Her Strength Within by Becky Van Vleet |

Her Strength Within

Discovering Long Lost Relatives

By Becky Van Vleet

Family narratives are my passion. I believe deeply in preserving memories for future generations. There’s just something especially moving about stories drawn from real life, don’t you think? Whether in books or movies, they stay with us. With my first historical fiction novel under my belt, inspired by my father’s experiences in WWII, my grandmother’s emigration to America beckoned next. A young woman on a steamship in 1921, her entire life packed into one weathered trunk.

About halfway into my rough draft, my husband and I made plans to visit Europe with another couple to celebrate our 50^th anniversaries. We’ve all heard the expression of experiencing a dream of a lifetime. But little did I know this anniversary trip would turn into a journey beyond my wildest imagination, discovering long lost relatives in Bardejov, Slovakia.

Was I looking for family members? No. But what took place was a family reunion ordained by God. He placed a capstone on the loose ends of my family tree, just in time for my second novel.

My paternal grandmother, Alzbeta Holeva, had immigrated to America from Bardejov, Czechoslovakia (today known as Slovakia) over one hundred years ago. She left behind her brother, Wincent, who married and had two sons. She longed to meet his family. But as time passed, and my grandmother settled into her new life in America, communication with her family back in Czechoslovakia dwindled. Much to her surprise, Wincent came to visit later and brought photographs of his wife and sons. He lived with my grandmother and her family for a period but then disappeared without a trace. The mystery of what happened to him haunted my grandmother. She grieved. As a young boy, my father would study the faces of these boys. Cousins. He yearned to meet them. Why couldn’t they climb trees together?

The years passed with unanswered questions about Wincent and his family. Alzbeta, my dear grandmother, crossed over to heaven in 1972, never seeing her brother again. In 1990, my father and I discussed the elusive branch of our family tree at my kitchen table and studied photographs of his cousins. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could track them down? Were they still alive? Whatever happened to Uncle Wincent? However, with too many gaps in information and no internet or ancestry sites at the time, it seemed like an impossible task. A disappointing end of that line on the family tree. A mystery would remain. Unless God chose to reveal it.

Through a series of emails before our trip, I connected with Radovan Dvorsky from the Ministry Office in Bardejov, equivalent to a Chamber of Commerce. My initial intention was to gather information for my second manuscript about my grandmother. Maybe a resident from Bardejov could help me?

When I met with Radovan, God stepped in. Mystery solved! Tears of joy and adulation cannot be described when Radovan connected me with my father’s second and third cousins, Villiam Holeva Sr. and Villiam Holeva Jr. I asked, “Are we cousins? Really?” Talk about shock! The questions flew amidst hugs from all three men. Although my father’s first cousins had passed away, it was truly a gift from God to finally meet the distant cousins and fill in the gaps of our family history.

In that incredible moment, I couldn’t help but reflect on God’s omniscience. His hand was clearly at work, bringing together long-lost family members. He had been working behind the scenes, all along. How could I ever be surprised at the power of God? After all, He created families and knows every detail of our family trees, even when we may have given up hope of uncovering them ourselves.

As soon as we returned home, I made a beeline for my keyboard. My fingers itched to document everything—the cousins I never knew existed, the treasure trove of stories, the unexpected branches of our family tree. All those fragments now waited to be woven into the tapestry of my historical fiction manuscript. Her Strength Within was published a few months later.

My husband and I continue our connection with our new family members in Slovakia as well as with Radovan, our wonderful interpreter who brought us together. We plan to return.

Yes, God orchestrated all the moving pieces in advance, leading up to this incredible family reunion. A gift He gave, demonstrating His love and surprises for all of us.

Becky’s Bio: