Amish Life

Lancaster Amish Moving Into Towns & Subdivisions

Lancaster Online reports on an increasingly popular option for housing among Amish in Lancaster County: But as their numbers grow, more Amish want to live in a village, town or suburban development and have a small stable for a horse, just as the non-Amish have garages for cars. “It’s become a trend among the Amish community to live on these smaller residential lots as they…

Amish Brothers, Ages 12 and 21, Drown in NY Pond

Amish Brothers, Ages 12 and 21, Drown in NY Pond

A tragic story from last Wednesday in central New York. Brothers Rudy and Feldy Miller drowned in a pond in their community after the floating dock they were on capsized: Feldy Miller, 12, and Rudy Miller, 21, who both lived at of 3603 Barr Road, Stockbridge, were pronounced dead the scene, Hood said. The accident occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, when deputies responded to 3511 Graves…

Swartzentruber Amishman Interviewed at Alabama Amtrak Station

Swartzentruber Amishman Interviewed at Alabama Amtrak Station

Chris Gingerich, 47, is a member of North Carolina’s sole Swartzentruber Amish community. A writer for AL.com met Chris and his wife Iva, along with 2 of their 13 children, at the Amtrak station in Birmingham, Alabama. Writer Greg Garrison managed to have a nice conversation with Chris, which he shares in an article for the site. This is a neat article for a few…

A Closer Look at Amish Phone Shacks (11 Photos)

A Closer Look at Amish Phone Shacks (11 Photos)

The first clue that I’d arrived in the Amish area of Charlotte County, Virginia was a sign warning of buggy traffic for the next 15+ miles. The second indication was this little building on the side of the road: There were phone shacks (or shanties) just like this one found throughout this community of two churches. The Amish here have ties to the Mechanicsville (St….

The Latest Amish Buggy Skiing Video…

The Latest Amish Buggy Skiing Video…

It’s become an annual thing – someone films an Amish guy skiing behind a buggy, it gets picked up in the media, and proceeds to go viral. Well, why not. The latest edition in the series comes from Minnesota. Jennifer Staggemeyer shot this snippet in the Harmony, MN community. Jennifer wonders how he kept his hat on: Let’s check out some other examples. Previous videos…

Carl Cisney on 4 Decades of Amish Taxi Driving

78-year-old Carl Cisney is an Amish taxi driving veteran. He’s been providing rides for Amish for over 4 decades – since the time in 1975 he was asked by an Amish neighbor for a ride to a weld shop. Carl has formed deep friendships through his taxi services, even getting invited as the only English guest (along with his wife) to Amish weddings. The work…

Pinecraft Amish Community on Ukrainian Travel Show Орёл и Решка (Video)

Pinecraft Amish Community on Ukrainian Travel Show Орёл и Решка (Video)

It’s always interesting to see international media coverage of the Amish. Attention can come from places you wouldn’t expect. On that note, Taste of Pinecraft author Sherry Gore appeared on a recent episode of the Ukrainian travel program Орёл и Решка (Orel i Reshka). This is a Russian-language program viewed by millions throughout Russian-speaking countries. The gist of the program is that the two celebrity…

Eagles, Parakeets & Hummingbirds: “Pud” Sam Stoltzfus on Amish Youth Groups

“Pud” Sam Stoltzfus is a retired Amish farmer and gazebo builder known throughout the Lancaster County community for his outspoken nature. He has been a frequent writer of letters to the local Lancaster paper, an impromptu spokesman for the Amish in some sense. If you get a chance to meet him, you probably won’t forget it. Pud Sam is a historian, grandfather to 51, and…

Amish Teen Girl Rescued From Buggy During Flood

Amish Teen Girl Rescued From Buggy During Flood

A 17-year-old Amish girl was rescued Thursday from atop her buggy during a flood in Wayne County, Ohio. From the Massillon Independent: Brewster Fire Department personnel rescued the 17-year-old girl who had been driving the horse-drawn buggy, which had been swept into the high water along the rural roadway. According to Lt. Roger Carpenter of the Brewster Fire Department, the teen was sitting atop the…