Butler County welcomed new American citizens Friday when five of its residents received legal citizenship.

Herman and Maria Moggee became American citizens, along with their three children, at the Heinz History Center after seven years of pursuing it. They took the oath of allegiance along with 43 other applicants from 19 nations around the world.

“I must say when we were saying the oath and I looked at the flag, you’re saying it now with a different view of it,” said Maria. “Previously, we always had respect for the flag and ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ You show respect, but it was never yours. Now it’s the first time it feels like it’s ours.”

Born, raised and educated in South Africa, the Moggees left their homeland in 2008 when they found work in Germany. Herman and Maria are both engineers in the steel industry, and in 2010 their work took them to America where they ultimately settled in Mars.

“I was involved in building a new plant in the U.S.,” said Herman. “We saw this as a more permanent move than just a temporary stay.”

They first came to Alabama before moving to Mars in July of last year. Right away they got on the fast track to citizenship.

“It was always the mission in the end to become citizens, so it’s a long route,” said Maria. “It was always that we were getting green cards and on our way to citizenship.”

After six years in Alabama, the Moggees and their three children — two daughters and a son — made the move to Mars.

“It’s a neat little town,” said Herman. “We had the opportunity to go anywhere. I mean we could’ve gone to Washington (Pa.), we were looking at Latrobe. But eventually we saw Mars. We saw that little area there, and its in between these huge counties, and it kind of drew us.”

And after a year, they both say they made the right choice.

“We have never once regretted that we chose Mars,” said Herman. “Great people. Great area. Great schools.”

The Moggees have enjoyed their years in America in both the North and the South, despite what each region may say about the other.

“You think about, ‘Oh there’s differences between the North and the South.” I keep telling people there isn’t,” said Maria. “You’re just as friendly as the South. You’re just as welcoming. Our children make friends. Everything surpassed our expectations up here.”

Ever since they arrived in Alabama, the Moggees got on the fast track to citizenship. Though even with everything lined up and with help from their jobs, the process would still take seven years to complete between waiting periods, background checks and a myriad of other hurdles the Moggees would have to overcome.

“We came over with an intercompany visa, so you can apply for a green card in a year,” Herman said. “So we got our green cards in 2012. And then you have to wait five years.”

At that point you can really start to apply.

“We had to send in our documentation in March (2017),” he said. “Then we have to go for biometrics and they do background testing and you go for interviews with all their questions.”

After all of that, there is one final obstacle: a citizenship test.

“It’s 100 questions, but it’s not only about studying. If you read the book they give you they tell you a lot more history,” said Maria. “It’s not just to say you know history points about the United States, it’s stuff you can use.”

The Moggees found sections about American government especially informative and useful for everyday life, from checks and balances to the differences between state and local governments.

“Surprising to me was the difference between the federal government and the states. And the different levels of authority that they have,” said Herman.

“I was always thinking that the federal government has all the power. But apparently they don’t. The states actually have a lot of power.”

Armed with information about their new homeland and the inner workings of its institution, the Moggees say they are excited to be contributing citizens of America.

“We want to put our roots down. We want to contribute. It’s the right thing to do,” said Herman. “It’s difficult to be an outsider. You want to invest here and feel part of it. And this is one of the ways we can be part of it is to become Americans.”

At the citizenship ceremony, booths were set up to help the new citizens register to vote and learn how to get engaged in their community with their new rights.

“We’re definitely gonna vote,” said Maria. “You didn’t feel as invested previously because you couldn’t vote and that’s one of the biggest benefits of being a citizen, you can actually have a say. ... We will register and we will vote and our children once they are of age, they will vote as well.”

Their three children are now citizens as well in accordance with the law.

“So we do all the hard work and they get it,” Maria said with a laugh.

After seven years, the Moggees have finally become citizens in a nation that was once totally foreign to them.

“We always thought it would be easier coming here because you know everyone can understand each other,” said Maria. “Then we realized we can’t always understand the people in Alabama and they don’t understand us, and we come up here and people don’t understand us or we don’t understand them. Though we all speak English, there are still some language barriers, accent barriers.”

Pennsylvania brought it’s own challenges.

“South Africa generally doesn’t have snow,” said Herman. “And so Pittsburgh, even though Pittsburgh apparently had a mild winter, it was still a bit of a shock for us.”

But despite the occasional frosty storms and the difficult dialects, the Moggees are happy to have found a home in America.

“I will have to say I’m a bit relieved now,” said Herman.

“It’s emotional,” said Maria. “It will take a while to sink in.”