FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS … Sauder Village Town Crier Steve Van Sickle oversees the presentation of colors, performed by the Fulton County Honor Guard.
WELCOME, CITIZENS … United States District Judge Honorable James R. Knepp II swears in 75 new citizens during a naturalization ceremony at Sauder Village on July 4 in Archbold.
CERTIFIED AMERICAN … Newly sworn-in citizens accept their certificates of naturalization.
(PHOTOS BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
PROUD ACCOMPLISHMENT … Freddy and Nancy Fuentes of Perrysburg beam after completing their nine-year effort to become naturalized citizens of the United States of America.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Warm temperatures, a bluebird sky, and the 249th anniversary of Independence Day served as the backdrop as 75 people from 33 countries were sworn in as United States citizens during a naturalization ceremony at Archbold’s Sauder Village on Friday.
United States District Judge Honorable James R. Knepp II in his introduction to the ceremony said it has become a tradition for him to celebrate Independence Day at Sauder Village overseeing naturalization ceremonies, and that he has done it almost every year since he became a judge in 2010.
Knepp said he was inspired by the stories of immigrants to the United States, including that of Mircea Handru, who emigrated from Romania in 2004 as a soccer player for Tiffin University before becoming a citizen in 2014.
Handru earned his MBA at Tiffin and is now the executive director of mental health and recovery services of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Wyandotte Counties.
He was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine in 2021 to the board of directors of the Terra State Community College, of which he is now chairman.
Handru, who was eventually able to sponsor his parents to come to America, said his journey provided him and his family with many opportunities that he believes the new citizens will take advantage of.
“I also embraced the values that I bring from Romania,” he said. “I was very open to embracing the values of my own community here in the United States, but I also bring my values and my cultural traditions with me.”
“So, it makes me very very proud that my children and my wife accepted those things and I’m bringing them in our family, and my friends and my communities actually enjoying some of my traditions.”
Among those traditions are living off the land, raising and butchering animals. Handru said his great grandfather was a shepherd and now, more than 50 years later, he is carrying on his legacy.
While encouraging the new citizens to bring their own cultural traditions, he also reminded them to embrace American culture and traditions.
After Handru’s remarks, the participants were sworn in as citizens, repeating after Knepp.
“I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen, that I will support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law, and that I will perform non-combatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by law, that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law, and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me God,” they said.
They were then led in the pledge of allegiance by Bryan Boy Scout Troop #1222 member Ben Thompson.
Thompson has been in scouts since first grade, recently attended Buckeye boys state, and intends to study aerospace engineering
In his comments prior to presenting the new citizens with their certificates, Knepp spoke about the Declaration of Independence, adopted July 2, 1776, and signed on July 4.
He said he was struck by the words of the preamble, specifically the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, stated to be self-evident, which he said is “what America is.”
“Those 56 brave patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence believed those words 249 years ago and I believe them to my core today.”
“And those things that make us all equal are so much bigger than those things that make us different,” he said. Knepp said the new citizens joined those 56 men when they raised their hands for the oath.
“Down at the bottom, just above the signature block it says, ‘We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.’ Folks, in a lot of ways that the first naturalization ceremony and that was the first oath of citizenship if you think about it,” he said.
Knepp went on to say that government was only put in place to protect the rights enumerated in the declaration and eventually the Constitution.
“We are never more free, never more American than when we pay it forward. Not because someone tells us to, but because that moral compass inside us, that uniquely American blood figuratively coursing through our veins compels us to do the right thing.”
“That is quintessentially why this country is made great not by its government, not by some document, but by its citizens,” Knepp said.
The new citizens were then called up individually to receive their certificates of naturalization amid smiles, clapping, and occasionally a yell of congratulations from the crowd.
Among them were Ahmad, Leila, and Jana Jarouche, who emigrated from Lebanon seven years ago and now live and work in Toledo. Jana is currently pursuing her business degree.
“We are very happy, very proud, very excited,” Jana said.
Also naturalized were Freddy and Nancy Fuentes, who emigrated from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“This has been the culmination of nine years of work, getting us through paperwork, it’s just awesome,” Freddy said. He said the experience was overwhelming, and Nancy held back tears as she shared her feelings.
“The anticipation to actually get the certificate and take the oath was exciting. We’ve been waiting nine years for this moment and it’s amazing,” Nancy said.
They currently live in Perrysburg, where Freddy works as an IT manager for O-I and Nancy works as an HR manager for Eagle Machining.
Music for the event, including “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America,” were performed by the Fort Defiance Dixieland Jazz Band. Presentation of colors was performed by the Fulton County Honor Guard.
Sauder Village Town Crier Steve Van Sickle served as bailiff, opening and closing the session. He also recited “The New Colossus,” the poem written by Emma Lazarus which is inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty.