Amish Children

How large is the typical Amish family?  The answer can vary by community. Seven is commonly given as an average number of children for Amish. In some settlements, however, it may be closer to six, and in others, can even reach 8 or 9.  In The Riddle of Amish Culture, Donald Kraybill notes that roughly [...]

Continue reading Amish family size

Continue reading Happy Easter

A bit of good news lost in the mix over the holidays, and maybe appropriate to share here on New Year's Day.  About a week ago I received word that my friend Abe, whom I've mentioned in the past on the blog, has just become a father for the third time, this one a boy [...]

Continue reading Boy #3

With an average of around seven children, Amish families are hefty by modern standards. Farm families tend to be the biggest.  A dozen or more children is not rare. But the largest Amish family ever?  Read on to learn about one possibility: John Troyer, who lived near Kokomo, Indiana, had an unusually large family, perhaps [...]

Continue reading Largest Amish family ever?

‘It sure is a hard emotional read.  To see forgiveness layed out (sic) in such clinical terms while for us it is just a gut feeling…I was glad to see how you stressed that we also are human and struggle with this issue on a daily basis. The thought came to mind that this generation [...]

Continue reading Amish readers respond to Amish Grace; Amish Grace in Japan

I just got nice news from Lancaster County–my harmonica-playing friend Abe is a father again.  Looks like little Elam got a new brother last Friday.  When I visited last month, I knew Sarah was pregnant, but I did not realize the baby would be due so soon. When Amish have children, many opt to deliver [...]

Continue reading A new baby

Amish school gets the job done.  At the same time, the kids have a blast.  After hearing about some of the stuff they get to do, I think I’m ready to re-enroll in fifth grade. On Friday Daniel and Mary’s kids had a spelling quiz (not fun), and made gingerbread houses (fun and tasty).  An [...]

Continue reading When was school ever this much fun?

Well, despite the inclement weather, I managed to get up to Lancaster County and to my friends ‘Daniel’ and ‘Mary’, where I’ll be staying the next few days.  The last hour-and-a-half or so, from the PA line onward, was pretty hairy, as snow and ice accumulation made driving tricky.  I pulled in late Tuesday night [...]

Continue reading Getting my kicks in Lancaster County, PA

One thing that I admire about the Amish is the value they place in maintaining a spirit of humility.  When the idea comes up in conversation that the Amish are getting something right—for example, by the way that they live or the values they profess and adhere to–they are usually quick to deflect attention, reminding [...]

Continue reading Interview Excerpt: An Amish builder on working moms, mortgages, and making car payments

Driving the backroads of Amish America you find yourself passing the horse-and-buggy in miniature, with little Amish pilots egging on their diminutive yet sturdy ponies, whipping across front yards or up the shoulder and down to the neighbor’s, perhaps to collect a missing ingredient for the casserole mom is working on back at home. Photo:  [...]

Continue reading Pony Cart: the Amish ATV