A Friend Remembers A “Most Unusual” Amish Man
I never met David Luthy, who passed away last month, though have written about how his writings were of much value to me in my earlier days of learning about the Amish. Luthy and I did exchange letters once, years ago. I had written to him, wanting to interview him for this website.
I was interested in his knowledge, but also in what I’d heard of his fascinating-to-me-at-the-time personal story. In his reply, Luthy politely declined; I don’t have his letter in front of me but I believe he, in traditional Amish style, understandably did not seek the personal attention that a website interview would give.
We do have the personal remembrances of someone who knew him quite well, however – scholar John D. Roth, who was a friend of Luthy’s for decades. Roth recently shared an account in Anabaptist World of the man he calls “A most unusual Amishman”.
One reason, though maybe not the most important one, for the descriptor “most unusual”: Luthy originally intended to become a Catholic priest – but ended up becoming Amish. Here are a few excerpts, in which Roth shares Luthy’s back story, and his influential contributions to Amish identity over a “remarkable life”:
Although his death at the age of 84 on Oct. 21 may not be noted outside of Amish circles, Luthy led a remarkable life. Indeed, his intellectual curiosity, passion for history, entrepreneurial energy and colorful personality played a significant — if largely invisible — role in shaping contemporary Amish identity.
Born into a Catholic family in Peoria, Ill., Luthy studied for a year at Villanova University before transferring to the University of Notre Dame as an English major. Following his graduation in 1964, he immediately enrolled in Moreau Seminary of the Congregation of Holy Cross with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest. Those plans were soon disrupted, however, when he encountered the Amish that summer while selling real estate in LaGrange County, Ind.
Luthy was quickly impressed by the integrity and depth of Christian commitment he witnessed among his newfound friends. In 1967, after living for more than a year with an Amish family, he was baptized into the Amish church. That same year he moved to Aylmer, where he joined David Wagler and Joseph Stoll in a fledgling publishing venture, Pathway Publishers.
Pathway Publishers ended up becoming a very influential publishing body within Amish and Plain society, in large part through its flagship monthly publication, Family Life.
More on that:
Over the next half-century, Luthy would play a major role in the rapid growth of Pathway Publishers. In 1968, he and the other editors launched Family Life — a 40-page monthly periodical featuring articles on biblical principles, Anabaptist history and practical issues of Amish life, along with short stories, poems, medical advice and letters to the editor.
Between 1968 and 2022, Luthy contributed a column, “Yesterdays and Years” — 282 in all! — which informed Amish readers on the history of their devotional literature, tracked settlement patterns, awakened interest in Amish folk art and provided updates on his collecting passions, which included family histories, images of Dirk Willems and rare editions of Anabaptist books.
Additionally, Luthy was key in publishing a curriculum of books widely used in Amish schools, and beyond. Attesting to their popularity, Roth shares that Luthy once told him that in the decade of the 2010s, Pathway sold over two million books.
Luthy also founded the Pathway Heritage Historical Library, which Roth describes as “a world-class collection of Amish-related materials…that attracted scholars of the Amish from around the world.” He also wrote and published a number of his own books, including the history of extinct settlements The Amish in America: Settlements That Failed, 1840-1960 (1986) which I’ve often mentioned here before. In closing, Roth writes:
It is almost certain that nearly every Amish home today has a publication bearing the Pathway imprint. If the Old Order Amish of North America have a shared sense of identity in the 21st century, it is due in no small part to Pathway Publishers and the creative vision of David Luthy.
Read the whole thing here.
Reply
R.I.P David….he in my opinion had such a profound effect on those that knew him and to those that had the privilege to read his material. I cannot tell you how many times his name has been mentioned in conversations or other Amish or Ex-Amish peoples books. Never once was there a negative thing. He did an amazing job with tracking the history and culture of the Amish. Ira Wagler son of David Wagler mentions him in one of his books I believe and then Jerry Eicher who I believe is a cousin to Ira mentions David in one of his books as well.
I would compare Erik to the English David Luthy shedding a light on the Amish communities and solid facts!