Ethnography of the Amish Community in Allamakee County

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Ethnography of the Amish Community in Allamakee
By Val Littlewolf Heike
12/14/15 10:10 AM
Luther College
Amish of Allamakee Abstract
I. Introduction:
The information for this paper is through Ethnography personal research
and document information from other sources.12
The Amish of Allamakee
arrived in 2000 some came from Minnesota and others from Wisconsin and
Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio.3
There are large settlements of Amish in those
states as well as in Southern Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, these large
communities were the first in the three state area. The first family to settle
just outside of Waukon was a family named Miller. Elmer and Mary Miller
1
Ethnography is the study of subcultures.
2 An ethnographic is a visual description lecture from Dr. Laurie Stanley’s lecture in Anthropology.
3
These descendants mostly originated in Pennsylvania where like my ancestors on my mom side of the
family bought land from William Penn’s brothers is.

2
family at the time came with four of their eight children arrived with the
folks.
Mattie the oldest daughter set up the Bulk Food Store on Paint Creek and
in a house built by Elmer and his sons. Lavina (the second youngest
daughter) had her bakery in her parents’ basement. Their younger daughter
and her young husband resided in southern Iowa on a little farm.4
Dennis
Miller the oldest son of Elmer and Mary Miller has a farm off Sherman Ridge
road just outside of Waukon about four miles as the crow flies. Dennis’s
profession is in lumber he has an Amish sawmill.
The second family that also came to the Waukon area came from
Wisconsin up by Augusta on highway twenty-seven, David and Ester Yoder
and their then four children. David was married to Esther Miller, Mary and
Elmer’s second oldest daughter. This paper is about history of the subculture
known as the Amish in Allamakee County by a history major at Luther
College who participated with the Miller and Yoder families for six years
inclusively. This participation with the subculture referred to as the Amish
started in the fall of 2007 to September of 2014. 5
The history of the Amish and why the Amish traveled from Europe to
America, where did they come from and there history will be discussed.
4
Jurri and Elmer Millers’, youngest daughter Fanny and then their only daughter Suzie
Ginridge at the time resided in Southern Iowa near a century old Amish community. The
first residence of the southern Iowa community had come from Missouri the boarder is
really near to Missouri.
5
There are plans to return to the study of this culture in the future. We as scholars learn
that returning to check on cultures in studies are beneficial to ethnographers after all
learning is a lifelong endeavor. It is good to retrace steps and reconnect to see how
groups change and grow.

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II. The Amish are living breathing participants in our history as well as theirs. It
is like breathing air locked in ice for a million years. The first drive past the
school ground stirred desires to learn about a unique culture that settles in
Allamakee, the Amish appeared to be from another period in history as a
historian that drew attention from other subjects for a senior paper.
III. Who are the Amish, what do they believe, what scares them. What can be
given as gifts what can’t (allowed and not allowed, superstition all things
minor and relevant pertaining to the Amish of Allamakee County will be
discussed.) The Amish see their children as gifts taught to be good
contributing members of the community.
IV. The thesis is asking the question does learning about the subculture the
Amish teach communities to be more diverse in attitudes.
V. Amish are a subculture. Inner strength is not a fair combatant against adverse,
hatred geared toward race or from fear of another’s religious choice.6
The
truth that people will always hate what they do not understand maybe they
will change possibly when knowledge allowed to flow. Discussed in this
paper will be topics to follow in no particular order:
 Mothers lessons
 Lessons differentiating apothecary in nature (organic plants).7
 Amish wedding and typical gifts for a wedding
 Language and religion8
 Houses
6 These things include sex fuel hate crimes, which can end in genocide.
7 Father’s assist with the babies’ boy and girls does not include changing diapers.
Young fathers step up and the seven year old boys go with their fathers till they are
seven.
8 Churches subset

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 Churches
 Amish newspaper
 Rumspringer
 Lawyers, laws pertaining to Amish issues
 Technology
 Hatred aimed at the Amish community
 Cemeteries
 Stories make a culture memorable9
 Rumors English think about the Amish
 Things allowed within the Amish community
 Not allowed to belong to Amish children
 Statistics from census 2004 then updated in 2010
 Conclusion
Histography
My thesis is about Amish of Allamakee and two families the Yoder’s and the
Millers the question of this Essay on the study of the Amish around Allamakee in
northern Iowa: Who are they, where did they come from. The subcultures known as the
Amish give the feel of stepping back through the pages of history. The information on
technical advances within the subculture of the Amish of Allamakee County is not
there.10
The Amish in Allamakee County allowed cells phones and tractors. Cell phones
are only allowed used outside in what appears a bus stop. Bus stops in rural areas use to
be at the end of driveways so children are protected from the weather while the children
await the school buses to go to school.11
Tractors are just used on the farm vehicles have
to have metal tires.12 13
This research gathered from 2007 to 2014 within the Amish
9 Stories make a culture significant they teach this generation as well as future
generations to come they are historians “Meat and Potatoes”. (J.Needham 2008)
10 The Amish of Allamakee only use of technology is the cell phone kept outside in
small booths on the side of their yards.
11 Some of those boxes still are in use.
12 Phone booths are like little houses people go into on the edge of their yards to
make phone calls and they the Amish can have answer machines. I took Darrell

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community that settled around Waukon, Waukon Junction, and Rossville in Allamakee
County.
Amish of Allamakee are the topic of this senior paper. The Amish of Allamakee
County and the information collected during six years of emersion discussion will be here
in these pages.
Allamakee County Amish
Ethnology of the Amish of Allamakee
The Amish culture will be looked at as Ethnography explicitly the Amish
community around Waukon, Iowa Allamakee County, found in northeastern Iowa.14
This
historic study as an Ethnography on culture began in the spring of 2007. Stories make up
culture they are as intricate and numerous as the sands of time. Stories define us, make
us unique by our experiences, and teach every group, nation, and community. It is only
in learning differences that we can draw significant outliers in and thusly become a more
normal society.
Each subculture has the stories that make them significant and teachable. This
paper will examine the Amish of Allamakee. The area in which this group of Amish
resided is in a radius of twenty miles engulfing Waterville, Rossville, and Waukon of
Yoder to town Waukon, to the library last summer and he used the Internet to look
up and order a new fishing pole.
13 Like tractors or manure spreaders
14 Ethnography is an Anthropology term. Anthropology is a part of the Humanities of
which History is a part of as well as Anthropology and Linguist because it’s hard to
understand a people without being able to understand them. Dr. Laurie Stanley.

