[rain pattering] Woman 1: I remember when my mom first got sick.

I was home alone with my little sister, Heidi.

Well, she's my twin sister.

And, um, my mom fainted, and we were probably five, six years old.

So, I sent Heidi through-- to the neighbors to get help, and I remember staying there with my mom while she was passed out on the floor.

And I remember being, for the first time in my life, afraid and alone.

♪♪ And I remember just wanting her to get better so bad and just to come home, [voice breaking] and she just never came home.

[sobbing] And then we were home alone, and we were left with my father.

I remember hiding underneath my bed when he would yell.

And he would start on these rants and these rages.

It was almost better once he started to spank us and to hit us because that meant that it was gonna be over soon.

♪♪ [emotional] I don't like to think about that stuff.

My dad told us, almost on a daily basis, you're never gonna go anywhere; you're never gonna be anybody.

You're never gonna do anything.

We weren't worth it.

♪♪ What I’m hoping is that I can show Heidi that we're not nobodies.

That we're somebodies.

I want a story.

I do; I want a story.

I’ve been told my whole life I’m not nobody, and I’m somebody, and I’m gon' go find out who that somebody is.

[laughs] ♪♪ Lise: Hi, everybody, I’m Lise Simms.

And each week on our program, we bring you the story of someone who, for one reason or another, wants to get in touch with an ancestor or an entire generation of their family tree.

And we help them do just that.

We're an ongoing project dedicated to connecting families across generations.

And today, that person is PJ Getts.

Welcome, PJ.

- Thanks, Lise.

Lise: Well, let's talk about your sister because it really struck me that you called her your little sister.

You’re twins.

PJ: Right.

- Not identical twins.

PJ: No, fraternal, uh-huh.

- Fraternal twins.

But how much older than you-- or did-- PJ: I’m six minutes.

But sometimes, I think it's almost like six years.

[laughs] I’m very protective of her, I think.

- That's what I wanted to know about.

Were you like that as a kid?

Did you feel responsible for her and wanting to protect her?

PJ: Very, very, very much.

I really always felt responsible for her, and I always felt that, you know, she was sort of my, even-- not my sister, but more my daughter and it was really up to me to take care of her.

Lise: So, your relationship as adults at the beginning of this journey was not where you wanted it to be.

PJ: No.

I think when we were kids, when my dad-- like I was talking about that, we both-- she went and hid in the top of a closet, and I went and hid under the bed.

And as adults in our early 20s, without that solid family to help us get through those turbulent 20s, we both retreated to our corners.

And we never sort of came out of it.

We weren't mean to each other.

It's just that we were civil to each other, we just weren't close.

Lise: You didn't reach out to each other.

- No, no.

Lise: You live very close to each other.

- Like, five miles away from each other.

Lise: Was it hard to avoid each other?

Or was it avoidance?

PJ: It wasn't like we were avoiding each other.

It was just that we weren't involved with each other either.

Lise: So, your why as to start this journey, we always say start with your why, is wanting a story, any story, that will connect you and your twin sister in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Does that describe it?

PJ: 100%.

- Okay, that's a big, big journey to take.

- Yeah.

- And when you begin, we start back in Flint, Michigan where you grew up.

And you met with someone.

Do you remember who that was?

PJ: Trudy.

Lise: Trudy is the president of the genealogical society in Flint, and she gathered some information for you, and that's where it all starts.

Let's watch it together.

PJ: I like Trudy.

- [laughs] ♪♪ - I remember this place!

[giggles] I used to get, um... Tchaikovsky's Peter and the Wolf all the time here, the album, and I remember listening to that album over and over.

I wonder if they still have that.

[laughs] ♪♪ It's so nice to see you-- Trudy: Nice to see you!

PJ: --in person, my hands are cold.

- Yeah.

Both: [laugh] - It's all right, it's the weather.

- I heard you got some great stuff for me.

- I do.

I do.

I have some information here for you, uh, that I found, and it does include a little bit of your maternal side here and your paternal side here.

PJ: That's neat.

Trudy: That's you, right there.

That's you!

- And that's my mom.

Trudy: And there's your mom.

PJ: And that's my grandpa and my grandma.

- Mm-hm.

- And this where I stop knowing.

Trudy: Oh, really?

PJ: This is, this is all I know, right here.

Trudy: Oh, wow.

PJ: What I would really like to find out is some stories behind these names.

My twin sister, Heidi, she couldn't be here.

I really want her here with us.

And I wanted to show her that we come from... from good stock, from good DNA.

Trudy: All right.

Well, this is just genealogy.

PJ: Okay.

Trudy: And that genealogy is just names, dates, and places.

Family history is really the stories that go behind.

So, do you-- you don't have any stories.

What about stories about your mother?

Nothing?

- I don't know anything.

