Judge James Knepp, II, left, thanks Sauder Village volunteer Phil Furnas of Defiance,before the ceremony. Furnas and his wife have volunteered at Sauder for many years.
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Chao Ciu, a naturalized citizen from the People's Republic of China who now lives in Archbold, encourages the new citizens to make themselves, their companies, and their communities better by sharing the best of what they carry with them from their previous countries. He became a U.S. citizen a few years ago.
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Tom Koppin, of Canton, Mich., accompanied by the Village Strings, leads the crowd in the singing of The National Anthem. Koppin is also a member of the southeast Michigan-based music group.
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Friends and family photograph the soon-to-be-U.S. citizens before the ceremony.
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The Fulton County Honor Guard presents the colors before the opening of the court.
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Boy Scouts from Troop 63, Archbold members Isaac Reichert, 11, left; Ben Morris, 13; Levi Baus, 14, and Austin Rearick, 14, lead the assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Aurelio Bautista Estrada and his sister Maria Grecia Bautista Estrada, from Mexico, taking the Oath of Citizenship during the ceremony.
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Judge James R. Knepp, II, swears the new citizens in with the Oath of Citizenship.
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The 44 people who became U.S. citizens in the ceremony.
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Karl Beatty of Findlay with daughter Trinity, 8. He says his family are members of Sauder Village, and came specifically to see the naturalization.
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Aurora Maria Ponte, left, is greeted by her husband, Gerard Friedrich, after receiving her papers to become a U.S. citizen. Ponte came to the U.S. from Venezuela.
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Danville Wane Howell, originally from Jamaica, left, with his daughter Aviana Howell, 5. They live in Findlay.
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Abid Hammoodi Alhayani, left, Alejandra Jaqueline Alva, center, and Jesus Romero Rodriguez Arroyo greet each other during the ceremony.
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Gabriel Hernandez, originally from Mexico, left, with his daughter Jolette, 3, who joined him during the citizenship ceremony.
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Jolette Hernandez, 3, stands next to her dad, Gabriel Hernandez, originally from Mexico, during the citizenship ceremony.
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Gabriel Hernandez, 6, left, his sister Jolette Hernandez, 3, and mom, Adriana Hernandez, watch during the proceedings in which the children's father and Adriana's husband, Gabriel Hernandez, becomes a U.S. citizen.
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