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course and Waukon Junction. The residents will never assimilate this culture, which
would only enhance these two significant groups of individuals the non-Amish with the
Amish.
The Amish of Allamakee were chosen for this senior paper, because of the
interest in the Amish culture and its historic significance. It is interesting how a culture
in America has the ability to shut out the modern world; and carry on their traditional
values. Spending time within the Amish community was like being a part of the past.
The Amish history, language, clothing are just a few of the things that will be shared
including the stories that make a group or subculture relevant to the population as a
whole.15
This is the first hand knowledge of Ethnography of the Amish of Allamakee
County.
Amish arrived in America their new home16
The group we commonly referred to as Amish, known as the Anabaptist first came to
America and set up small colony in Delaware in 1662 twenty years before William Penn
first arrived in Pennsylvanian. 17
The Amish originated from around Switzerland referred
to a Germania before Christ was born.18 19
The Amish came in two main floods 1727 and
15 The elders are all married men in the community of Amish they make up the
Education board as well as the church. Elders approve everything prejudice of an
Elder can stop new things from occurring within the community (school or church).
16A reference: to home referring to location not per say building.
17 (Barthinios L. Wick 1894)
18 Germania was an area named by Roman’s like Julius Caesar assuming that an
entire area was Germanic or German when many of the Barbarians were Swiss,
anyone not Roman was thought barbarian.
19 (Projectexport 2015)

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again in 1860. 20
Amish started migrating to Iowa in 1846 by wagon train to Muscatine
and Iowa City.21
Exact Quote:
There are no longer Amish in Europe. In 1865, approximately one third of the Amish
population split off from the more liberal Amish population split off from the more
liberal majority. This offshoot minority was given the name Old Order Amish in
recognition of the fact that they wished to retain the old Ordnung (order of behavior), set
of orally transmitted rules that govern the behavior of the Amish.22
The Amish are one of two groups referred to as Anabaptist.
Exact quote:23
The Anabaptists were the forerunners of the Mennonites and from their ranks came many of the followers
of Menno Simon. The word is a term applied to sects who deny infant baptism, but in church history, it
denotes a sect, which took an active part in Germany and the Netherlands during the Reformation.
Germany, the Anabaptist known as Tau-fers, and in Holland as Doopsgezinde.24
In England, the Tau-fers
called Baptists, while the Doopsgezinde known as Mennonites.25
The Anabaptist believes that only adults who confess can be full members of the
church. As of 2004, there were over 150,000 Old Order Amish in America and Canada.
The congregation or church district the Allamakee Amish refers to their community as
having one church district per school since a school is equal to thirty families per school
20 (Lawrence P. Greksa 2004)
21 Ibri
22 Ibri
23 (Barthinios L. Wick 1894)
24 Quotes belong to the author and as Dr. Victoria states words unless in old dialect
we can make out to some extent then we can change to a degree. The before
mentioned change is irrelevant if not written in format identified by word 2007.
25 A quantitative paper needs to affirm the seriousness of historical paper correct
information affirms that.

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there are now three schools outside of Waukon. Two Amish schools are in the Sherman
Ridge road area and only one down Bear Hollow way located by Rossville, Iowa off hwy.
76. 26
Each church has its own Ordung.27
The Church leaders dictate the colors that are worn
and where the phone goes and if the community is allowed to have one. The church or
church elders also are in charge of dictating that those that leave the community can
rejoin but if they are not allowed to return, park their vehicles’ in the yards of their
parents to see their mother’s. Those that leave are not allowed to be welcomed within. 28
I know several mothers who say church forbid me seeing my children, these women are
fierce stock they tell me “mothers never turn them away their children!”29
Exact Quote:
Amish life is guided by several key principals, including adherence to adult baptism; Gelassenheit (acting
with humility and simplicity at all times); conviction that true grace only be achieved if one lives in
isolation from non-violence; a belief that mutual aid is a key ingredient in maintaining the ingredient in
maintaining of the church; a stance that states have no authority in religious matters.30
The area and the new families
Waukon the capital of Little Switzerland as the residence has always been
referred to it. The Amish started coming in 2000 to the Waukon, Iowa area from
Wisconsin, Illinois, PA, Ohio, Minnesota, Indiana, and New York, Kentucky. The first
26 David Yoder said that a school represents thirty children.
27 Church laws
28 Suzie Borntrigger wife of Henry Borntrigger told this Ethnography that it didn’t
matter to the mother what the church elders thought because the mothers still loved
their children and would never turn them away or tell them where they were
allowed to park.
29 None of the children that left are female within the Allamakee Amish.

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to arrive are usually the elders. The Amish outside of Waukon to Rossville, there are
now three schools erected between Waukon to Rossville, IA. A school holds
approximately thirty children sometimes all those children can be from nearly three or
four families. Church districts are between twenty-five to thirty households. Church
meets every two weeks. In order to know where church will be next is easy to find out; a
bench trailer that just carries benches. The bench trailer leaves one home the week after
it had been used. The trailer and the benches rest in the yard of the next family until it is
needed.31
Elmer Miller and his wife and
three daughters and son and son in law came down from Minnesota to settle on Paint
Creek road off Maud off Elon. Mattie has the Bulk Food Store on Paint Creek. Mattie’s
home is right next to her store it might be said after the front door is entered a turn to the
left and there is Mattie’s door turn to the right behind the counter is the bathroom.
32
Mattie’s store is open 6 am to 9 at night. Mattie’s store sells delight things that fill the
customer with the sense of being home in Virginia. The store is a simpler folksy family
owned that sell all things in Bulk. Example Horehound drops, huge cashews, pop corn
31 After church then men and the older children if there are animals to tend will
leave the church gathering everyone else has a lovely pot luck meal then do what
they love. Others in the community non Amish watch a big game like in the
Ethnographers house hold while awaiting a call to drive the Amish home the Green
Bay Packers will be playing foot ball. Amish love volleyball, no generation gap if
standing was the requirement then you’re a player.
32 Doc E, Tebbinough said the Amish doors in Minnesota are blue.

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that pops, beet pickles, jaw breakers all those things we should have or not. A visit is a
ritual a memory, a smile.
David and Ester lived around a corner on the gravel road called Paint creek, Jurri
owns the cornfield the English has an acre next to Jurri’s cornfield as the road creeps
around the corner to the little farm Elmer Esther’s father had sold David. From Mary
Miller’s David’s mother in laws home David’s barn can be viewed through the woods.33
34
At the top of David’s lane rests a small white house and a woodpile, a milking barn for
goats and a barn for horses and a large goat pen. There was also a large garden. David
never got a refrigerator or freezer.35
Mattie works hard only once there was a helper of two assisting her it was
summer and Mattie had several large orders. Last year she doubled her load. 36
Lavina
had MS, Mattie’s sister had, had a bakery underneath her folks home. Lavina was the
last of her ten children to wed. 37
Lavina married Little Daniel Borntrigger from
Wisconsin, Daniel wanted to farm. The young couple lived in the basement of Mattie’s
store. David and his family were selling out and Daniel wanted David’s farm. David’s
farm was in need of a lot of work.38
Lavina had just built a new bakery next to the Bulk
33 This is to show the farm’s buildings are set up high showing the lane to the family
home is higher than just off the road.
34 Ester is Elmer and Mary Millers eldest daughter in 2012 they had seven children
before they left they had another little girl Fern. Ester had her last son little
Raymond who was born in 2014. Little Raymond was born with lungs not fully
developed. Raymond and Fern were born last to Esther and David Yoder. Esther
had been told her health would suffer. Ester has trouble with blood clots, Little
Raymond was the born with lung defects.
35 David worked on Elmer and Mattie’s freezer truck story will be in stories.
36 A helper is usually a young woman family available to learn a trade.
37 Mattie chooses not to wed.
38 David was in business with his father in law Elmer Miller with goats. David’s
family needed more than the milk check could bring in so David did carpentry,

