Taken by reader Rose in the Kingston/Dalton, WI Amish settlement (Green Lake County) in what looks like a basement or mud room. A spot like this, typical in Amish homes, can come in handy. Your caption ideas welcome.
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This picture was taken in the mudroom of the farmhouse which is also where they were selling veggies, homemade noodles, and crafts. When I first walked into the room, there was no one in it so I had the opportunity to take a look around. Normally in this area they sell their goods in the barn or a small building detached from their home. At this location though, you basically walked right into the farmhouse!
Great capture, Rose! I have been to many Amish homes across MN and WI and as you said, they sell their produce, baked goods, and baskets from a separate building on their property or a table set up at the end of the driveway. A few of the shops I’ve visited have a notebook and pen for customers to write their own orders and a money drop box. I have also been to a home that had quilts for sale. I pulled up to a large shed that seemed like the most obvious place for the shop. The gentleman came out of his shop where he was making fishing spears and instructed me to their home where the woman invited me in and we walked across her kitchen to a small room with her quilts, pot holders, and canned goods. I had my three children with me and it was a great experience for them. They asked the woman questions and she willingly answered them. What I remember most is the beautiful wood floors and cabinets and the smell if the wood stove.
Caption
Hey, will you grab my boots for me? They’re the black rubber ones by the door.
James this reminded me of the “he’s the guy with the beard” joke once laid on me by an Amish father telling me how to find his Amish son at an Amish auction.
Mother to Census Bureau visitor: “Oh, you want to know how many people live here in our home? Count the shoes & divide by 2.”
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“These boots were made for workin’ “
We're Gonna Need a Bigger Shelf
or …. Boot Bounty Blues.
Your gonna get stuck in the mud.
boots
Mark says that the Pennsylvania Dutch for rubber boots is “gom stiffel.” That’s phoneticially. Mark keeps his outside his door on the porch. He steps into them on his way out.
"At the End of a Day's Work."
If I was Bill Coleman, that’s what I’d name it.
Where did all the children come from?
Husband to Wife: I thought we only had 10 children at last count. Where did the other 10 come from?
Comment on Amish home:Muddy pairs
Take your pick: Tall, short, fur lined, big,little.
Bookends…
Boot scootin boots!
Does anyone know if there is any Amish Community in Wisconsin or Minnesota where they allow visitors to Church services and/or provide translaters?
Also, how large is the Kingston/Dalton Community?
Thanks, MN Judy
I’m from Sartell, MN. Where do you live, Judy? I have visited quite a few of the Amish communities and have met many friendly people. There is a gentlemen near Osakis that invited me in to his home but I had a friend and her family with so I declined. I regret that decision now! I have also found the Amish of Mora to be very friendly and willing to answer questions. One visit the gentlemen were moving the church benches and the women were cleaning for services the next day. It was fascinating to see them all work together. I have never built up a friendship in which I would feel comfortable asking if I could attend a church service. Would certainly be interesting. You will have to let us know if you have the opportunity.
Erin, we live in SE MN, not too far from Harmony. Is there a community near Osakis? Have you been to any of the WI communities. Our daughter lives rather close to St. Cloud. Which communities in MN have you been to? We have been to Harmony and to Cashton, WI. I am wondering about IOWA too. Any specifics on Amish or Mennonite communities in this 3-state area would be MOST welcome! Judy
Yes, there are several Amish communities west of St. Cloud. There are several families near Osakis that moved to central MN from Harmony in the mid to late 1990s. One family lives about seven miles from town and they usually have a stand set up in town, across from Just Like Grandmas. I stopped to ask them where I could find the gentlemen that makes log cabins. Turns out, it was the father of these three sisters that were running the stand. They told me that their parents love visitors and would likely invite me in to their home. Sure enough, he did. I declined since I had a friend and her daughter with. Wished I would have! We stood outside and chatted quite a while. He said he gets a kick out of English tourists. He said a mother and her young son had stopped to buy a rug from his wife and the boy asked him if he had to go to the grocery store. He said, with 17 kids you should see my bill! He was also asked if the Amish like chocolate. I know they do because I followed a horse and buggy to Dairy Queen! This community has been there for quite some time so their community is welcoming and supportive of them. They city has a list of Amish businesses and a map on their website. There is also a country doctor that choose that location because of the Amish community. She does not accept insurance and charges minimally. She also accepts payment in the shape of produce, meat, eggs, and baked goods. This gentlemen said that their community really likes her. They also have an Herbalist from the St. Cloud area that visits their community once a week to offer natural remedies. One of the things that I thought was funny was that this gentlemen gave me a colorful flyer with his business name R&S Sawings. He asked me what I thought it stood for and I told him Reuben Stutzman and he said that his sons that work with him think it stands for Slaves!
