The Young Center have released their 2018 Amish population numbers. In 2018, Amish are found in 31 states, four Canadian provinces, and two countries in South America. You can find the full tables here, an overview of the 2018 population, and a list of the 12 largest settlements. Manitoba is the only new addition this year as far as new states/provinces/countries. Five things of note:…
Can you guess which four books are found in Lancaster County Amish homes, according to one Amish informant? The latest Scribbler column at Lancaster Online looks into the topic. Scribbler Jack Brubaker was told by a local Amish person that you can count on finding these four books in each Lancaster County Amish home: The Bible – The Amish use the Martin Luther German version…
Donald Kraybill is the author of over a dozen books on the Amish, and currently serves as Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. I asked Don if he’d answer some questions for us today on the Amish and his newest book, called Simply Amish: An Essential Guide from the Foremost Expert on Amish Life. From the…
Timothy Hochstedler of St. Joseph County, Michigan has started what he calls an “Amish Uber” service, reports WWMT. When I first heard of this, I thought it might be something an Amishman was doing as a service for other Amish in his community. Rather it seems like it is appealing more to non-Amish – and may just be another name for a buggy ride business….
Mike Sparks, who gave us a look at the Amish community in Ashland County, OH, returns to share his recent visit to the settlement in Holmes and Wayne Counties. Mike has been visiting and learning about the Amish for over four decades now. I’ll let Mike take it away with a little description of his background and then his photos of the early-July trip. If…
WTVB reports that an Amish family with two children with special needs will receive funds for a custom-made buggy from Michigan’s Children’s Special Needs Fund. There isn’t a lot of info in this article, but the story is interesting, on a couple of counts. From wtvbam.com (Branch County, MI): HILLSDALE, MI (WTVB) – An Amish family in Camden is getting some help for two children with…
Last year we heard about Amish planning to move to a fourth Canadian province, Manitoba. Reader Urs Christen recently paid a visit to this small community and shares photos and a brief account. Urs was not able to visit businesses as it was a Sunday, but you can see there are at least one or two baked goods places there. This community is located in…
There have been more than 630 buggy/vehicle accidents in Pennsylvania over the past decade. Based on that number, you can estimate roughly 3000 accidents across the entire 350,000-plus Amish/horse-and-buggy Mennonite population in that time. The Lancaster General Health system has created a list of tips for drivers to try to bring these numbers down. This came in part from firsthand immersion in the Lancaster Plain…
From wane.com: ADAMS COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – Two Amish women who were arrested earlier this year after police learned they were serving as midwives without any certifications or formal training have pleaded guilty. Sylvia C. Eicher, 74, and Lydiann S. Schwartz, 73, both pleaded guilty in Adams County Court to Level 6 felony Practicing Midwifery without a License. Plea agreements call for both to serve…
“I don’t remember ever having joy growing up.” Emma Gingerich, who grew up in a Swartzentruber Amish community, some years ago appeared on the Megyn Kelly Today show to discuss her background and departure from Amish life. Periodically you see former Amish doing media interviews sharing about their past lives. Typically the stories are negative, and Emma’s fits that bill, but you can understand why….