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Food store in 2013 because business was in full swing. Daniel bought David’s farm the
new couple were then out of the basement and into David and Esther’s old home.
Lavina’s Bakery is open end of March to December. Lavina’s pies are as good as
your moms. 39
The bread, cookies, and pies are worth a trip to Waukon every month!
Last year Lavina’s hand was acting up so she went to Pennsylvania before Mexico.
Daniel had a difficult time due to Lavina’s folks are always intensely concern when
Lavina has an episode with her MS. Lavina’s mom and dad since her birth jumped in to
care for Lavina, Lavina’s new husband who had cared for his father was not keen on
being replaced when his wife would get ill.
Daniel, was in earnest as he sought work in Missouri then he did an irrational
thing he cut off his nose to spite his face by moving her away from her bakery and her
family by taking a job in Missouri. Lavina’s lovely store and all her hard work what was
to happen to that everyone wondered. Mattie stepped up to the plate as if a normal sister
roofing, shoeing horses, fencing, milking cows, pulling down silos you name it Esther
his wife Mary and Elmer Millers oldest daughter just wanted him (David) at home.
38 David and Esther’s seven children now are ten in 2015;their home was just
39 Apple Pie made by Lavina makes me teary it’s just as good as Mrs. L.N. Heike’s pie
my mom’s.
33Apple Pie made by Lavina makes me teary it’s just as good as Mrs. L.N. Heike’s pie
my mom’s.34 Many Amish travel to Mexico where they can access treatments unavailable in America,
or the plain clothes to undergo a medical procedure at a lower cost than in the US. Family may accompany
the patient. (Unconventional Amish medical proceedures 2004)

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would and should do taking on all the extra labor. Mary, Mattie’s mom helps, and
sometimes nieces are helpers in the bakery.
Lavina’s bakery run now by her older sister Mattie who has a huge order for
Thanksgiving a manager from the Twin City area had bought sixty-five pies they are to
be assembled and shipped to him. Unbaked, Mattie told said Saturday Nov 1, 2015 the
manager wants to give his employees a unbaked pie so the smell can woof through the
houses of his workers in the Twin City area,
When the Allamakee County Fair rolls around Mattie is paid to bake all the pies
sold at the 4H pie tent.40
Dennis the older brother came to the area after Elmer selected
his piece of land. Dennis has the lumber mill that employees several of the men in the
Amish community. Annie Yoder and her husband David Yoder came to the area from
Minnesota. David Yoder is Norman Yoder’s brother from Kentucky. David liked all
women sort of an Amish playboy. He left the Amish community to work on a dairy farm
in Wisconsin.
Anna’s shop is in her home in the basement, the phone booth is across the yard on
Sherman Ridge road, and Anna has the Bent and Dent shop. Anna’s younger brother has
also moved to the community. When David, Anna’s older brother left he Allamakee
35 This is funny a little sad when I was a kid the pies sold at the 4H tent the pies were made by people in
the 4 H.

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Amish community in 2012, to milk at a dairy operation in Wisconsin before Esther had
three more children. David’s younger brother Raymond took over the shoeing of the
horses from David. A horse Ferrier is as needed as a gas station.4142
Raymond’s wife
Martha knew that a Ferrier was one of those things that if you have the gift and are good
at what you do people will come to you.43
Anna Yoder David’s sister lives two houses down Sherman Ridge road off Elon.
Anna after her husband David Yoder left her pregnant with her (their) last child, raise
five children. Her husband did not die he just left. Anna’s husband David Yoder a cross
cousin from Kentucky his brother Norman is married to Anna’s sister Sara who is the
youngest of the Yoder’s with David and Anna as brother and sister.
Anna has a Bent and Dent store it is like a grocery store only the cans are all dent.
The elders within the community got together and assisted her in setting up the business.
The business while assisting Anna’s family also is available for the community at large.
41 A Ferrier is a fellow who puts horseshoes on horse hooves. Horses need
horseshoes they protect horse hooves without them horse hooves will crack and or
the frog of the horse foot will over grow and can become infected.
42 The Bent and Dent shop is a grocery store and everything is dent or off a bit in the
packaging. Now starting in 2014 Anna sells meat out of a truck once a week and
fruit when in season. Anna came because David and Sara were here and her
husband wanted to be here.
43 Ferries are like the Iowan Field of Dreams you build it they (you do it) will come.

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Anna has been alone since Junior her youngest was conceived and he is now seventeen
going onto nineteen.44
Clarence Borntrigger is the Candy man and an elder in the church. 45
Alvin Yoder
is a distant relation to David Anna’s brother and David Anna is missing husband. Alvin
is the buggy man every fall no matter what he is on hand down in Georgia. His buggies
go all over the world that is so of interesting.
The language
Language that is spoken within the Amish is called Pennsylvanian Deutsch speak
a hybrid dialect called or Pennsylvania German.4647
It is a Germanic language with a
good amount of English mixed in. Once in school, the teacher, who is always Amish,
teaches the children English, and all lessons are held using English as a base language. In
fact, many if not most Amish are actually trilingual, because in addition to English and
‘Dutch’, they speak and understand High German, which is the language their Bibles are
written in and the language typically used in their church services.48
44 Amish and English
45 This describes all married men.
46 The Amish language is for the most part and unwritten language.
47 (Language of the Amish 2014)
48 Frau Bechtel my German teacher Waukon Senior High 1970.

