I just returned late last night from a trip which took in four Amish communities in Ohio. Over the roughly three-and-a-half days I spent in the state there was a lot of visiting with Amish and English friends and acquaintances. I just did a count and besides things like auctions, shops and church gatherings, I was able to squeeze in sixteen visits over that time. Some just a few minutes, others hours long.
One of the unplanned but happy visits was with a Swartzentruber Amishman I had met briefly in 2007. “Isaac” shears sheep for a living as well as running an orchard. While in Holmes County over the weekend I was staying with Amish friends of a higher church group, and for some reason Isaac came up. It happened that my friends knew him and knew where he lived, so we decided to drop by while in the area on Sunday.
After knocking on one door of the twinned farmhouse, Isaac eventually emerged from behind another to join us on the front porch. He invited us inside but we declined since there were already relatives there. Isaac appeared glad to see us and seemed to recall our meeting on the Holmes County Trail late one summer evening 5 years previous. The three of us had a good half-hour chat in the chilly air with traces of the still-unmelted snow on the lawn.
After our meeting in 2007 I wrote a short post about the impressive journey Isaac had made that day (I couldn’t believe it at the time). He has to go some distance for some of his sheep-shearing clients. You can read the post here.
The funny part of this story is that Isaac has also read this post. When I brought up meeting on the Trail he immediately said something about me doing a “write-up”. I wasn’t sure what he meant until I recalled writing this about 1,000 posts ago.
Someone with computer access Isaac knows apparently read it and recognized him, then printed out a copy. I guess the moral of the story is that news gets down the grapevine in unexpected ways!
9 responses to Revisiting Isaac the sheep shearer
Great Post
Erik, This is a great story and post. You are so right it is amazing how news can travel and get to people in unexpected ways. I have to go back and read your post about Isaac. I have been coming to Amish America for almost 2 years. I rarely comment but I love reading your posts and the comments. I have learned so much from this site that adds to what I have learned from your book and many others. Thank you for your stories and post I really enjoy this site and it has become a daily ritial to come here every morning.
Revisiting Isaac the sheep shearer
Thank you Tom, I am glad you commented! This was a fun visit and one of the more memorable ones of the trip. I think Isaac got a kick out of it as well.
Thanks for posting this. I went back & read the original post and enjoyed it. I hope to visit Holmes County soon but it’s a little far from my home in Texas.
You made him famous..! I wonder if that became a boost for his business? Never know who might be reading.. Fun story thanks for sharing
Next time I visit in a few months I’m going to ask him if he’s read this post. We’ll see how fast the English internet to traditional Amish grapevine works.
Well I guess we finally have the answer. Isaac does indeed have a house.
Not sheepish!
What a neat tale! I read the older post, as well. I can only wonder what I’d be thinking of (and not fall asleep and fall out of the buggy!) on such a long haul as Isaac’s, plodding down the road to his shearing “appointments”. I also wonder if he has soft, smooth skin from all the lanolin in the wool he shears (no, honest, that’s what I’ve heard!). I use “Wool Wax Cream” on my dry heels—now I’ll think of Isaac when I use it.
There was a sheep farm in my area, quite possibly on the very land my library stands on now (the remainder of a small dairy farm is still across the street). I remember when we moved out here 24 years ago (before more housing developments went up),driving down that road and noticing a flock of sheep & thinking how cool it was! Heck, having grown up in Chicago, I’ve always been amazed by farm animals (or anything other than pigeons, squirrels & rats), so living so close to them was a real treat (silly as that may sound)!
Say “hello” to Isaac for us, Erik. I’ll be very interested in hearing about if these posts made it through that “grapevine”!
Alice Mary
Revisiting Isaac the sheep shearer
Goog Story
I’m pleased you had such a nice trip. I had read that article and enjoyed this one as well. I hadn’t thought of Amish as sheep shearers, but why not. Good article. Thank you.
Soooo sorry I can’t type today. I meant “Good article”
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