A “fast-moving” fire destroyed an Amish home and the two businesses run out of it Wednesday morning near Meyersdale, Pennsylvania (Somerset County). Thankfully, no one was hurt. The home belonged to an Amish woman, who ran a thrift shop on the second floor. The loss is the second big blow this poor lady has taken in a matter of months; more on that below. The…
A 16-year-old Amish boy who walked away from a Lebanon County, Pennsylvania treatment facility last week has been found alive and well, five days after he went missing. Jonas Smucker left Green Pastures, a mental health facility which treats Plain community patients, at around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 6. Police located him earlier today (November 11) at a church in Lebanon. From LancasterOnline: Cornwall…
Another story just about too horrible to imagine has claimed a young Amish life, while highlighting the dangers inherent in small family farms. A 6-year-old Amish boy drowned Sunday after falling into a manure pit while visiting a family member’s farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Leon Blank, of Christiana, died on a farm in Salisbury Township near the Chester County line. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office…
Holmes County, Ohio is full of e-bike users – many, if not most, of them Amish. We’ve looked at this phenomenon before, such as in one 2024 report describing the community as “ground zero” for e-bikes. The transport tech has gradually been accepted in some of the area’s diverse group of Amish churches. It’s an alternative to the buggy or the hired driver – offering…
Don Burke has contributed many wonderful images of Amish life here throughout the years. Don has kindly selected some of his favorites to share with us today – and a little bit of the story behind each one. To ask a photographer to pick the favorite picture he has taken is on par with asking a parent which of their children is their favorite. But…
Nora Kurtz is a member of an Old Order Amish church in Geauga County, Ohio, and Director of Operations at the Geauga Amish History Center. She previously shared some favorite dishes from her community. Today she returns with a closer look at what happens at Amish weddings. Weddings across Amish communities share a similar structure but can vary in smaller details unique to each community….
Just a tragic and sad story. A 7-month-old Amish girl has died after a pony kicked her in the head during a wagon ride at a home near Harmony, Minnesota. A relative of the girl reached out to let me know about it. The girl is not identified as Amish in the report, but based on what I’ve been told I can confirm this would…
Yet another tragic accident out of the Lancaster County community. This one happened a week ago, with new details emerging recently. A four-year-old Amish boy was killed by a tractor-trailer in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania last month. The child was walking to a farm across the road to help with farm work, according to state police. The crash happened around 12:25 p.m. on September 24…
A 16-year-old Amish boy has died after a farm accident in Sanilac County, Michigan. He was baling hay Monday when one of his horses spooked and the wagon flipped over on top of him. The Michigan State Police 3rd District news release explains what happened: Caro Post troopers are investigating a tragic farming accident that claimed the life of a 16-year-old Amish boy on September…
The Grant County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to watch out for a runaway Amish horse. The horse got loose with its harness still on, and may be stuck somewhere on private property. From WFRV: According to a social media post, a brown Amish horse with its harness on got loose on Wednesday, September 23, and is currently missing. The Sheriff’s Office alert…