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The three languages of the Amish4950
1. The Amish language is used at home and day-to-day life.
2. In church, they use Hoch Deutsch or High German.
3. While the English language is taught for business purposes and to interact with
outsiders.
The Amish came in two waves the 17th and early 18th century and the middle of the 19th
century. Both groups came from Southern Germany, Eastern France and Switzerland
however, the timing of the immigration a key to all situations.
The first wave settled in Pennsylvania. The second wave settled in Ohio and
Indiana. The difference is the second wave came with German vocabulary rich in
industrial and technology words. While the first wave that settles in Pennsylvania use
load words in English to describe things like electricity and telephone. Therefore, you
have a divergence in the Amish lexicon in America. Pennsylvania Dutch is a direct
descendant of the seventeenth-century Rheno-Franconian dialect of Germany.515253
The Amish are not the only ones who speak PA Deustch. 54
German, though they
are the largest group. 55
Speakers of the dialect, including Mennonites and non-Amish,
have been found historically in the southeastern region of Pennsylvania, as well as in
49If you sit and listen to two Amish speaking, you may be surprised that what seems
like every fifth or tenth or twentieth word is actually English
50 (Language of the Amish 2014)
51 Ben Franklin feared the Pennsylvanian Dutch dialect because he feared German
might become the language of America because so many in Pennsylvania spoke it.
52 (Pei 1949)
53 The Amish language is for the most part and unwritten language.
54 Deutsch is German.
55 Ibri

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the Shenandoah Valley region stretching south through Maryland, Virginia, and North
Carolina.56
Listening to two Amish speaking, you may be surprised that what seems like
every fifth or tenth or twentieth word is actually English.57
Occasionally you find you can
sort of follow along as they speak.58
Pennsylvanian Dutch is a largely unwritten language.
When the Amish write notes and letters to one another, they usually use English.
Women in the Amish community
Within the Amish community marriage adds duties to the female or wife.59
The most
important duty of hers is bearing babies, cooking, darning, washing twice a week (Friday
and Monday), making clothes, putting up jelly and canning meat, all the baking
comes more duty’s tossed upon them, not to mention the care of the elderly who live with
their families. The husband’s duties are not in any real sense changed till the sons passage
seven then the men have more than a by your leave participation in the rearing of the
56 Ibri
57 Ibri
58 (Pei 1949)
59
A woman in the Amish as well as all culture’s designation within the significant group changes earlier
then due to being wed if the mother of a family perishes obligations as a single woman except for sexual
duties which are added for the woman. A wife cannot refuse her husband when he wants sex. In the Torah,
Jewish women can simply say “No!”

17
male children. Married men wear beards and automatically become elders of the church
community and of the schools.
Mother/Apothecary
Women pass from mother to daughter knowledge of plants and what their
properties.60
Several varieties of plants are still collected and dried in the
spring and summer.61
Some of the plants collected and used for medical
purposes are below. The plants below assist in removing fecal mucus
matter (Secretary Glands). 6263
 Mandrake (Podophyllum Pelatum)
 Poke (Phytolacca Decandra)
 Yellow Dock (Rumez Crispus)
60
Apothecaries train who is homeopathic-without over the counter drugs.
61 Ion Exchange owned by Howard and Donna Bright its is located off Highway 76 going
toward Mississippi River fourteen miles along that highway on the fourteen and a half
mile marker turn off highway. Howard and Donna Bright have at last count twelve green
houses they plant and harvest wild plants and the seeds they sell to National forest and
parks to resend them after fires.
62 It is important to know that for most plants it is the root used for preparing in
tinctures. A tincture is the substance mixed with alcohol that takes a simple plant to
becoming a medicine. Tincture is what an apothecary would call the mixture.
63 It is important to know that for most plants it is the root that‘s used in tinctures.
A tincture is the substance mixed with alcohol that takes a simple plant to becoming
a medicine. Tincture is what an apothecary would call the mixture.

18
 Tag Alder (Alnus Rubra)
 Black Cohosh (Macrotys or Cimicifuga Racemosa) this root
stimulates the spine.
 Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) this is found around Waukon,
IA, assist in circulation as well as digestion.64
 Boneset (Eupatorium Perfoliatum) Boneset is also native to Iowa
and is now one of the native organic substances used in the
treatment of cancer, Boneset collected by the Ion Exchange.
 Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium Pubescens) a lovely yellow
flower that makes the imagination think slipper; the little yellow
flower is native to the woods around Waukon, Ia. The woman
Slipper is used treating hysteria.
 Tonic
Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) this makes a fine relaxing tea; the
flowers are used. Chamomile is also native to Northern Iowa.65

64 While working at Ion Exchange in 1987 this was one of the many varieties of
native regional plants collected for their seeds. Ion Exchange collects plants and
harvests the seeds much like the later company known as Seed Saver. Ion Exchange
owned by Howard and Donna Bright resell seeds to prairies and forest with the
purpose to seed these location for say fire devastated the before mention location.
65 My German Grandmother (Minnie Nagle, though not by blood felt more my grandmother then just
an older person I knew, we inherited our old house in Waukon on Main street from them. There
were three sisters everyone simple called the Nagle sisters) would save the flowers and place them in
oatmeal boxes in the pantry to dry next to the chimney, it’s wonderful. Raspberry leaves and black
berry also makes a fine southing tea with the dried leaves. In northern Wisconsin by Augusta,
Wisconsin the Amish can find by lakes and ponds Wintergreen the leaves make a wonderful mint tea
whereas here around Waukon Spearmint is a popular tea made with dried Spearmint leaves.
Spearmint tea is served hot as well as iced (as ice tea).

19
 Murdock66
In appearance it is a long plant and grows in a clump not in a field
Murdock has long leaves like rhubarb however not toxic.
 Pineapple
Pineapple juice is supposed to be the best for fighting inflammation great
for bronchitis cleaning out. According to the center of Health at the University of
Iowa, the Amish rather rely on natural remedy then the drugs they push upon
them. Strong willed individuals the Amish it is interesting that the government
who seems to think Americans are children don’t bully the Amish into taking
their drugs.
Mary Miller Esther said how to rid a foot of infection that Murdoch has an
organic property that heats it on skin and it draws out infection. Murdoch looks like
rhubarb the leaf it’s not toxic. It is laid upon an infection. The Murdock had burns out
the toxins. The movie makes infection better and less painful somehow then the hot herb
on the hole in my left foot.
Esther and David Yoder’s wife is the daughter of Mary and Elmer Miller. Esther is the
sixth child and, Esther was warned about having more children.67
Nearly exactly nine
months after being warned about Esters health fern was born number eight. Esther’s
blood clots and from caring the extra weight gained from the child Ester developed a
huge ulcer on her right ankle. A Medical doctor told Esther that it would be best for her
66Mary Miller Elmer’s wife told me the best for an open infected wound was Murdock. The wild plant is
just to lie on the world, it heats next to skin that will pull infection out It hurt too much, it was warm, and I
removed it before it did or had time to accomplish any help. Noxzema was cooling and helped me more
than the wild plant.
67 Amish women are not allowed to not accept their husband when he wishes sexual
intercourse.

20
to “not”, have more children. Her mother Mary and an English doctor to stay off her foot,
eat peanut butter, and soak your foot in the root of marigold. That year many lovely
plants came and went the process took about five weeks and her clots and leg healed.
Women, married
Married women like in the case of Anna Yoder even though her husband David
Yoder not to be confused with the David Yoder that is her husband. When David Yoder
left, his little family Anna had just become pregnant with their last child later to be called
Junior.68
68 Junior Anna Yoder’s last child was called Junior though I was never told why her
first born son was David name sake ergo the youngest child as well as the baby is
called the fathers first name unless a daughter is the oldest and the youngest it a boy.
If that is the case then the oldest child is named after the mother and the youngest
child a boy he will be called or named with the father’s first name the mom and the
father have ns name, in doing this the baby boy will be called David.

