May I show you the saddest picture I have ever seen:






This is a picture from an upscale Easthampton, New York magazine that serves the very rich. Round Swamp Farm provides them with fresh produce and seafood.

Why is this sad? Because the name under the sign should not be Snyder. It should be Lester, the name of my maternal bloodline.

The Round Swamp Lesters have a rich and wonderful Easthampton history. They are prominently mentioned in the book, Mens Lives which chronicles the adventures of the Long Island men and women who made their living from the bay and open sea.

With this generation, due to simple errors in judgment and a few moral choices that were not the best, the Round Swamp Lester name dies out forever. Their bloodline will continue in the Loewens and other families, but the rich tradition and history that surround the name will be only an interesting section in an industry long gone.

We move on, but I pray that whatever legacy I am creating will continue and the Loewen name will continue until the Lord pulls the curtain of history to its close in preparation for the next act.