I heard that the day that, on her funeral, they shut down the school systems in Mount Morris so-- because so many teachers were gonna attend her funeral, that they couldn't keep the schools open 'cause they didn't have enough subs, so they had to shut down the schools for the day.

So, I wanna find out more about her and her family.

Trudy: What about your paternal side, your father's side?

- I don't wanna go that way so much.

I really wanna focus more on my maternal side.

- Okay.

Well, then, let's put together a plan.

You will start with your mother's side, with your mother.

- Okay.

- And I will work on the rest.

- Okay.

- And we'll see what we come up with.

You, you may find some stories that you don't like-- - Okay.

- --that are very emotional.

PJ: Right.

- But, um, you have to get through them, and that's... it's the past, that's what happened and there's not much you can do about it except for how you think about it.

PJ: Right.

- Um, but we'll, we'll find some stories.

PJ: That would be great.

Trudy: And we'll put that all together.

PJ: Sounds awesome.

- Okay.

PJ: Thank you.

♪♪ So, we have names.

And now we have to put together the stories.

I’d just like to know really anything about her, the more information I have about her.

'cause, you know, she's my mom and I don't really know anything, so I’d like to have some more information.

Some more puzzle pieces.

♪♪ Lise: When PJ was a little girl, her mother, Patsy, taught in Mount Morris, Michigan at Pinehurst Elementary School.

One of Patsy's closest friends, Chris Lundbom, sometimes volunteered there with Patsy.

PJ begins her journey by meeting with Chris at Pinehurst Elementary to recreate the memory of her mother.

♪♪ - Hi!

Oh, my gosh.

Chris: You look just like your mom.

- [laughs] How are you?

Chris: Oh...

Both: [chuckle] - This was my mom's room, and this was a kindergarten room.

And there's a wall in between it when...

I used to miss my mom, and Ms. White used to let me put my ear up against the door so I could hear her talk in that room.

- Oh, how sweet.

Yeah, that's the room I remember, too.

PJ: Yeah.

Oh my gosh, look at how little.

I just remember it being so big and now it's so small.

Chris: [chuckles] Yeah, something's growing or something's shrinking.

PJ: Yeah.

- Which do you think?

- I think the school is shrinking.

- I, I’m gonna show you this.

This is what I brought.

Do you think you look like your mom?

Both: [laugh] Chris: That's the way I remember her.

PJ: What was she like as a person?

Chris: You would have loved her.

She was just a super human being.

She just really was.

She couldn't do enough for anyone, you know.

PJ: What is it that you remember most about my mother?

- I don't know.

It's sad, but I remember most when she got sick, you know.

And it was hard 'cause we did so much together, and then... - Right.

Chris: The night she passed, we were, just got home from up north, and, um, your dad called.

And I come in, and, I mean, I am full of, um, dirt from the garden.

And he said, Chris, Pat’s... gonna pass away and she wants to say goodbye to you.

So, you know, I didn't do nothing but wash my hands.

And I looked like a garden mess, home from up north.

And I got up there and all he wanted was somebody by his side.

He just...

When I walked in, he said to the nurse, pull the plug.

I was so angry at him, I just-- could have just... at that point, you know, and that's the last time I ever talked to your dad, too.

But he didn't have anybody, I shouldn't have been so bitter, you know.

Yeah, she was a very, very close friend.

PJ: And she loved to teach, right?

Chris: Oh, she loved her teaching.

Mm-hm.

Her kids were her favorite.

And she loved you kids, I mean, I couldn't-- She used to always say, Well, I’m not gonna die 'cause God wouldn't let me.

She said, I can't leave my children, I just can't.

- Right.

- You know, she was just devastated to think she had to leave you.

And she was worried for yous.

She said, I’m so worried about her.

she said.

If you kids tried to come over, or if anything and he ever found out, you would pay for it.

We could do nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I mean, because I was not alone.

Even though I was the neighbor, there were people that would call me, you know, that knew things.

PJ: I know.

- And I would just say we butt out; it's none of your business.

I’d have to do that, you know.

I just wished that you kids woulda had more.

You woulda had a lot more if you had your mom, huh?

PJ: [quietly] I know that.

♪♪ [sighs] Honestly, I feel bad for her.

Like, I feel like I had her come here and go through all this pain.

And I’m not really sure why right now, why I did that to her.

And I’m feeling sorta bad about that.

I didn't really get the reaction from her that I thought I would get either.

I expected more, like, happy stories about my mom.

And I don't-- and I didn't get hardly any of those, you know.

I thought it would always be hard to come back here.

I mean... ♪♪ y'know, there was a little girl that was here that somebody should've... helped, maybe, but, you know, whatever.

♪♪ I, I never wanted to come back here.

This, this isn't like coming home for me.

Coming home is going back to Tampa to see my kids.

[voice breaking] That's my home.

That's my home.

♪♪ [sniffles] I don't belong here.