21
Religion
The Amish religion or Anabaptist translated means “re-baptizer”, the old Amish as
todays believe in being in adulthood before beginning baptized as adult. 69
Ordnung
church law can be changed or reviewed every two years.70
The baptized members of the
church review these laws can change or add on to a law. 71
It is interesting that the US
Censes ran a study in actuality two studies on the Amish. The Amish do not get food
stamps, go to Food Banks, their children do not have to public schools. Amish do not
participate in any of the things other Americans who participate in the census. The
Amish pay taxes on building schools that that their children do not go to and pay for
roads they only drive their buggies on that road.
The Amish believe in non-violence, refusal to take oaths. The Amish have no
mirrors in their homes. The Amish church moves every two weeks with in the church
district the church migrates along with the bench trailer. Ordnung church law can be
changed or reviewed every two years. The baptized members of the church review these
laws can change or add on to a law.
Shunning is a part of the Anabaptist believed that if the community is kept from
an individual or a family for doing something the church thought was wrong a ban was
placed on the person or family. Shunning happens within the church community that
community is then cut off from neighbors banned! The people or person is taken off the
black list when the Elders forgive that person.
69 (Byers 2008)
70 (Donnamyer 2013)
71 (Deflem 1999)

22
When the young man was apprehended, his Amish community came together to support
him in all that lay in front of him. Support does not show that great support its self in
many families or community.
In rural Iowa, there is still contempt felt and spoke about in reference with the
Amish. It is as if no one sees the Amish are God-fearing people who work hard and have
in some cases very little, money. For example Norman and Sarah Yoder, they have just
had their 10th
child. Norman works for Alvin Yoder they are not brothers or cousins.
Yoder is one of the top three family names among the Amish, top in population. Alvin72
Yoder is the fellow people call the buggy man because he fixes buggies and takes big
orders to repair non - Amish buggies. Alvin has at last count 9 children.
One of the chores of the wife is to be ready whenever the husband wished to propagate
his seed. It is against their religion for the wife to use buttons. The wife does wash twice
a week you can always tell when its Monday and Friday, if in Amish country because the
wash is hanging in the back of pristine white houses. In the Amish community, the wife
is not allowed to refuse her husband when he desires sex he gets it. We saw how
irrelevant health concerns for Esther David’s wife were with the last three babies. David
wants sex, which got Esther pregnant. A medical doctor told David’s wife how the
carrying of more children would jeopardize her getting blood clots again which would
place her life and the baby’s life on the line. 73
72 Alvin is a distance cousin where as in anthropology Anna’s sister who is married
to her husband David’s brother.
73 So David’s wife had three more children as of 2015. (Fern, Raymond and unsure
the last child’s name).By thirty – eight Esther had, had three children one after the
other bring her total to ten.

23
Families
Top three family last names are Yoder, Miller, and Borntrigger over all of the
United States. In Allamakee, we also have Horsehburgers. 74
David Yoder lived next to
his in laws two years ago at the time he had seven children and his kid sister Sara married
to his cousin Norman Yoder who lived down Chimney Rock had eight children. Norman
had only one child school age and his name was Norman. It is normal that the oldest
child is named after the father or the mother.75
Hooky Horsehburgers children also went
to the school on Sherman Ridge road.76
Sherman Ridge road is directly off Elon that runs
from Waukon, Iowa to Lansing Iowa. Chimney Rock is also off Elon road
David’s youngest two children were bused by van to Rossiville’s Bear Hollow
Amish School ten miles away. If an Amish wishes to teach at the Amish school the
person needs to be a female and with an eighth grade education.
Amish Children
Micro culture Amish children
Amish children and English children are very different in what they can have
even desire they both have in common cuteness. Amish children when given the cutest
74 This name is different but to protect the family I will leave the name looking like
this.
68. Amish children named after family members its called namesake. This was the child
always has someone that remembers them on birthdays and Christmas a namesake
if you will.
76 Hooky lives on Sherman Ridge nearly right across from the Amish school he has a
little trailer next to his house and the schoolteacher stays there. The schoolteacher
isn’t always a resident of the community. Two years ago the schoolteacher was Barb
Hershberger’s sister from the other side of Postville, Iowa. Hooky lost his arm
working with his dad on the farm in Wisconsin. Hooky and his children raise and
milk goats. David and his family milked goats. David is another story.

24
pig with music box inside will literally destroy the pig to get at the music box. Amish
children are not allowed stuff toys of any kind.7778
Games the adults when they gather many times will play music on harmonicas
they are allowed them by the Ordung elders of the church.79
Amish also sing and love the
card game concentration. Mary’s eldest daughter has a Bulk food Store on Paint Creek
road off Maud off highway seventy-six going toward Effigy Mounds on the Mississippi
river. As the crow flies, the farm with the bulk food store and as of three years ago,
Mattie’s sister moved her bakery that used to be under Mary and Elmer’s home across the
road to join adjacent to Mattie’s Bulk food store.80
David Yoder Mary’s son in-law
David is married to Esther Mary’s second eldest daughter and they lived just up the hill
from Mary.
Amish girls cannot have dolls without faces and dollhouses (the plastic things that
sit in yards) volley ball sets (adults and children for warm days and night to gather in the
yard and play volleyball much as if people love watching football.) 81
Amish boys can
77 (Placeholder1)
78When it was assumed my senior paper would be due in 2014 I wrote it and do
what I do with all the things I write so now though it’s arranged differently it will be
sited with my name because it’s on Scribd.
79 (Ordung) is the word for laws of the church community.
80 Elmer is Mary’s husband of forty-five years and ten children.
81 Ibri

25
have guns, baseballs, gloves, and roller skates (girls can skate too) scooters, roller blade82
83
Children can have ponies and carts (in this way boys and girls learn how to care for a
buggy as well as how to drive a buggy.) Amish children never attend fairs, movies, or
the roller rink however; the children boys and girls love to read. 84
Children given a book
will sit down where ever they are and open the book it’s like someone gave a child who
had never ate a chocolate bar ad in an instance the first bite melts and the taste is so
terrific the smile of pure happiness melts my heart. Children in the micro culture known
as the Amish are significantly limited in comparison to the children of the English.
School and the Amish
Children start school at 7 and by thirteen; they reach the 8th
grade and graduate.
Children by the 8th
grade are 13 a man named Yoder went to the Supreme Court the law
was changed about the law of compulsorily high school for all children Amish or
English.85
Mr. Yoder won he stated that the young people were needed on the farms.86
Therefore, there are literally children out of school seeking work at 13.
Jim Sweeney at Jim’s garage in Waukon said in July of 2014 that he used to love
to have kids in love with cars work for him; Jim said you know it is now against the law
82 In Kentucky as long as the cat is made at an Amish store in PA this law is over
looked. The bikes are built on purpose more like those that looked like a product of
the fifties with fat tires and seats that will not make people tear up.
83 Bikes are allowed in Kentucky but they have to be make in Pennsylvania
(Placeholder1)
84 Amish children and young people love roller skates not skateboards, Amish
children love going to the Waukon Park to roller skate on the roads found there.
85 (Cornell.edu 1972)
86 Most Amish rent land they no longer farm there are exceptions to this rule like
Jurri and Fanny (Elmer and May Millers youngest daughter and husband. May and
Elmer sold the farm to Jurri and they are now in the big house and Mary and Elmer
built a new smaller home about three years ago. Jurri milks and farms his land.)

