Amish Life

Former Marine Saved Amish 2-Year-Old In Van Crash

Former Marine Saved Amish 2-Year-Old In Van Crash

Of the ten people involved in the Amish van accident last week, only one survived – an approximately two-year-old Amish boy named Micah Schrock. Not long after, an account emerged of how the boy made it through the catastrophic wreck in west-central Wisconsin. A former Marine named Nathaniel Jahn was fortunately on the scene right as the accident happened. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The semitrailer…

Nine Die In Crash, Including 7 Amish From Burke’s Garden, VA. 2-Year-Old Boy Only Survivor

Nine Die In Crash, Including 7 Amish From Burke’s Garden, VA. 2-Year-Old Boy Only Survivor

 Some very sad news following a road accident in Wisconsin Friday. A vanload of Amish people was struck by a semi in Clark County (west-central Wisconsin) while on a trip to visit family. From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: As many as 7 of the 9 people killed in the second-deadliest crash in state history Friday are members of an Amish community from Burke’s Garden in…

40 Years of Amish First Names

40 Years of Amish First Names

What is a typical “Amish” first name? Well the answer to that question, at least in some communities, seems to change – a lot – over time. Jim Halverson shares an interesting feature in Die Blatt, an Amish publication out of the large northern Indiana settlement. They’ve compiled and published the first names Amish parents gave their babies in 1983, 2003, and 2023. Looking at…

Man Arrested & Charged For Murder of Rebekah Byler & Her Unborn Child (Updated)

Man Arrested & Charged For Murder of Rebekah Byler & Her Unborn Child (Updated)

 News is just coming out that police have made an arrest in the Rebekah Byler murder case. This comes five days after Rebekah’s body was discovered at home by her husband. From Yourerie.com: Spartansburg, Pa. (WJET/WFXP) — State police have announced the arrest of 52-year-old Shawn Cranston of Corry, PA in the killing of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler. Cranston is being charged with Criminal Homicide,…

Count Your Blessings: Amish Family Escapes Home Fire Unscathed

Count Your Blessings: Amish Family Escapes Home Fire Unscathed

After a heavy news week, I just wanted to leave you with a story which – while I’m not quite sure you can call it “good” news – it’s at the least a count-your-blessings type of story. There’s not a ton to this, but it’s been reported that an Amish family was able to escape a house fire in a community in upstate New York….

Pregnant 23-Year-Old Amish Woman Found Dead At Home – Police Investigating As Murder (Updated)

Pregnant 23-Year-Old Amish Woman Found Dead At Home – Police Investigating As Murder (Updated)

Hate to have to share this awful news, but a shocking story has emerged in northwest Pennsylvania. A 23-year-old Amish woman named Rebekah Byler was found dead at home yesterday, in what police are presuming is a homicide.  From fox8.com: CRAWFORD COUNTY, Penn. (WJET) – A murder investigation is underway at an Amish home in Crawford County, and Monday night state police asked for…

Amish Woman Marlene Lehman Shares Her Typical Day (Video)

Amish Woman Marlene Lehman Shares Her Typical Day (Video)

I recently sat down for an hour-long conversation with Marlene Lehman, who is a member of an Old Order Amish church in the Shipshewana, Indiana area. I really enjoyed speaking with Marlene as we talked about life in northern Indiana, how things have changed, tourist visitors, things she misses about the farming life, and what Marlene does to help run Plain & Simple magazine, along…

The “Amish” of Greece?

The “Amish” of Greece?

A rather bizarre story has been making the rounds, from all the way over in Greece. A family has been discovered living in very basic conditions, and subsequently compared to the Amish in the media. But is that a good comparison? From Greek Reporter: Police recently arrested the father of a family living an “early Christian” community lifestyle in a basic hut on the Peloponnese…

One Million Amish

One Million Amish

The current Amish population stands at around 385,000 people, based on estimates from the Young Center at Elizabethtown College (or perhaps a bit more than that, since they came out several months ago). Personally, it’s remarkable to look back and consider how much the Amish have grown in the time I’ve known them. In fact, I came across an old post the other day where…

Michigan Woman Steals Horse-And-Buggy While Family Shops In Wal-Mart

Michigan Woman Steals Horse-And-Buggy While Family Shops In Wal-Mart

Following last week’s story of a knife-wielding Michigan man threatening Amish, another strange incident out of the Wolverine State. It turns out parked Amish buggies (and their horses) are targets for thieves – at least for one individual in Sturgis (St. Joseph County). From The Sturgis Journal: STURGIS — An Amish horse and buggy was recovered shortly after being reported stolen from the Sturgis Walmart…