We got your questions over to Loren last week, and on Friday I got a fax back. “This is what I’ve got so far,” Loren writes. “I plan to give the other questions some attention, too.” You’ll find about a dozen-and-a-half responses below. I’ll get the rest up when I get them in from Loren. Until then, I hope you enjoy. Win a copy of Chasing…
From the AP: Four members of an Amish family died after their hired van was struck by a cement truck as they traveled home from a funeral in central Pennsylvania. The York County coroner’s office said the fourth victim, Elizabeth Esh, 22, was pronounced dead Tuesday, a day after she delivered a stillborn boy. Her relatives, brothers Emmanuel Esh, 73, and Melvin Esh, 66, were…
To hopefully close the book on an awful story, the Lancaster County man who shot and killed an Amish-owned horse has been given 1-2 years in prison, plus probation (hat tip to commenter City Slicker): According to testimony at Diggs’ March preliminary hearing, Diggs was a passenger in his own car when the horse was shot last Nov. 24 in East Lampeter Township. Horse owner Levi Lapp was driving…
We’ve looked at Amish participation in Pennsylvania fire companies before. And each year mud sales are held throughout Lancaster County to support those companies, which are known for their heavy Amish makeup. But did you know that some Amish in New York also serve as volunteer firemen? According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Amish are members of two fire companies in western New York, in Ovid and…
My father passed away two weeks ago, having been diagnosed with mesothelioma back in March. Following surgery in July, we were hopeful, but shortly thereafter learned that the cancer had already spread, and there was little more to be done. We lost him a few weeks later, at home. When you read about mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive disease which comes from asbestos exposure, you learn it is…
Local news outlets are reporting that two Amish girls in upstate New York have been abducted while tending their family’s produce stand (Note: since the girls have now been found, the Amber Alert info, artist’s sketch, news station videos, and the girls’ names, originally included with this post, have been removed). The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s office has activated the Amber Alert for New York state. The thing you…
One of our readers, Anne, has a son named Ed (not his real name) who became Amish a few years ago. We hear from Anne from time to time in this ongoing series called “When a son joins the Amish”. Anne has previously written about the photo policy when she visits her son, a hard winter, her friends’ reaction to her son’s conversion, and dental problems. Anne recently…
Last year, Sam Mullet received 15 years for his role in beard and hair cutting attacks on Amish in eastern Ohio. But 15 others got lesser terms, ranging from a year and a day to seven years. The first of the Bergholz people have now done their time and returned home to eastern Ohio. A Reuters news piece details how two of the group, married couple Raymond and Kathryn Miller, spent…
The final price tag on this sweet vehicle is $9,861.18, to be precise. The photos were taken by reader Jerry, who attended a recent auction in Perry County, PA, where the buggy was up for bidding. Here’s the interior: The price gave Jerry “sticker shock”, he says (and this leaves out the horse, which adds around $1600). Just like ordering a car, you get to select your features…
David Arment and his wife Pam are photographers living in northern Indiana. In today’s Q-and-A, David discusses his craft, including how he takes his photos and what life is like in one of America’s largest Amish settlements. I also asked David to share the stories behind a selection of his photos. I love the behind-the-scenes info he shares here. You can find more of his images…