Non-Amish Community Support Family of 16-Year-Old Killed in Buggy Hit-and-Run

I was just contacted about a new effort to support the family of Elmer Borntrager, the 16-year-old Amish boy killed last week in a hit-and-run incident in Clarke County, Iowa.

Elmer was buried this past Sunday, November 16th. He is survived by his parents David and Esther Borntrager and family including siblings. You can see the program from his funeral in the photo above, including words to the “Parting Hymn” and details on the service.

I often hear from people wondering how they can offer support in cases like these, and so I want to make sure you know about this.

While the Amish are known for relying on their own communities for support when trouble strikes, each situation is different, and some Amish are open to graciously accepting outside support in times of tragedy and need.

As a whole, they are better known for being on the other side of that equation –  as generous givers of their time, energy and resources in times of trouble for non-Amish communities (see the efforts in hurricane damage rebuilding in NC, for one recent example).

So it’s only natural that outsiders would want to help out, and I’m glad there is a way to do so in this case.

GoFundMe for Elmer Borntrager

The organizer of this effort is named Danielle Heck. On the fundraiser page she first recounts the basics of what happened in the accident. The buggy Elmer was riding in was struck from behind and he was thrown out. The driver fled, and Elmer was pronounced dead at the scene (in a related report, the suspect’s vehicle has been located).

Then she explains the purpose of the fundraiser, and the response from the Borntrager family and their church. As you can read below, the family did not ask for this, but when contacted about it, have said it would be appreciated:

In order to help the family with costs associated with this tragedy, and in consultation with neighbors, I have agreed to organize this GoFundMe drive for the family.

The family has not asked for any funds in relation to their son’s death, but as a neighbor of this Amish community, I have contacted members of the Borntrager’s congregation, and they have indicated that this gesture from the non-Amish community would be appreciated by the family.

I was especially moved to set up this fund after hearing how Elmer was a caring older brother and companion to his special needs younger brother, and how much Elmer’s death will affect his brother.

Clearly Elmer will be dearly missed, and it’s even more heartbreaking hearing of his relationship with his younger brother. If you are so inclined, you can contribute to the GoFundMe here or via the embed below:

Update: Community Holds Vigil

Last week the local community – which I take to mean the local non-Amish community – organized a vigil for Elmer Borntrager. This isn’t the sort of thing that they Amish typically do, but it seems they joined as a part of it. Here’s more on it from the report at WHO 13 News:

At the vigil, community members spoke about Borntragger’s kindness and joy in helping others.

Karina Romero, a Murray resident who attended the vigil, said it was heartwarming for the Murray and Amish communities to come together.

“It’s a great feeling to see both communities come together, seeing everybody join in a tough time. And it’s, it’s just an area of love and growth and support,” Romero said.

There has still not been any news as far as the suspect being found, as of November 28th.