A nice article appeared last week in the Maysville Ledger Independent, on the May’s Lick, Kentucky Amish settlement. In it we see a great example of a community helping out newcomers in a time of need.

An Amish woman named SaraEtta Coblentz describes how several families from Indiana made the move to this corner of Kentucky in 2004. It sounds like they chose a good area, as far as their neighbors are concerned.

SaraEtta writes that “Our group was so blessed to be well received by the May’s Lick community and neighborhood. Real nice country people, we found to be kind hearted folks with good hospitality.”

Those kind hearts were revealed when tragedy struck SaraEtta’s family, just three days after they made the move to Mason County.

SaraEtta’s two oldest children were involved in a road accident, their buggy being hit by a semi while on a visit back in their home community. Sixteen-year-old Susanna was killed, and Matthew, age 17, was severely injured.

Amish buggy: Roy Luck/flickr (cropped)

She describes the kindnesses of the English community in May’s Lick following their loss. For example, on the sheriff helping coordinate traffic on the day of the funeral:

The respect and support shown to us by many was so inspiring. The day of the graveside service, here at our small Amish cemetery on Stock Yard Road, a sheriff was parked in Helena right before our home here to direct traffic for the funeral procession.

Friends provided food:

There was lunch served here after the service with food donated by many friends, including Ken and Bobyn Jones, whom donated delicious chicken from The Dinnerbell. Bless them.

They also took care of animals while SaraEtta and her husband where with Matthew at the hospital in Indiana:

Another thing that stood out and that we’ll probably never forget was the way kind neighbors, Mike Dailey watched over our “new to us” home here and fed our animals while Tim and I stayed with Matthew at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, while he recovered from the severe hit he took.

Mike saved the life of a young newborn colt by getting it to drink milk out of a bucket, after it refused to suck the bottle. It was going to die if he wouldn’t have found a different method or way of feeding the colt. This colt is now, of course, a grown horse and still running and grazing these pastures. Her name is Misty.

A lot of these things are what fellow Amish church members would naturally do in difficult times.

But with few Amish families in this new settlement, there weren’t as many helping hands available. It sounds like the Coblentzes’ new English neighbors stepped up to help fill the void.

SaraEtta goes on to describe other English friends she cares deeply about in the May’s Lick community, before closing with this:

Yes, lots of good memories already in the nearly 16 years we’ve lived here, and many good friends and people we’ve not written about, but a thank you to all who’ve treated us kindly and with respect. Our desire is to do the same for you.

I don’t know if this column by SaraEtta will become a regular thing for the Ledger Independent. But even if it ends up just being a one-off, what a nice story about community.

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