Land of our Ancestors

The failure of potato crops and the very small revenue of tiny family farms in Belgium during the 19th century affected the lives of our ancestors. Clement Baugniet and Augustine Paquet chose to leave Mehaigne, Belgium for a new life in America. In 1856, they boarded the ship Trumbell with their three sons, Francois, Florent and Frederic, and sailed from Antwerp to New York. Then they traveled down through Chicago to their new home in Mishicott, Wisconsin.

On Saturday 08 September 2007, Denise and Jacques of Belgium, visited us at the Villa Gracia Hotel. Beginning in 1998, Father Claude Baugniet of France and I corresponded and exchanged genealogy information. A cousin on his mother's side, Denise took the time to translate our letters, his from French to English and mine into French. Jacques sent pictures to me of the countryside, churches and school in Mont St. Andre, Autre-Eglise & Mehaigne.

Denise and Jacques invited us into their beautiful home overlooking the Meuse River for un delicieux lunch of meats, cheeses, fresh bread, white asparagus with fine wine and a homemade plum tarte. After Jacques shared stories of his extensive military career and Denise shared family albums, exchanging travel stories and regaling us with tales of their children's' notable accomplishments, they took us on a tour of the villages of our ancestors.

We explored Mont St. Andre, the town where Clement Joseph Baugniet was born 08 March 1821. We visited Autre-Eglise, the birthplace of his father and where Clement attended school, and then the village of Mehaigne, where Clement and Augustine were married and their three boys were born. The experience of walking the land of our ancestors, knowing they had married and raised their families in these villages, created a sense of belonging, a true connection to the people of Belgium. Suddenly, it wasn't just the land of our ancestors. We could take ownership, and call it our own.

Before returning to Villa Gracia we visited the Guy Delforge Perfumery at the Citadel de Namur. Then we were able to treat Denise and Jacques to dinner at Chateau de Namur where we sampled de foie gras de canard (duck) before indulging in the Cotes d'agneau (Lamb), Ris de veau (veal), and Sole de la Mer. Bon appetit.