I’m sorry, I don't wanna do this anymore.

I feel it's just gonna be this, like, stupid, sappy episode of all this chick crying, crying, crying, crying, crying, and that's not even a little bit of who I am, not at all.

♪♪ ♪♪ I called my husband, Mike, last night, and I told him I didn't know if I wanted to keep doing this.

And he said that, you know, I was brave for doing it, and, you know, every story needs a problem, that was just the problem of the story.

And that, you know, just to keep going and to be strong, and that it was gonna be okay.

You know, my kids texted me, We love you, Mommy, goodnight.

My friends were texting me.

I guess once I received their support and just-- they knew where I was and I knew that they were there loving me.

I guess in the moment yesterday, I forgot that I was 43 years old, and I had built this life and this support system.

So, I am gonna keep going and I’m gonna find some happy parts today.

Lise: To find those happy parts, PJ meets with genealogist Trudy Krueger again.

Trudy has information on PJ's third great-grandfather, Reverend Matthias Holtby.

Trudy: I’m just so excited to show you this stuff.

But let's, let's go back to-- I-- your chart.

And I’ve done some preliminary research-- - Okay.

- --on your mother's side, I have some information for you about Matthias Holtby.

As a matter of fact, I have a picture for you.

PJ: Of Matthias?

Trudy: Here's a picture of Matthias.

PJ: [laughs] Wow.

Trudy: He was actually a minister.

- He was a minister?

- He was a minister.

And this information, uh, it's an article from the Christian Guardian of the Methodist Church of Canada from 1880.

I think this is what you're really looking for.

- Okay.

- If you wanna read from here down to the end-- - Okay.

- --and I think you'll be very surprised.

- "Father Holtby possessed a mind "much above the average; "you could not be long in his company "without feeling that you were "in the presence of a man "of more than ordinary intelligence and candour... "and yet there was a vein of quaint and quiet humor "in his modes of thought and expression, which gave interest to his conversation--" I like him-- Trudy: [laughs] - "and would occasionally provoke a smile... "His thoughts were presented "in a familiar, home-like conversational style, "such as a tender and loving father "would likely to employ "in persuading his own children "to a life of a piety.

... "He has left to his family and to the Church a precious legacy."

That's beautiful.

Trudy: It is.

- You gave me a nice story.

Thank you, Trudy.

- You're welcome.

- He was born in England, and he came to Canada.

Trudy: Right.

PJ: And he lived in Canada.

That's amazing.

- Yup.

And then he married-- PJ: Margaret.

Trudy: Margaret Crawford, and these are their children.

So, you have some other research that you can be doing.

♪♪ PJ: It's something else I can take to Heidi to say, you know, we might not have had a great example as a dad, but there are people in our family that were really good dads and really good people.

I would like to see if I could find any examples of any kind of crises that his family went through and how they weathered those storms together.

And what happened to his five kids and how did having a strong father impact their lives?

- PJ's third great-grandfather Matthias Holtby immigrated to Canada when the Toronto area was still called York.

So, PJ heads to Toronto to learn more about the legacy Matthias left to his children.

PJ: I don't know why I’m hanging them all up 'cause I’m just gonna have to pack them again.

'Cause we're only here one night, right?

[laughs] ♪♪ Lise: In Toronto, a surprise visitor joins PJ on her journey.

♪♪ [knocking] - Surprise.

- I sort of figured this out.

- No, you didn't.

No, you didn't have a clue on Friday.

- I didn't on Friday... Heidi: When I came into the door, she was very happy to see me and there was an embrace.

It wasn't a huge embrace.

PJ: I’m glad you're here.

You're not gonna get in trouble from your job, are you?

- No.

- Okay.

- No.

But it was, it was more of a hug and then step back.

Kind of into our own spaces again.

And I-- [sighs] not that I wanna, uh, invade her space or anything like that, but it, it just... it should be more.

PJ: I mean, I love my sister, and I would do anything.

But I don't really feel like she's my best friend.

And so-- and I think that of all people in this world, she should be my best friend.

♪♪ - Welcome, Heidi Hess.

Heidi: Thank you.

- The second half; the other half.

The little sister.

[chuckles] You're already teary.

What's happening right now?

Heidi: [inhales] [emotional] Well, she just said that, um, we're, we're not best friends, you know?

We're both very guarded... very separated, very, kind of, uh-- each wrapped around themselves.

And, and just, like, her going under the bed and me climbing up to the top of the linen closet, you know?

I had Raggedy Anne, but I didn't have PJ.

Lise: Why?

- I think the two of us together sometimes drew attention.

And so, maybe we separated to-- as a survival instinct.

I don't know, I mean, that's grandiose.

Lise: You said at the end of that segment, you know, about the hugs, I can feel you wanting this physical bond with your big sister.

Heidi: Mm-hm.

Lise: And you said it should be more.

And in the very next interview, PJ said, We should be best friends.

So, I’m seeing these two women want the same thing.

I want to start here because this is where the two of you really come together to rehabilitate and rebuild this relationship, which is a lifelong journey.

So, you're meeting with Brian Gilchrist at this point when we come back into the story in Brampton, Ontario.

Let's watch.

Heidi: Okay.

♪♪ - Got some news.

You're actually standing on ancestral property right now.

This is the Hol-- what's left of the Holtby farm.

But here, let's take a look at this.

And if you can hold that, and, and we can see it.

This is the-- known as Locust Grove, the property.

PJ: Oh, wow.

Brian: There's the house.

the driveway, the orchards.

This property itself was Thomas Holtby, who was one of Matthias's sons.

PJ: Wow.

Brian: Okay?

PJ: That's very, very cool.

Heidi: Why did he come from England?

Brian: He lived through the height, as a teenager, of the Napoleonic wars.

At the end of the Napoleonic Wars in the British Isles, there wasn't enough farmland and room for all the families.

So, they needed to migrate to, to the provinces of Canada, to the United States, to Australia, to New Zealand, and to other British colonies.

Matthias and his wife decided to pick their family up and come to Canada for something new and exciting.

Now, if I remember correctly from my notes, you're descended from John.

PJ: Yes.

- And Margaret Crawford was Matthias's second wife.

PJ and Heidi: Okay.

Brian: Okay?

The first wife, uh, Esther Elizabeth Betsy, she was called, Vickerman was her maiden name, uh, she came on the voyage with him, and she died in 1832 or ‘33 along with an infant child.

PJ: She was 37 when she died.

- Yes.

PJ: That was how old my mom was when she died.

- Really?

Heidi: Yeah.

PJ: How did Matthias handle it when Betsy died?

Do we have any... Heidi: Do we know?

- Well, we do.

Um, this was written.

One of the first pieces of poetry that we have that was written by your ancestor in 1832.

Heidi: Okay.

- "Thrice happy spirit, thou hast escaped away, "And left our darkness for the light of day, "The painful mortal conflict is now past; "And thou hast gained the victory at last, To mourn and to suffer is mine."

Wow, that's pretty powerful.

- Written after the death of his first wife.

Heidi: Wow.

- He loved her.

- He loved her a lot.

PJ: What happened to Matthias after his first wife died?

Do we know?

- We do.

He became much more religious.

Um, he was, uh, certainly filled with the Spirit at that time, and he wanted to make a difference.

Reverend Holtby was a man of substance and wanted the best for his family as these families who came to the New World did.

They wanted to better themselves.

Heidi: Yeah.

Brian: But-- so, therefore, you know, you’re descendants from John.

John's brother, Jabez, became a medical doctor.

Heidi: Nice.

- And was fairly well educated.

And then, there were children by the first marriage as well.

Heidi: Lots of 'em!

- Lots of them.

All: [laugh] - And we've got Thomas here, and this is whose property we're actually on right now.

- Okay.

Brian: And he was a great benefactor to the community.

And then Matthias Jr., he also became a Methodist preacher, so... Heidi: Nice.

- You're not royalty, but y-you're well connected.

- I like to think so.

[laughter] PJ: To me, love isn't only what you say, but it's what you do.

And by his actions, we can't hear him say, I love my kids, but we see that one of his kids went on to have a huge estate.

One of them became a doctor.

When your children become doctors, that's a lot of parental sacrifice.

We see that another child went on to be a magistrate.

So, you know, you put all those pieces together and what that says is that those kids came from a good foundation, that they had parents that loved them, cared about them, and drove them to be all that they could be.

Heidi: There was a lot of loss, but they were hearty folk, they were, they were tough.

And it's good to know that we come from that type of person.

PJ: We can use Matthias as our example to show us how important it is that we all work together.

♪♪ ♪♪ I get so busy in my life that I forget about Heidi sometimes.

And having her with me yesterday made me realize how much I love her and I miss her.

It makes me realize that it's important that I take the time to, to work on our relationship.

Lise: Trudy Krueger, the genealogical society president back in Flint, Michigan, invites Heidi and PJ to video chat.

Trudy: Hi, Heidi!

Heidi: Hi, Trudy.

So nice to meet you.

I’ve heard wonderful things, and you did great work, thank you so much.

Trudy: Oh, you're welcome, I enjoyed doing it.

We have some more information for you on your family histories.

But they are on, on your paternal side.

I know you both kind of... - Oh, it's on my dad's side?

Trudy: On your dad's side.

I think they'll be worthwhile for you to look into.

So, are you ready for some stories on, on your father’s side?

- Absolutely.

- Yeah, I think that balances it out.

Trudy: Yeah.

Um, I was able to, uh, to find some new information about the Palatines.

