Ask an Amishman: Submit your Questions
Pennsylvania Amishman John Stoltzfus has agreed to take some reader questions. We can’t guarantee answers to everything. But if you’ve got something you’d like to ask John about the Amish, leave it in the comments here, and you might get an answer in a future post.
And as John noted in his first post, “my views will not be the only view from our people, because of the vast geographic area of our communities, and because each community or settlement has its own Ordnung. I will try to answer the questions with a general approach.”
Who are the Plains folk living at Finger,Tenn?
Can you help me to find out more about what kind of Plains Community is located at Finger,Tennessee please? The name of Stolezfuz was what I rememered having visited the church there once yrs ago. Thank you.James Beltz
Finger Tennessee Mennonites
James, there is some information from 2010 about Finger, Tennessee, being one of the Tennessee churches, at:
http://mennodiscuss.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=9496&start=15
I don’t know if any Stoltzfus lives in this Plain community. Plain refers to the people wearing plain clothes, but they don’t necessarily live in the flat Plains land.
A store close by is:
Ada’s Unusual Country Store
9653 Highway 45 N
Bethel Springs, TN 38315
Phone: (731) 934-9310
http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/adas_the_unusual_country_store/
Katrina Rebuild
I’ve read an article here, about the outstanding rebuilding efforts by the Amish/Mennonite Communities, down here in Southeastern Louisiana. I’ve also seen many men & women working diligently on the people’s homes (new construction or renovation).
When I was stationed in the New England area, I remember a construction technique that I’d like to see be applied to down here. Older homes that were either abandoned or sold off (to be removed from the existing property), was dismantled into pieces, and brought to a new build site. The pieces would then be placed back together, all the while being updated and the interior re-finished. I thought this was a great idea of recycling & re-using of older homes; and saving construction costs. Any reason why this isn’t or wasn’t applied to down here.
Many older homes (i.e. Craftsman, Bungalow, etc) are available, and greatly reduce the costs of building new homes for those still affected by Katrina and subsequent devastating hurricanes that followed. This type deconstruction/reconstruction can still be applied here even as regular construction, as many people are rediscovering the charm of many older homes, that wind up being torn down.
For hire
Wonder if any woodworkers around the Green Bay Wisconsin area would be for hire to install wood stairs/flooring and hallway.
Promoting a Service and Paying Back
Hi, I was just wondering what protocol was on the following: If an Amish person helps promote a service that all Amish can use and believes in and connects me with various Amish around my state and other states and I want to share my revenue from this service with this person or persons who also help is that typically ok to offer that type of arrangement? Is it ok for an Amish person to make money off the purchase of a service by another Amish family that he referred me to the end buyer is what I am getting at.
I don’t want to offer it if it will be looked down upon by doing so but I am happy to reward if able to.
Qoustion about locations
Good After noon I used to live in Lancaster Ohio and shopped and was around the Amish a lot but was always told Lancaster Pa was a better location so I took my Grandsons on a trip there(we now live in Alabama) to be told by some one there that the Ohio location was much larger…. Now in time we have heard of Ethridge Tenn. … thing is my sister in Pittsburgh pa and me in Alabama trying to put together a trip so we can meet half way and visit the Amish areas can you help
thank you
I would love to know if it is peaceful in your community?
What do most communities think about outsiders joining the Amish?
I have been wondering what Amish people think about outsiders joining the Amish. Will they allow it?