Community News

Heritage Tourism Commentary

Story and photo by Michelle M. Septer, Lenexa, Kansas USA

April 11, 2006

As a child, I remember my grandmother speaking about the beautiful island where she was born. She spoke of eating fresh sugar cane as a child and told me that the island did not have cars or telephones. I remember thinking a place like that did not exist. Years after my grandmother passed away I became intrigued with finding out more about this place that my grandmother loved. Thus began my journey into my heritage and Saba.

I was amazed at the rich heritage of my Saban ancestors. As I gathered information from many family members in my grandmother's generation, I began to realize that our ancestry was full of hard-working and determined individuals with a deep devotion to Saba.

In July 2002, my husband and I came to visit Saba for the first time. As the plane landed I was in awe, and saw what my grandmother had loved about the island. The beautiful white gingerbread cottages with green shutters and red roofs against the lush green foliage made the island even more charming. Although the island now had "all the modern conveniences of home" it was still very intimate and serene. After a week, I was in tears when we left Saba, and was determined to return.

In June 2003, at our bi-annual Simmons reunion in Florida, I began to share about our incredible trip. We set the date, July 1-3rd, 2005 - SABA or BUST!!

Words cannot express the emotions that we all felt as 31 of us from the United States and Dominican Republic arrived on Saba for our Simmons reunion. For most of the attendees it was their first trip to the island that many of their grandparents called home.

Walking through The Bottom and seeing the home built in 1890 where Meggie Jane & "Black-head" Joe Simmons raised 10 children was amazing. It was also the same home in which my grandmother was born in 1917. The home of Engle Heyliger Simmons and Emilie Lambert was still there as well. It was the first time my great-aunt, Mary Newman, saw the home of her grandparents who died before she was born. Many hiked "The Ladder" and felt an inspiring connection to the strength and determination of our ancestors who walked "The Ladder" as they came home and went out to sea. As we sat in the Anglican Church in The Bottom during a special Sunday Service for our family, we were reminded of the sorrow that Meggie Jane & Blackhead Joe Simmons must have felt as they sat there the Sunday after they had lost two of their sons at sea in 1916. The marble plaque on the wall of the church in remembrance of those lost at sea must have been a constant reminder of what they had lost. As we had our reunion dinner at Queen's Garden Resort, we were honored to have Commissioner Will Johnson, his wife, Lynn, Eric and Wilda Johnson, and Island Secretary, Menno van der Velde join us. As we overlooked The Bottom, we were able to see the village in which our ancestors had worked, lived and raised many generations of children.

Each evening, we were able to visit over dinner at Scout's Place, Saba's Treasure, and Brigadoon. Glenn coordinated our Sunday lunch at Campus Corner in the Bottom so we could have "Foonchie", a Saban dish than many of our family members had never tasted.

Not only was this reunion a time to visit but it was time to learn of our Saban history and to pay respect to those who had lived and died on the Saban Soil. We have been able to trace three different Simmons' lines in our ancestry back to the early 1800's. Frank Hassel assisted many of us in our genealogy research as he let us view the church burial and baptismal records dating from 1912. Many of our relations were sea captains, shopkeepers and one of our ancestors was the Saban Island Secretary. We were able to unite with distant cousins (descendants of Capt. Samuel Augustus Simmons and Peter Simmons) and share our excitement for our Saban Heritage.

One might think that coordinating a reunion in a different country would be very complicated. I disagree. Glenn Holm and his staff at the Saba Tourism Office made all of the planning easy. I was able to coordinate our accommodations at Cottage Club and Scout's Place, and dinner at Queens Garden via email. I did not have to make one international phone call. Glenn was also able to help locate the gravesites of my great-grandparents with the help of Frank Hassel. Glenn & his staff prepared wonderful Saba Welcome Packets with a personalized welcome for those attending our reunion. Eddie & Billy (taxi-drivers) made traveling around the island a breeze, especially for the older members of our families.

Words cannot express our gratitude for each person that helped in coordinating the plans of our reunion. Each person that attended had nothing but praise for the people on the island, their accommodations and the wonderful food. It was the trip of a lifetime. But many of us are determined that this will not be our last visit to "The Unspoiled Queen".

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