Palatine area is... Lise: Heidi and PJ's Palatine ancestors are named after the areas of Germany and France known as the Palatinate.

From the late 1680s until almost 1710, the area was ravaged by armed conflicts, like the war of Spanish succession.

The violence of the wars made the Palatines into refugees, most of whom escaped to England.

In England, politicians eventually decided to send the refugees to frontier regions in the American colonies, especially western New York near the current day area of Albany.

They hoped the Palatines would be human buffers between English colonists and rival French colonists or hostile Native Americans.

Trudy recommends a way that the twins can walk in their Palatine ancestors' shoes.

Trudy: And, uh, there is an expert on the Palatines who happens to be in upstate New York for a conference.

And, um, his name is Hank Jones.

It'll be really, really worthwhile for you guys to go and continue your journey there, and, uh, get some more stories about, uh, the Palatines in your family.

I’m going to send you a, uh, a chart that will show you where your family connects into the Palatines.

PJ: I didn't-- I-- I’ve never even heard this before, so this is-- - No, this is very cool.

PJ: Thank you, Trudy!

- Thank you so much.

PJ: You're the best!

- Ohhh, uh, hey, I try.

All: [laugh] Trudy: I’m glad you're together and, and embarking on the journey together, so... PJ: Thank you, Trudy, we'll keep in touch.

Trudy: Okay, we will.

PJ: All right.

Bye!

Um... I’m afraid, a little bit, what that way-- you know, it, it is what it is, and, um-- so, um... you know.

But it'll be great, 'cause maybe there's a good story on my dad's side too.

There-- you know, they can't all be... Heidi: Right.

- [indistinct whispering] Both: [laugh] - Um... all the paternal side of it is, you know, my dad wasn't very nice to us, so... that just kind of brings back those memories.

You know, you, you push that back and, and you focus on the good stuff, the mom, you know, and those memories.

So, kinda opened a can of worms there.

So... that's all.

♪♪ Lise: Following Trudy's instructions, the twins next travel to meet Palatine expert Hank Jones in Germantown, New York.

They meet next to an archeological dig examining the parish where their ancestors worshipped in the early 18th century.

PJ: We were hopin' that you might be able to give us some stories behind some of these names.

Hank: Those are old friends of mine.

PJ: [chuckles] For, for the past -- I hate to say -- 50 years, I’ve been looking for the Fox family, and all of their neighbors and buddies, and even some relatives, that came from the same town in Germany called Niederbieber.

Isn't that a great name?

They came in a group, eh, to colonial America in 1709 and '10.

They had a terrible time in Germany, um... there were ongoing wars, you know, fought right in the middle of everything.

They-- eh, somebody once said that, that you didn't know which army was gonna be on your doorstep that day to bother you.

And then, in 1709, they had the worst weather they've ever had.

One church book even said, it, it-- I remember the entry, It's so sad, the old people are going out into the snow to die so that the young ones will have people-- enough food to eat.

PJ: Now, was this in Germany or was this-- - This was, this was in Germany.

This is another-- this is why they left.

- --made them come.

- That's right.

Then, then they get here, and it's cold, and it's-- and the, the promises-- the British government said that they would give them some support-- that only lasted for two years.

And I found these letters overseas where the minister of the Reformed Church, Reverend Hager, writes back to London saying, basically, Where's, where's the money you promised?

uh, and in his letter it says, It's so bad, the children are eating the leaves off the trees... Heidi: Awh... - ... to exist, and the old people are, are, are crying constantly.

They would've moved a stone.

That was his-- They would've moved a stone to see the condition of these Palatines.

The thing that got them through, though, as much as anything, was the sense of community.

In other words, they had their old friends from Niederbieber, they had their families... PJ: [laughs] Heidi: Yes.

Hank: And, it-- so, in a sense, nothing changes.

You guys are a-- in a sense, a testament to them.

They are you, you are them.

- Right.

Hank: I wanna show you somethin' else over here, too.

This, this is-- this, um... is, is the parsonage, here.

This is a plaque that is put up here in East Camp, Germantown, New York, honoring all the Palatine families who lived here, and came with your ancestors, the Fox family.

PJ: That's us, right there.

Hank: There they are.

That's right.

PJ: I know, and this is exactly what America's about: they were "seeking freedom "from war, sickness... poverty, "hoping to establish a better life for their children..." You know?

And that means that they loved their kids.

- They loved their kids.

Heidi: They're trying to build a better life, absolutely.

Hank: It's amazing, when I look at the names on these s-stones -- some of them fought in the Revolution.

The Battle of Oriskany, you know?

A huge battle.

PJ: Some of our relatives fought in the Revolutionary War?

- Absolutely.

- They got-- they fought to get here, and they continued fighting once they got here.

Hank: That's right.

It was no let up.

There was no let up.

You know, you should meet a friend of mine.