There is another Amish community near Long Prairie. We stopped at one of their homes and the gentlemen left us in his shop while he checked on the plow. I didn’t mind as it was a wonderful opportunity to meander. It wasn’t until after that I thought he was very trusting of my husband and I with all of his belongings and his money drawer in plain sight. After I thanked him for our purchases, he wouldn’t acknowledge me at all. I asked Reuben about him and he told me he is their Bishop and that he suffers from Bipolar. He said that the big guns have been there a few times. He really had beautiful furniture. I think of him often and hope that he is medicated.
There is an Amish community near Bertha as well. There is actually an English owned Co-Op in which the Amish have table rentals and sell their goods. The amish are not employed there and seem to drop their studf in the early nours. When I stopped there it was raining so it was nice to have a roof over my head while I browsed. I do have to admit that there’s something about traveling down a country road and meeting the men and women that is unique. I know there is a birthing house near this area primarily for the Amish and Mennonite,
There is a newer community near Mora. They came from WI, MI, MO, and Canada. They are very friendly and willing to answer questions from curious Englishers like me! They told me that their community has been very welcoming of them. The paper did a few articles about them which I think has helped them. They didn’t want to draw attention to themselves, but they wanted the community to be aware of what services and products they had to offer. They have a community store in one of their homes that they all contribute to. They have a big machine shed that they have their home on the one side and their barn on the other side, divided by the store. They also take turns at the weekly farmers market. I’ve been told that they have a big draw. They also have a CSA that had close to 100 subscriptions in their first year. This town also has a shop called Made By Mora and as it implies everything is made by locals. I know they had a table there but they said they probably wouldn’t do it again since its too slow. There is also a whole foods store there that they sell to. I noticed on the stores website that they also are advertising for an Amish gentlemen that builds storage sheds and chicken coops.
There are also Amish communities in northern MN near Bagley and Crookston. If you’re newer to this blog, there is a woman that’s son converted to Amish a few years ago and now lives with his new family in Fertile. His story is very touching and I hope to meet him this spring. You can also go to the Amish State a guide on the home page of this site and you’ll find more info on the Amish of MN as well as discussion topics. Let me know if I can be of further help. I nw there is a gentlemen named Kevin Happe that visits this site from time to time and he has many Amish connections in MN.
Judy,
When visiting with my Amish pen pal near Kingston, she told me that there are over 200 families and I believe 2 or 3 church districts. There are 12 schools in that area alone. There is one road in particular, Barry Rd., where the entire stretch is Amish farms and stores. No matter how many cars drive by, they always stop to wave! This area is much smaller than Cashton and there are fewer tourists. Although Cashton offers more shops, because it is a bigger comminuty, I do prefer Dalton and Kingston. But that is most likely due to the fact that I have become friends with two different families! 🙂
>>Does anyone know if there is any Amish Community in Wisconsin or Minnesota where they allow visitors to Church services and/or provide translaters?<<
I doubt any Amish church service provides translators for visitors (although such a service would be very cool to attend).
Simultaneous translation is a lot of work. It also slows things down tremendously and distracts some from the service itself.
I did once attend a mixed wedding officiated by a Spanish and English speaking priest. He had an amazing capacity to blend the two languages: making a statement in English, then giving an example in Spanish, or vice versa, throughout the homily. He had a gift in both languages.
But that was perhaps a 10-15 minute homily, not a 3 hour service!
To answer the rest of your question, I have stopped at an Amish home near Mondovi, WI. It was a very large store and I wasn’t even sure if it was Amish or not because there was a skid loader in the front yard. When I saw the buggy parked on the other side of the shed, then I knew. The woman greeted us a few minutes after we were in the shop. It surprised me to see her in a handkerchief rather than a bonnet. She told me that they had just completed the shop so I imagine the skid load might have been an Englisher that had been helping them. The only way we found this place was the GPS. The parochial schools are listed and then I knew if we located the school there would be homes nearby. All we had to do was follow the road apples! I do hope to travel more in WI this spring. . Have fun on your Amish travels!
Question: Do Amish remove shoes upon entering a house? Obviously muddy boots are removed, but what about just shoes?
I always ask when I walk into someone’s home. A lot of Americans just wear shoes inside. In Asian cultures, shoes are always removed. Where I live there’s a lot of people, from all around the world, and both customs are followed.
I LOVE OVERSHOE
Used Tingley overshoes
Good observation, Amishovershoe. Now that you mention it, it does look like some of these may be Tingley overshoes, also known in Pennsylvania Dutch as “ivverschuh”, or “Gammschuh” (with an “a” as in “what”). The rubber overshoes slip on and stretch over different shapes of shoes, to keep the leather shoes dry and free of mud, snow, salt, and rain. Who uses these – Amish, English, farmers, people in the Snow Belt, southerners?
Tickled for Tingleys