26
to hire less than 14 years old.87
Children love to read and learn just because they are no
longer in school does not mean they stop learning, but not being in school stifles their
productivity as individuals.
Children in some locations still walk or take a buggy to school the Amish of
Allamakee are literally bused to school. Norman Yoder’s children are bused to school.
Each school is erected for thirty children. There is only one teacher and it seems that
more than thirty would be too hard to contain. One of the two schools is found on
Sherman ridge road that runs between Elon88
. Amish schools adhere to none of the
school breaks held by the English children’s schools. The children start in August and
are through for the year in April. Amish schools teach the basics.
Yesterday after making purchases at the bakery off paint creek road, Jurri and the
children and a load of wood was going by in and on the tractor. 89
Suzie and her younger
brother Jacob90
were up high-ish91
in the bucket of the tractor. Lucky no one fell out or
87 (Act 2012)
88 One of Allamakee better roads it starts in Waukon and stops in Lansing Iowa it’s
like the old Hill city road in South Dakota which runs between Keystone, S.D. and
Hill City, S.D. I’m sure there are many old roads that just run between point A and
Point B.
89 November 2015
90 I could not see little Mattie, she is two now.
91 My word it was high for a nine and a 4 year old to be riding in front of a normally
paced tractor.

27
tragedy would not have been missed. Mattie turned to me and said “oh good they wanted
so to go with Jurri to get wood.”
People commit on the fact that a high school education is needed in today’s world
yet Amish have an eighth grade education and assembled a silo that wasn’t working to a
nearly a new functioning silo.
Stacker Suppers
Amish children do not get funding for the school system so as fundraiser Stacker
suppers are held once a month. It is all you can eat for a nominal fee. You start at the
beginning with mashed potatoes and go down the line {there usually are about 30
different veggies and lettuce and stuff to place on the potatoes and hamburger cheese
sauce and maybe dressing, There’s fluids to drink: Chocolate, white milk and juice and
pope and coffee and tea, the pies are lovely and homemade Amish Ice Cream.)
New baby
No one ever says in front of the children “are you excited about mom going to
have mother or to the children are you hoping for a brother or a sister”. Mid wives in the
family home deliver babies unless there are complications. Norman Yoder’s wife is the
youngest sister to Anna Yoder. Sarah had her ninth and tenth children, twins they were
born with complications so the mid wife rushed Sarah and the twins to the hospital.

28
Amish children love batter-operated games.
Namesakes
Within the Amish community when a child is born, the name can link other
members of the family with that child. 92
A child given a name of a family member
assures the child will have a mentor. Women in the community also tend to illnesses if
they have knowledge of them.
Mowing
Clara Miller, Darrell Yoder’s daughter who lives on Bear Hollow road near
Rossville, Iowa in Allamakee makes her own butter and cheese from their two
cows one of the two cows will be butchered in the fall. The family can only afford
to feed one cow. The family consists of 4 little boys that range from 7 to 3 in age.
Children get started young assisting dad working on the farm. Two of the boys
were mowing with the youngest in a dress-followed close behind the lawn mower
that would simply not occur if these children were being monitored. Rocks fly
92 A namesake is a child names after an adult in that same family it is like being a
godchild.

29
within a whirling blade a rock tossed from the mower could kill any or all of the
boys.
Suzie
Children everywhere always think they are safe until they are not. When
little Suzie Fannies daughter first moved to Elmer and Mary’s home place Jurri
was getting the barn ready for stock, it had only been used for a few horses. Little
Suzie was four and thought she was well out of the way of the manure spreaders
metal tires she was incorrect. The metal broke her foot in several places an
ambulance took her to Allamakee Memorial hospital. Suzie is nine now but we
will always recall her foot broken it was a tragedy that could have been prevented.
Barefoot
Amish women and the children are barefoot all summer long if at home.
Men
Married men are the only men in beards. Male children at gatherings are all
together segregated from female children. Courting can begin at 13 usually they will
court until they are 19 before becoming man and wife. Boys and girls will work away
from home at a relative’s after graduation unless the family have a store the income is

30
very important for the family.93
Small boys to old men never are seen in a ball cap it has
just not done. Amish, children are raised with discipline. Often men only shave or trim
their beard day of church.
Elderly
Should be allowed the independence of living alone if possible, they are held in
respect that non Amish tend not to be, in the Amish community the elderly have a voice.
9495
If elderly Amish cannot live alone they live with family sometimes, they seem to
bounce around with no home so the responsibility of caring for the parent is literally
shared.
Darrell Yoder lives down Bear Hollow near Rossville on Tree lane. Darrell is
married to Suzie Yoder they had twelve children. Darrell works from 230 AM to330 PM
at a pig farm down the road from his home. Darrell son usually drives him to work in the
93 Anna Yoder youngest is the only Amish child I know who was allowed to keep the
money he made working at the horse barn where they have auctions of cattle and
other live stock including horses. Junior(David) opened and closed gates, Now
Junior is 17 and works at Dee’s farm the nearest farm to Waukon with a green tin
roof.
95 For non-Amish elderly adults are viewed by Human services as to old to know the
truth never less to speak it.

31
summer. Darrell’s mom lives with him for two months then travels to the other living
children she is like the Amish newspaper, which is like a round robin.96
Death
No life will be assisted to die. Amish should be allowed to die at home. Don
Jewel this summer drove to a funeral, while on the trip Don saw places and things in
Wisconsin he had never been apart after twenty years of driving for the Amish in the
Winneshiek/Allamakee, Canton, Minnesota area. 97
Most funerals are just the Amish in long line of mourning in their black buggies
with orange triangles on the back of the buggies with the purpose of being seen at night
hen out on the roads.98
Funerals are private of weddings no drivers referred to as English
are allowed in or at the private ceremony.99
Things burn for heat in the kitchen stove
For clean heat, that heat white-hot best wood is white oak. Never burn fresh cut
creosol will build up in the pipes and it reacts like Fourth of July charcoal worms lit.
Creosol appears like lacer in the walls of the stovepipes.100 101
Cedar burns hot and fast.
If the object is to burn hot, always the walls need to be thickening. Other hot burners are
96 Darrell is the oldest child so most of his mom’s care is up to Darrell. Round Robin
pasted from one to the other.
97 Don Jewel first came to the Decorah/Calmer area with the I.D. referred to as the
roller skate man. Don owns the roller skate rink on highway fifty-two, six, miles
from Luther College, which also sits on highway fifty-two. Don has a trailer park that
doesn’t charge an immense fee to park trailers in allowing families to see the area or
visit children at Luther College nestled in the rolling hills of Winneshiek County.
98 Driver’s best quality is sitting and waiting for rights at a funeral or the wedding ceremony is finished.
99 The term English refers to everyone not Amish.
100
Fresh cut needs to dry for approximately two years.
101
Wet wood increases the time between cleaning of the pipes. The Heike’s cook stove went up two pipes
to six pipes to the chimney on the other side of the pantry. Pipes are taken outside to be clean every six
weeks to ward off fire in the chimney. (It was not enough!) The stove is also cleaned and scrapped out
where the pipes connect, sometimes if the pipes where they connect are not cleaned then they will not slide
together.

