, and other important aspects of
our lives.

I did manage to work in visits to three or four urban places that I thought were exemplary; and rode the light rail to the end and back.

Really tho, I had a great time and renewed connections that are very important to me.

Visit Denver, home of nifty neighborhoods, and great cousins, cousins once removed, uncles and aunts.