Ohio Amish

Following yesterday’s post on the Ohio Amish shooting, there was some discussion on the group of Amish victim Rachel Yoder belonged to. Rachel was apparently a member of the Andy Weaver Amish, which is colloquially known as the “Dan” Church (thanks to Michigan Mary, who was about a mile away at the time of the [...]

Continue reading Four Holmes County Amish groups

Sad story: late last week a 15-year-old Amish girl was shot and killed while returning home by buggy in the Holmes County, Ohio Amish settlement. Rachel M. Yoder was coming back from a Christmas party for employees of the produce business she worked for. The shooting apparently happened a few miles east of Fredericksburg, near [...]

Continue reading Ohio Amish girl shot and killed

It sounds like a parody, but it isn’t.  An Ohio Amish man was arrested Monday for shaving off the manes and tail hair of an Amish neighbor’s horses. Apparently there was bad blood between them (the two men, not the man and the horses).  He also left a threatening message on the other party’s answering [...]

Continue reading Amish horses the latest hair-cutting victims

Chances are you’ve heard of the recent attacks on Amish by now.  Members of a small Ohio group have been entering Amish homes and cutting off men’s beards and men’s and women’s hair.  Authorities have gotten involved and now there are serious charges–kidnapping and burglary–against the perpetrators. The group in question is located near the [...]

Continue reading Amish beard attacks

The picture above was taken at an Amish farm in Hardin County, Ohio (we’ve mentioned this settlement already this summer, see the unusual buggy post). Can you guess what’s happening here? The family only does this once a  year.  Luckily, that was the day I stopped by! UPDATE: if you guessed apple butter, well done! [...]

Continue reading A once-a-year occasion

Two weeks, 5 states, 15 communities. Five (plus) pounds. It was a whirlwind trip as I packed a month of visiting into 2 weeks of time.  I spent the past weekend zonked out and resting up (3700 road miles will do that to you). But I’ve recovered enough to put together a collection of highlights [...]

Continue reading Amish trip roundup and highlights

If you’re near Hicksville, Ohio, tomorrow, you might want to drop in on the Defiance County fair for one of America’s rarest sporting events: I picked this flyer up at the Topeka auction house here in Indiana.  I found the terms of the race pretty interesting–”a limit of five horses per race”;  ”all drivers must [...]

Continue reading Amish races in Ohio

I’m off to Indiana this morning.  A few highlights of the past week in Ohio: Sitting with an Amish friend one afternoon, we made plans to take my truck up the road to visit his father.  ”Do you want me to drive?” asked my friend.  I turned around and checked with his wife.  ”Can he [...]

Continue reading Ohio Amish highlights

Continue reading Somewhere in Wayne County, Ohio

A little while back I gave an interview for a newspaper column on Amish frugality. One example which I think captures the mindset (and which I wish I’d shared) was what happens at Amish schools in the summer time.  What happens?  Well, this: All that green stuff you see, that’s normally the schoolyard 8-9 months [...]

Continue reading What happens at Amish schools in the summer…