Lancaster County now has its first two Pennsylvania Dutch medical interpreters. They are Amish-raised Crist Beiler, an RN at Lancaster General Hospital, and Lydia Nolt, a medical liaison and member of an Old Order Mennonite church. Both were recently certified by their institutions. A big part of their work is reducing anxiety, especially in children (Amish children below school age typically have varying degrees of English…
With Amish found in over 500 locations across North America, you have a decent chance of stumbling across a community while on the road (assuming you stay off the interstate). Don Burke had this happen on a recent road trip when he came upon an unexpected settlement in northeastern Ohio. He shares his passing visit to the Andover settlement, along with some photos in today’s…
To me, the Harvey hurricane and flooding disaster feels like it was ages ago, but it’s only been about five months. Of course, for those still dealing with the aftermath, the hurricane’s catastrophic effects are clear and present every day. Harvey displaced over 30,000 people and left $125 billion in damage, a figure comparable to the 2005 Katrina storm. Thankfully, material support has poured in…
Following the recent post on ice cutting in Amish Iowa, reader Neil Shattuck shares a look at an ice harvest in New York. You may have wondered, how long does the ice last? You’ll find that answer and other details below. The following are Neil’s photos and comments on what we’re seeing: These photos were shot January 18 in the Jasper/Troupsburg, NY community. They are of…
A new bill may require Amish buggies in Wisconsin to reduce the size of horseshoe studs in the warmer months. Typically the spikes used in winter need to be larger to get traction in the snow and ice. It turns out this is overkill in the spring, summer and autumn. And it’s really beating up local roads. The buggies have caused significant road damage in…
Here’s a neat story of friendship that started when a fifth-grade teacher in Pennsylvania came across a balloon released several days earlier by an Amish girl in Ohio. From triblive.com: A deflated and tattered orange helium balloon landed in the Leechburg backyard of the Young family on April 20 of that same year. “It was not easy to read,” recalls Debbi Young, who was teaching…
We had a look at icehouses last week, which you’ll find in plainer Amish settlements. What are some other things you’d expect to find in the most traditional Amish communities? 1. Outhouses So we start with another type of “house”. Homes in the plainest Amish communities don’t have indoor plumbing. This means outhouses, and for that matter, less frequent bathing (as a two-shower-a-day person, I…
Photographer David Marvitz has captured some striking images of Amish doing an important winter chore in Iowa. While many Amish use propane or natural gas-powered refrigerators to keep food cold (see point #4 here), the more traditional Amish use ice houses. This is prime time to collect frozen fuel for these structures, which keep food chilled well into the warmer months. Here’s what those ice blocks…
Reader Steve writes in with a question. I know a lot of you have Amish friends and may have faced this situation: I LOVE your website — I often find myself poring through it in the hope of finding a new or different slant on things. We recently bought a house in Lancaster County (PA) and have become friendly with the Amish family that lives…
“Sis en Bu.” “Sis en Maedel.” You’d hear these words often enough in Amish homes, with their ever-expanding families. These Pennsylvania Dutch phrases mean “It’s a boy” and “It’s a girl,” as noted in a recent article on the language, “Keeping the Pennsylvania Dutch language alive – and thriving.” Is Pennsylvania Dutch alive and thriving? Well, it depends where you look. Patrick Donmoyer and Douglas…