Do you recall the recent story of the Amish man who had survived 14 buggy crashes? Levi Shetler is a member of the Swartzentruber Amish group, which does not use the orange safety triangle and other otherwise-common safety features. It looks like change is coming to the group’s approach to vehicle safety – at least in Shetler’s corner of Ohio. Amish in the man’s community have…
I have to say I’ve never spent much time wondering how brooms are made. But I still quite enjoyed this video, with commentary by a talkative Amish woman named Ada. In the video you see her making brooms using a clankety foot-powered contraption as she discusses the ins and outs of her craft. As Ada works she is interviewed by LaVonne De Bois, who leads tours in…
It’s hard to watch this video (below) and not smile. A class of Amish schoolchildren sings “The Ninety-Nine” for the camera in what looks to be a Holmes County, Ohio Amish school. So enjoy this sweet rendition of a 120-year-old hymn…and can you tell from the video why I guessed this to be that community? The Ninety-Nine William G. Schell, pub. 1897 The ninety-nine within…
This past Monday, Amish at Ethridge, Tennessee were victims of a pair of armed robberies. In both cases a truck was used to block the road, and an armed individual emerged to demand money. The assailants even shot at one Amish buggy as it fled. The good news is that authorities have captured three suspects. It sounds like, for their trouble and likely impending prison sentences, the trio acquired a grand…
Today’s guest post is by Bill Moser and Jeff Smith. Those names might ring a bell – you might recall a post here last year on the book Becoming Amish, about the Moser family’s conversion to Amish Christianity. In this first of two guest posts, Bill and Jeff share one side of the experience with us today. — Seeking a community of faith that aligned with…
As in other Christian churches, Easter is an important holiday for the Amish. What do the Amish do during the Easter season? First it’s worth mentioning that not all Amish observe holidays in the same way. Local and family customs can vary. And when it comes to more obscure holidays, in some communities they may be observed, while in others, they are not. See Ascension Day or…
This is not really an Amish story, but “Amish” ended up in the headlines incidentally. A group of Amish boys in Hillsdale County, Michigan stumbled across a body in the woods last week. Authorities have determined the 37-year-old-man died of multiple gunshot wounds. From the Hillsdale Collegian: Joseph Graber, a 12-year-old boy who lives less than a mile away from the crime scene, was one of…
Amish builders in Maine have teamed with a non-Amish business to create a “solar shed”. If you didn’t know, many Amish themselves are avid users of solar power, with the sun-guzzling panels visible on homes and barns and even on buggy rooftops. They use them to power batteries, lights, or electric fences, for instance. As Maine Amishman Joas Hochstetler explains: “Solar is pretty passive, there’s…
Marlene Miller joined the Amish half a century ago. She is a mother of 10 and member of a Holmes County Amish church. Marlene is one of the rare souls (perhaps 100?) who has joined the Amish, and actually remained in the church. Marlene detailed her experience in Grace Leads Me Home (later republished as Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order) and in an…
Planning an Amish wedding for a few hundred guests, and want to make sure the special day goes off without a hitch? You’ve never found yourself in that situation, you say? Well, if you ever did, you might do well to pick up a copy of Das Hochzeit Büchlein: A Wedding Preparation Booklet. This handy guide was produced by members of the Lancaster County Amish community. It’s…