His name is Don Teeple.

And boy, does he know Palatines, and he really knows about the Revolution and the Battle of Oriskany.

Heidi: Okay!

Hank: Okay.

Absolutely.

♪♪ PJ: I didn't even wanna know about my dad's side, 'cause I didn't think there was anything really good or noble on that side.

And I felt like-- honestly, I felt, like, a little bit like white trash, I did.

And, um... learnin' about this, [laughing] I don't feel like white trash no more.

I feel like I should be proud of myself, and I should be proud of my ancestors, and I have a lot to be proud of.

And I don't need to deny who I am anymore.

I’m a somebody.

And that's cool.

I like bein' a somebody.

Heidi: I didn't really know what to expect.

I was kind of scared, of what to expect.

And so this was a very pleasant outcome.

Very pleasant.

The relationship between PJ and I-- I think we are becoming, uh, more comfortable with each other, and it's, it's more open, it's more relaxed.

And PJ is very important to me.

And I do need to tell her that.

Because she needs to know how important she is to me.

[cars passing] Lise: Heidi and PJ stay to enjoy an historical conference celebrating the 300th anniversary of Germantown.

The event is attended by hundreds of historians and genealogists, and presents new research on the Palatines' cultural and genealogical legacy to the United States.

PJ: ... England, on my mother's side... Heidi: Somewhere around there.

[laughs] We're bringing our brother, and... ♪♪ Woman 2: Some of you may know Heidi Hess and PJ Getts, who are twin sisters and Palatine descendants.

Their ancestors, Johann William and Johann Christopher Fukes -- does that name sound familiar?

Audience: [chuckles] Woman 2: I’d like to welcome Heidi and PJ, and would you please stand up?

And let's acknowledge them.

[applause] Heidi: It's overwhelming!

It's really overwhelming to finally feel like you've come home.

It's good.

It's very good.

And, and if this doesn't bring us closer, [scoffs] then, then PJ's just more bullheaded than I knew.

[laughs] 'Cause it's not me.

[laughing] No.

PJ: Yeah, it's so funny, over the last couple of days, I’ve gone from this, like, not wanting, not wanting to do this, and now I’m so excited, and I’m all smiley, [laughs] and I’m happy again, And I’m ready, like-- and to go find our heritage, and to go find more reasons to be proud and more reasons to stand up straight.

Lise: After Heidi and PJ's Palatine ancestors braved their first harsh winters in the colonies, they moved almost 200 miles west to the Mohawk Valley, where they set up frontier farming communities.

The twins are meeting with historian Don Teeple near St. Johnsville, New York.

Don: We come over here.

On aerial maps and stuff, you can see that there's a fence line here.

Both: Uh-huh.

Don: Here.

PJ: Okay.

- Ladies?

PJ: Uh-huh?

- If you step over...

Both: [laugh] Don: ... you're standing on the land that -- 250, 300 years ago -- your relative's house, it would've been right here, in this little grove here.

PJ: Wow.

Don: And we'll go to Fort Klock, which is a reconstruction of a very similar type house and it would be almost a duplicate of what your relatives would have, would have lived in, back in the 1720's, all the way up to the Revolutionary War.

Like to go see that?

Heidi: Yes.

Yes, please.

Absolutely.

♪♪ Don: This would have been where-- well, at least the wife and the girls, would've spent a good majority of the time in here, if they weren't outside doin' gardening and everything.

Think of you, in a homespun dress... PJ: [laughs] Don: Dad and your brothers would've been out in the fields, and the two of you were sitting there, doing your household chores.

- Now was this homespun dress Dolce and Gabbana, or more Gucci?

All: [laugh] - Yeah, well... how about burlap chic?

Heidi: That had to be hard.

I mean, I know they were close-knit and they took care of each other, but to spend so much time together in such a close space...

I mean, you just-- - They were busy!

They, you know, because it was such a close-knit family, they, they, they-- if there was family dysfunction, they didn't survive.

You wouldn't be here.

You, yourselves, by the sheer presence of you being here, is proof of the fact that your family did persevere.

- Wow.

- That they did bond.

That they did sit there and say, you know, we're gonna tough it out, no matter what the consequences, no matter what the odds, we're gonna be there for each other.

Heidi: Are you gonna be there for me?

- Yes.

Both: [laugh] Lise:The Palatine’s farming was successful enough that when neighboring colonies struggled, they could depend on a Palatine surplus to get them through hard times.

If there were a war, that surplus would unfortunately attract the military attention of passing armies short on supplies, whether friend or foe.

Don: This was the breadbasket of the Revolution.

All of the grain, the corn, the supplies were actually grown in this area and shipped throughout the colonies to supply George Washington's army, to all the other armies...

The British wanted to stifle the production of the grain and everything else here, and burn the crops, drive the settlers off the land.

