A group of Freeborn County residents will soon be taking a trip to Germany to see their ancestral home, the Waldeck region.

Chuck Steele, of Alden, organized the tour with Wes Sime and Steve Sprenger. The two-week tour of Germany leaves June 10, and Steele said even though 27 people are signed up to go that they’d welcome more.

“It’s basically a heritage tour,” Steele said. “I’m a second generation descendant.”

There are many descendants living in Alden, Mansfield, Nunda and Pickerel Lake townships of German immigrants from the years 1860 to 1980. The origin of the venture starts with immigrant Henry Wittmer, who came to the Alden area around 1870 and persuaded 42 other people to leave the Waldeck region of Germany to settle in Freeborn County.

The tour will start in Berlin and travel through other areas of Germany before spending three full days in Waldeck visiting the towns of Bad Arolsen, Vasback, Kohlgrund and Dehausen.

“We’ve gotten the word out to a number of people but wanted to present the opportunity for anyone else to join us,” Steele said.

For more information about the tour contact Sprenger at 605-334-7705. A full itinerary and application for the tour is available by emailing jessicab@sprengermidwest.com.