March 15, 1998 is a date that will go down in memory as one that brought the American Gyger's just a little bit closer with the Swiss Gyger's. A day that I had waited to happen for almost a year.
I have been corresponding with Marcus Gyger for almost 2 years. As most people researching their genealogy, a check of 4-1-1 and WhoWhere is the first step to see "who else" has your surname. Knowing that my great-great- grandfather came from somewhere in Kanton Bern, Switzerland I started emailing Gyger's in that country. I received a half-dozen responses out of about a dozen inquiries. Marcus was one of the people that responded and he was from the same Kanton as my ancestor. At that time, Marcus was an instructor at ITR in Switzerland. We exchanged emails and he expressed the desire to contiue with his education in the United States.
Last summer, Marcus made the big step and started working on his Masters Degree in Computer Sciences at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He couldn't have gotten much closer to me if he had tried. I live about 2 hours away from Fairfax. We couldn't let this opportunity pass by.
We continued to communicate and finally decided that we both could arrange a "meeting". Fortunately, my parents were in town on business. After a few emails and phone calls, March 15 at Brion's Grille in Fairfax was set as the spot to set down and talk. My son, JR, my parents, Marcus and I had brunch at the designated spot and it was a wonderful time. Marcus explained how Swiss citizenship works, what his area of the country is like, as well as his plans for the future. We told him abou t ourselves, what we have done in life and what our futures may hold.
It really doesn't make much difference whether or not he gave any information about ancestors or even if we are related. We are Gygers - that's all we knew. We had to be linked in some way. It was a bond that we all felt, one that made us Family.
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