And, in their efforts of coming down here, the Americans went to meet them to stop them, and that's where the Battle of Oriskany took place.

Both: Oh... Don: Just up the road here a little ways is where this big, monumental Battle at Oriskany took place -- would you guys like to go see that?

Heidi: Absolutely.

Lise: En route to the battlefield, the twins visit the Palatine Church in Fort Plains, New York.

The historic church housed many Palatine religious meetings and its churchgoers played an important part of the Palatines' destiny in the Revolutionary War.

Don: This church here is one of the oldest surviving churches from the colonial times.

When your relatives came here in the 1720's, there was nobody else here but-- except the Native Americans, the Indians.

They were put here by the British to act as a buffer zone between the French and the Indians who were raiding the colonies.

Heidi: So they stayed together to protect from the British, from the French, from the Indians, from... - Everybody!

Heidi: And then this was the town hall -- this was the community center.

- This was the center, the hub, the heartbeat of the community.

They had what they called committees of safety that they organized out of the church.

These committees of safety overlooked fortifications, uh, preparations for troubles.

This committee of, of safety actually passed a resolution prior to the Declaration of Independence that actually proclaimed independence and their staunch beliefs prior to the Declaration of Independence.

And I will get you a copy of that so that you can, [chuckling] so that you can show that to your kids.

- [laughing] My relatives signed that.

- Yes, they-- they were the ones that thought of it!

They didn't-- not that they signed it-- they were the ones that drafted it.

PJ: They were some of the first people to say... - You guys were the pioneers of the pioneers.

Lise: In 1777, following a successful first year of fighting, the British wanted to quickly end the rebellion within the colonies.

British commanders like General John Burgoyne believed that if they were able to sever New England, what he called the hot bed of the rebellion, from the rest of the colonies, it would cause logistical difficulties that would fatally cripple the rebels and end the Revolution.

One of those forces began their push with a British siege on revolutionary Fort Stanwix on the eastern banks of Lake Ontario.

Revolutionary forces close by immediately mobilized to provide help.

One of the responding militias was the Tryon County militia, comprised mostly of Palatine revolutionaries-- especially Heidi and PJ's Fox, Flanders, and Hess ancestors.

They approached Fort Stanwix from the east.

British forces in the Oriskany area learned of the Tryon County procession and quietly flanked them on all sides, preparing for an ambush.

Don: And as the column is further down this ravine, like we're walking, when the middle of the column gets to about this spot, all at once there was some type of a signal, and every single British fighter fired at one time.

With one big kaboom.

It just devastated them.

PJ: And nine of my Fukes and Foxes are in the middle of this.

Don: Eight of them were right in the middle of it.

One of them was a captain -- Christopher P. Fox -- He was killed immediately in the first volley.

Now, what happened -- they are disorganized, they're laying in this brush.

Every time they would stick their heads up, somebody would shoot at them.

And as soon as they would make a shot, the Indians would then rush because the guy couldn't ever reload in time.

So they'd come up and try to hack 'em.

PJ: They gave away their position.

Don: Gave away their position.

So, what they did is, the word was given out for them to double up so that one guy would shoot, one guy would reload.

This battle lasted for six hours.

[distant clamoring and musket fire] PJ: As you're talkin' about this, I can really see this going on right now.

I can see the smoke in the air... Heidi: Mm-hm.

PJ: I can hear the gunfire going off...

I can hear the yelling.

I can even see Christopher getting shot.

And I can feel how angry, and how that just made his brothers just fight on, probably more.

- Your ancestors stopped them here.

Lise: Had the British defeated the twin’s ancestors at Oriskany, those British forces could've separated rebel leaders in New England from the rest of the colonies, putting down the Revolution.

Don: So, in all essence, your relatives, through their patriotism and their perseverance, and their determination to fight and to win -- it's the birth of our nation.

It wasn't just a battle.

It was a decisive, decisive battle.

Your relatives were the real deal.

They really were.

- Kinda like my sister.

- Kinda like my sister.

- You know what?

You both have, you both have families.

You can pass on to your kids, and hopefully they can pass it on to theirs, so that-- PJ: Not hopefully, they will.

- They will-- if they don't, we'll haunt them.

All: [laugh] Don: Very good.

This is the monument here.

And if you look right up there, you will very prominently see Christopher P., Christopher W., Phillip, a bunch of other Fox names.

- I see him.

I see Christopher.

He was a captain.

Christopher W. Fox, you see him, Heidi?

Heidi: Oh, there he is.

PJ: See.

Heidi: Fox.

PJ: That was the man that died.

Heidi: This is so cool.

Don: Girls, I’m going to give you some time here to look at the monument by yourself and to just do a little reflection upon them and yourselves.

- Thank you so much.

Don: You're welcome.

PJ: This is awesome.

Heidi: [chuckles] PJ: That's just amazing, huh?

