This pickup-style carriage belongs to an Old Order Mennonite family. Black-topped buggies in Lancaster County (rather than gray ones) indicate Old Order Mennonites. There are various church groupings among the OOMs, just as there are among the Amish. Each day I drive fairly close by the large community of OOMs residing in the northern part of the county.
Amish and Mennonite live as neighbors in these parts and interact to varying degrees. There are some joint Old Order Amish/Mennonite schools in the area. Abe likes to get his applesauce apples from a local OOM grower. Old Order Mennonites use bicycles, while the vast majority of Amish in Lancaster do not.
Tomorrow I’ll be heading off to Holmes County, Ohio, one of my favorite Amish settlements to visit. I will be there through Sunday and plan to do a few more interviews for my book, see some friends, and attend a church service.
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Oh, Holmes County. That’s where I was two years ago. My friends live right near the Amish auction house in Homerville.
How did you make first contact with your Amish friend(s)? I am learning a lot by reading this. I am in the very beginning stage of preparing an outline for a writing project. I live in Ohio and have not visited an Amish community yet. I am very interested in your visits.
Hi Rhea, I remember you said you were here. Always nice to visit.
Marcia, I first made contact while selling a set of books called Family Bible Library in Amish communities. It was a great way to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time and a very memorable experience. I’m glad the blog has been useful for you!
I’ll be watching for your update on your trip to Ohio, your adventures and if you did get to attend a church service.