I’m happy to welcome Karen Johnson-Weiner as a new contributor here at Amish America. Karen is Professor of Anthropology at SUNY-Potsdam, and has studied the Old Order Amish for over 30 years. Karen’s books include New York Amish: Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State, Train Up a Child: Old Order Amish and Mennonite Schools, and The Amish (with co-authors Donald Kraybill and Steven Nolt). We’ve…
A frankly creepy story has hopefully come to an end in Lancaster County. Last November you might have caught a report of an intruder entering Amish homes in eastern Lancaster County. The man in both cases would touch Amish females while they slept. He would speak to them and then leave. A 27-year-old Lancaster County man was arrested Friday and charged in one incident in East Earl township: According…
I met Bob by accident, or fate, hard to know which it was. He and I spent three hours together one Sunday morning in September, walking the countryside, my Sunday shoes getting wet from the dew. He was a good listener, but he often got bored and wanted to run. He is young so you have to forgive his wandering attention. Bob has four legs…
Three items for you today. First, David Arment returns with a little slice of life from Amish Indiana. Drivers in cold-weather climates use winter tires to get a better grip in snowy and icy conditions. Going by David’s account today, there must not be anything like that for Amish buggy horses (winter shoes?), which led to a small challenge for one family. Then, reader Jerry shares a…
Today, the second half of the Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen terms quiz we started on Tuesday. If you missed it you’ll find the first 12 words here, and answer key for the original 12 here. All words courtesy of Mark Curtis of the Belle Center, Ohio Amish community. Some of you used knowledge of German to figure the first batch out. Mary Miller noted that two terms…
Mark Curtis has come up with a little language quiz for us, testing knowledge of some Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen terms. Each of the words below has something to do with the kitchen, food, or cooking. This is the first half of a set of 25 words. I know we’ve got some PA Dutch speakers here. I am not one of them, but took a crack at some of these…
I’m happy to introduce Jim Cates, author of Serving the Amish: A Cultural Guide for Professionals, as a new contributor here at Amish America. I know many of us enjoyed reading about Jim’s experiences working with the Amish as a clinical psychologist. You’ll be able to read Jim’s writings here regularly now, in upcoming posts on topics including non-resistance, women’s issues, and the Amish family. But, to start at…
An Amishman in Custer County, Colorado is seeking a permit to build a commercial dog breeding facility. Animal welfare activists are speaking out against the idea, fearing the planned business to be a “puppy mill“. Amish have received a lot of bad press for some egregious cases involving members of Amish churches. This has helped foster a perception that the Amish do not treat their animals…
Sometimes small details make a world of difference. In today’s guest post, David Arment of armentphoto.com tells the story of a favorite photo. — Perry Miller was in the gallery and he saw the picture of the Amish buggy in the snow. The picture is “black and white” with a fence row down each side of the picture taking your eye to the Amish buggy…
A reader just shared this delightful video of Amish schoolchildren singing for the Ohio House of Representatives in November. In the video you’ll see and hear Marvin Wengerd speaking on behalf of the Amish. Before singing begins, Marvin holds up a 2015 Ohio Amish Directory and addresses the House: “On behalf of the 32,262 people, Amish people in this directory, we want to thank you for allowing us…