Heidi: It's awesome.

PJ: Wow.

Heidi: This is absolutely beyond belief.

We have such roots.

Such history.

Such amazing relatives.

Such amazing strength.

This is just... - Do you think we're somebody?

- Oh, we're more than somebody.

- [chuckles] Heidi: We are.

PJ: Do you think we can use what we learned here this week?

Heidi: Absolutely.

PJ: And like, they fought for America.

We can fight for each other.

Heidi: We are family, so absolutely.

PJ: Promise?

Heidi: Absolutely.

PJ: Double promise.

Heidi: [chuckles] Pinky swear.

PJ: Okay.

♪♪ ♪♪ When I started this, I was in Flint, and it was raining and it wasn't a very nice day.

And now I’m ending it, and I got a smile.

It changed me.

I mean, it made me stronger.

And it made me realize how important you are.

- Thank you, it's about time you recognize that.

PJ: [chuckles] You are important.

- So are you, baby.

When we started this, I was always scared to say I love you.

I was scared of you rejecting me.

But, but you're not one I need to run away from.

You're the last person I need to run away from and that's what this journey has taught me.

PJ: See, and that's it.

When you have a hard time, I want it to be my couch Heidi: [chuckles] PJ: that you come to.

I wanna be the first person when you pick up that phone and you've just got some bad news.

- Your dog’s going to be so unhappy that I’m taking over the couch.

PJ: I want like when we were kids and Mom used to take us on picnics.

I wanna go on a picnic with you and I wanna have fun.

Heidi: [chuckles] I wanna laugh with you.

Heidi: Yeah, let's do that.

I’d love that.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Lise: You look so close during this whole journey that it's hard to believe you didn't feel that all along.

And this is really what it's all about.

Rebuilding this relationship.

So honestly.

Where are we now?

Do you feel like change has been made?

And if so, what is that?

- I think it's slow, but steady progress.

Like, I had a sleepover.

I had ten 13-year-old boys.

- Stinky boys.

- And my husband bailed town.

And she came and she was there, and I mean, I had a house full of 13-year-old boys, and, and so-- - Yeah, it was fun.

- Yeah.

I think it's, I think slow progress is the best progress 'cause it's the most permanent kind of progress.

Heidi: Mm-hmm.

PJ: And so, it’s not like we didn't come back and we're calling each other all the time, but we at least touch base every couple of days.

- Yeah, we start coming over to each other's house.

Like, I drive by her house on the way home from work.

And so, I call and, PJ are you there?

I’m coming in.

- Yeah.

- And I stop by now, on the way home.

And, and-- - I was at the mall the other day.

And her house is by the mall, so, I came over her house after I went to the mall.

- Yeah.

- So, it's little changes.

Heidi: Mm-hmm.

- But we're definitely leaning in the right direction.

Lise: Absolutely, it's a lifelong process.

Heidi: It is, it is.

- Now you had to go back.

First of all, the Generations Project team as a whole just wants to thank you both.

We have such respect for your courage and your fortitude and your willingness to go back and look at some very difficult things.

And I wanna know if you thought or think now that there was value in it for you.

- I think so.

Like, when we began this, I always thought finding out about your family was sort of like a novelty.

Like, that will be fun but, yeah but, you know, its, it wasn't-- but it's so funny because after you go through this process, and you have time to think about it.

It really becomes ingrained in who you are.

Heidi: Mm-hmm.

- And it changes your perspective of who you are.

And it went from this novelty, Oh, this will be fun, I'll take a week off of my life sort of adventure to this process that really changed how I thought about who I am.

And I never really thought that finding out about your ancestry could change you the way it's changed me.

Heidi: Mm-hmm.

It changes your whole focus, like, it's so easy to focus on your day to day and getting the kids to school and, and paying the bills and wrapping that up.

But if you broaden your view, if you broaden your perspective and you look at the past generations how they affected you.

How are you gonna affect future generations?

Lise: Right.

- And how are your children going to react?

Lise: Well, we wanna hear.

We wanna hear about the future.

And we wanna thank you both.

And as a gift for your difficult journey, and for the bounty that you're receiving from it, each of you, we'd like to present you with these mementos of your experience.

Open them up and tell me what you see on the first page.

- Oh well, that's a picture of my mom reading to my brother.

Lise: Yeah.

- Is that Martha Enrick?

Lise: And we've included memberships for both you to the Palatine to America New York chapter.

Which you participated with them.

And we hope that this brings a lot of um, good memories to you for your experience with us.

And also, we want you to know that you are somebodies.

To us, you will always be somebodies.

Thank you so much, PJ Getts.

And Heidi Hess.

I hate to leave it here, but we have to rush on.

Thank you all for joining us.

This conversation, as always, continues on our website so please join us at byutv.org.

I’m Lise Simms.

I'll see you on the next Generations Project.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