Amish Cornerball

Byerik March 10, 2009October 9, 2014

Rick weighs in with an action shot of an intense game of cornerball, aka ‘eck balle’, from an auction this past weekend at Georgetown in Lancaster County.

This apparently wasn’t the only sport being played; Rick mentions a few games of football and volleyball going on as well. He comments: ‘I am imagining the football huddle going “Fisher, go deep” and 3 guys answering “Which one?” “Elam Fisher, go deep” and 2 guys answering “Which one?”’

Cornerball is a game traditionally played in Pennsylvania German communities. Professor Richard Stevick provides an excellent description of the sometimes dangerous dodgeball-like pastime, which you can read by clicking the ‘eck balle’ link above, or in Growing up Amish: The Teenage Years.

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Amish Culture

Amish in the sky

Byerik March 6, 2007February 13, 2011

2 Comments

You won’t see too many Old Order Amish in line at the Delta counter. It makes sense to forbid air travel, if one of the main reasons car ownership is off limits is to keep the community tight. Some of the more New Order Amish do allow it, even for vacations, but the only time Old Orders really take to the sky is in an…

Amish Culture

Update on baby Amos Hertzler

ByErik Wesner November 26, 2012

6 Comments

There’s an update out on Amos Hertzler, an Amish boy born with a rare esophageal condition which required him to be fed through a tube. We first mentioned Amos’ story here, and then followed up in March with Tom in NY’s photos from the benefit breakfast to raise money for Amos’ surgery. Unfortunately two-year-old Amos has suffered complications recently, according to a story in The Buffalo News (kudos…

Amish Culture

Diane Goslin rally

Byerik January 26, 2007January 29, 2011

Members of Amish and other Plain groups rallied today to show support for midwife Diane Goslin, reports Lancaster Online (no longer online). The Amish, though generally choosing to avoid public attention, have had to take stances on things important to them in the past–issues such as schooling, military exemption, and Social Security. Since many Amish women have midwife-assisted home births, the issue is seen as…

Amish Culture | Amish History

Unusual Amish names

Byerik November 13, 2008December 29, 2010

10 Comments

Millers, Yoders, Schrocks, Stoltzfuses. These names are a dime a dozen in Amish America. Meet enough Amish people, and once in a while you’ll come across an unusual name, one that may sound non-Germanic or even a Germanic-sounding name that is simply uncommon. The Amish have welcomed a fair share of converts to the faith over the years. Last names such as Jones, Jess, Chupp…

Amish Communities | Amish Culture

New Wilmington Amish Christmas school program

Byerik January 2, 2010February 23, 2011

5 Comments

A week back I wrote about how Amish celebrate Christmas, with a mention of the holiday program that takes place in many Amish schools. Rick shares a photo from a recent visit to the New Wilmington, PA Amish community, taken during the Christmas Eve program at a local one-room school.

Amish Culture

Amish Threshing – or Thrashing – Oats

ByErik Wesner July 23, 2012July 23, 2012

34 Comments

Love these photos today. This is oat threshing in the Amish community at Carroll County, Tennessee. You hear it pronounced “thrashing” as well. For some time I thought that was the official spelling. But I think that might just be the Amish accent (I’m actually partial to “thrashing”). These photos were taken by Brenda, who previously brought us scenes from a laundry day in the same…