32
black walnuts all except green shuck, and corn easily obtained.
Transportation
Horses are harness to buggies, young men from wealthy Amish families like those
that Lavern Borntrigger used while courting Anna Yoder’s eldest daughter Celeste.
(Sounds like looks) Lavern is Henry and Suzie Borntrigger second oldest son. Lavern
and Celeste dated five years from her thirteenth birthday to her eighteenth. Lavern is six
years older than Celeste. Lavern’s buggy had a leather liner. It was bright red it was
black on top it snapped into place. Lavern’s buggy was very flashy for anyone especially
for someone from a community known for being plan.
Some buggies are for one person up to need of accommodating for a family of
ten.102
Norman Yoder has a front window that slides open and a fake slot to imagine a
key could ignite the engine if a buggy had one. When people talk about how many
horses in horsepower they have with their vehicle in this instance there actually is a horse
that powers the buggy.
When David Yoder’s daughter Frieda was five little Frieda was playing house in
the buggy while the family was being gathered. The horse was startled and lunged
forward. Little Frieda bounced out breaking her wrist. There is a step like a stirrup used
102
Usually large families usually have two buggies.

33
to mount a horse only in this case used to get up into the buggy, sometimes a step, or box
used to access the step from the ground.
Chain Letter or Amish newspaper
An Amish newspaper is a long chain letter it moves from family to family. The
letter is read then that family places their news written in old German not in English to
some extent the Amish are a very private sect. Then the letter gets very long very fast.
The Amish newspaper is a letter it’s like a pyramid chain letter all the
community’s information is added as the letter goes from house to house then the letter is
sent on to maybe Wisconsin, or Minnesota or PA points east. It seems a funny tradition
when many Amish especially those that live near Waukon in Allamakee county they all
have phones. Norman Yoder has it in the house instead of the little phone booth at the
edge of the yard like most other Amish in the area but then his wife bore 10 children.
Trash
Trash collected at the end of their drive ways, diapers are placed without a care
into the kitchen wood stove. There is usually a rusty metal barrel in front of the home
trash is burnt in it.
Technology

34
Amish will ask for assistance for you at the local library on a computer. The
Amish of Allamakee do not utilize the web. The Amish of Allamakee have phones cell
or land line either; they the phones have to be located in their own little booths not in the
house.
Amish Bible
Amish Bible refers to addresses of all the Amish in the US.
Rumspringer
Amish in Pennsylvania of a certain age celebrate Rumspringer.103
Some Amish
believe that in order to commit to the life of the community the outside world’s door must
be slammed shut. Some young people are hit with the thrill of possibilities and options it
is as if the devil is tempting them over to the bad side and they like it, those young people
never return to the community. Young people are always welcomed back into the
community. The love unknown in some communities is actually used within the Amish
community. The young people in Rumspringer might try any number of things seen as
illegal like the one alcohol and drugs, and falling in love even possibly sex.
Dentist
Amish in and around Waukon Iowa the county seat of Allamakee located in northern
Iowa seem to have a system for dental work there’s a fellow in Minnesota doesn’t work
with insurance and unfortunately uses barely enough drugs to deaden the mouth or side
103 Amish in Wisconsin and Iowa do not celebrate the right of Rumspringer.

35
being worked upon. 104
There is a chiropractor in Waukon that works much like that
meaning they do not take x-rays.
David Yoder’s sons had their teeth removed around ten years old. David said once
Amish teeth are horrid because of all the inbreeding of the ancestors. A woman will only
have dentures if there is money for it. Suzie Yoder Darrel’s wife only has one upper
tooth and it is in her smile.105
It is wrong to work on people when there are no guidelines
in place the dentist will only work on Amish because he is fearful of being sued.106
Chiropractor
There are several chiropractors that work on Amish in Allamakee one comes to
mind his office is behind the liquor store in Waukon he gets cash for his service and the
work he does he doesn’t require x-rays. This should be seen, as incorrect work on the
spine is nothing to take lightly and to give treatments without acknowledging what might
go wrong if the wrong thing is moved. Dr. Hagensick is above board and does
everything by the book and the old expression says it all “what’s right for the goose is
right for the gander!”
In the middle of nowhere in South Dakota there is a complex that Amish seem to
now as of November 2015 flock to much like non Amish go to Disney world another
Chiropractor like business running without guidelines has set up. This facility Don Jewel
104 David Yoder says the reason so many Amish have poor teeth is because of the
inner breading that use to go on rapid.
105 All the Elmer Miller’s daughters have false teeth as does Mary their mom.
106 A professional should always be one whether treating Amish or the man in the
moon. If someone is not professional, everyone pays. The chiropractor in Waukon,
IA who practices without taken an x-ray endangers not only the individual being
seen by the doctor but also others in the field of chiropractic.

36
and he’s crew of Amish drivers have been taken many Amish from this area. Don says
they seem to relax and play cards. Amish love the game concentration.
Lawyers
Lawyers are utilized in dealing with real estate and wills.
Adversity seems to hit all cultures Norman is license to carry a gun.107
Many things are
still as if one would imagine Amish come to the aid their comrades. Barns still go up.
Most Amish house incorporates the barn as a part of the house. Horses still are used but
mostly only used in Illinois and Kentucky for field animals. Mothers only go to the
hospital after a birth if there are difficulties at the birth. Mid wives are essential in the
delivering of the Amish children.
Violence against Amish Intimidation, harassment, and vandalism
The above crimes are usually never reported by the Amish are what they are and
seen typical treatment from the English. Young Amish man and their girlfriends are
often harassed. Many couples have been seriously injured or worse killed as they horse
bolts from loud noises such as firecrackers.108
1969, a young Amish boy was killed after a horse and buggy had been
tormented.109
In August 1979Adeine Schwartz an eighth month old little girl daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Levi Schwartz who lived near Berne, Indiana were out for a lovely little
107Whether Norman Yoder has ever felt threaten it is unclear.
108 (Byers 2008)
109 Ibri

37
buggy ride. The ride was not lovely it was full of screaming which concluded in the
death of a baby girl.110
Menno-Hof Cultural center was created to teach tourist of how the Mennonite,
and Amish and Anabaptist have been treated and harassed one of the demonstration
shows a truck cab with four young men(non-Amish) in they were out one evening they
were out hunting “Claps” that’s the slang for Amish.111
As they drove along they found a
buggy with the children of a family on their way home and so the non-Amish boys started
tossing clay slabs at the buggy. It was not long after this started that the Schwartz family
realized that young Adeline was dead. After the family arrived home, they called the
police. The young men were all charged with reckless Homicide. Two of the boys
pleaded guilty in late June 1980.
The boys were facing 8 years in prison they were given probation with a $5000
dollar fine; the other two boys were fined $2000. There are other instances of Amish
robbed at gunpoint while in their buggies. 112
Going out “clapping” was much like the
term ‘Shinning around Waukon, IA only they the boys of Allamakee County did that
toward animal wild life. Within the Amish community, the abuse of Elder parents is hard
to find however every now and then child abuse is visible. The Amish community is not
immune to it.113
Spousal abuse and psychological and mental health issues exist no matter
the community name.
School shooting
110 Ibri
111 Ibri
112 1970
113 (Byers 2008)

38
October 2, 2006, Nicholas Mines, PA was the location of a shooting at an Amish
school. The October day started normally in the Amish, community some children
walked to school some took the family buggy. Charles Carl Roberts IV entered the
school suffering from depression with a loaded gun and began firing hitting ten little girls.
The girl’s ages were from 6 – 13. Five of the girls lost their life that day. The school
since has been burned to the ground.
People all people are seen then redefined by our experiences history on the other hand
adds to our identity. Peoples character is defined by the things they experience these can
be historical or from a member of the family regaling a story or seen as first hand
experiences (boo boo’s if you will) or what they recall of moments they endured within
their own personal history. The Amish are non-confrontational noncombatant hard
working people that see their children as their true wealth. Only people who truly desire
children should get them.114
For example the Amish of Allamakee County Amish farms live on their own farms most
Amish rent out their lands.115
Amish migrated to America and in time from Pennsylvania
to Ohio and Virginia and New York and South Dakota and everywhere the wind blew
like Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Some states they stayed only briefly
hate makes survival impossible.116
114 Children
115 Reference to the Amish who live in Allamakee County: the Amish I met in Illinois
and Kentucky farm or have a business on their property. Norman Yoder the double
brother in law to (Anna and David and Raymond) Yoder’s father has a yard light on
his property thanks to a previous owner of the farm. That was the first farm with
such a light it’s remarkable like the Star of David it can literally be seen for miles.
116 Being Gay I relate with both of these survival groups.

39
April 16, 2014 in the history of education spoke of an Amish man named Yoder,
who in the eighteen hundreds had the Board of Education in Wisconsin 117
change the
laws that now allow Amish children to stop going to school after the eighth grade at
the age of 13.118
This was started because then the boys could go working the farm
and in the fields with their dads. Today in 2014, the children are still done with
school at 13 and the purpose is still the same as then but many people will not employ
a 13-year-old boy or girl (the girls also get out after the eighth grade). Anna Yoder
and Mattie Miller both intelligent run stores.
Mattie is very knowledgeable in business even when it was pertaining to her dad.
Elmer Miller Mattie’s dad would call up a ride to town to the grocery store and horse
sale.119
Elmer hops out saying he would find a ride home from the horse sale, Mattie
without blinking “without blinking”, an eye just says tell mom. Elmer earn personal
money and would never take from the family money for little things like Mary
needing new shoes so I told her Elmer owed less than he did. Elmer though younger
then dad by a lot has a dad feel.120
117 (Cornell.edu 1972)
118 In 2012, Padea II in History of Education taught in June of that year, this was the
first time it was learned about Mr. Yoder and the Wisconsin school board.
119 Elmer loves watermelon.
120 That old adage “Business is Business is not Val’s because I’m a social
entrepreneur not a government run not caring bunch of idiots like Iowa’s human
services. It is hard to have dignity when you know that the only time an Amish
family might have meat on their tables when the year before canned meat is gone
will be from hunting out of season! Amish will when they could go to a free clinic
but Amish of Waukon do not go to Food Banks. Amish cannot obtain Medicare the
older Amish generations do not get Social Security. David Yoder’s family ate many
deer in season people might process the head and give the meat to the family. Local
farmer will call an Amish is they found a cow dead in the morning the Amish
neighbor will process can whatever needed to put that meat away. In 2012, the

40
Food
The Amish are not good eaters their diet is very starchy and sweet. Cake left over is
served with the cereal for breakfast. David Yoder was employed during the week at his
brother in law Dennis Millers sawmill. 121
Ester was serving chocolate cake and tomato
sauce. Tomato sauce is a white sauce, with chunks of tomato it was bland it was served
on toast with the chocolate cake on the side. The meal had literally no nutrition value.
Not all meals are like this but few meals have meat.
Laundry
The women and children not in school do laundry on Monday and Friday. Many
colors dangle from clotheslines upon these days. There is a clothesline is level with the
second floor window and works on pullies. This clothesline allows hanging outside
instead of in the basement on blustery winder days when the snow is deep.
The clothes washer machine is for the most past diesel resembling washers made
during the 1950’s with ringer. Mel and Barb Hershberger approximately 2010 caught
one of her little hands in the ringer. This little girl named Lulu122
was about 4 the ringer
Amish in the Waukon area started getting outside freezers. Many in old big
companies freezer trucks they run on diesel,
121 Amish husbands in Kentucky and Illinois and Wisconsin are to work near home
according to the church edit. David Yoder exception seemed always go as far as he
had to seeking employment. Until he moved his family to Wisconsin to live and he
was out from under the financial burden to the Waukon Merchant Band and his
father in law.
122 The little girl’s name is Lulu.

41
crushed her little finger on her and so it had to be removed. Lulu today is nearing
graduation from the eighth grades.123
Upon many occasions clothes do not dry in the basements, there are not
dehumidifiers no electricity nothing to draw moisture out of the air, drivers are called to
take the mother and all the wash to the local laundry in Waukon. When the wash is being
done its then that it is visual all the colors of the rainbow there all in the wash sheets and
pillowcases and p- jamma’s and under wear and “Hello Kitty and soft kitty and the
incredible hulk”.
Clothing
Amish women make all the clothes worn by the woman’s husband and her
children however Amish love garage sales and the only articles of clothing that don’t
need to adhere to the Doctrine set by the church elders are infant sleepers, socks and
sleep ware and underwear. Women wear white hats (or bonnets) only inside outside is a
black bonnet. Amish little boy’s first hats are straw and a black dress hat. Everyday use
is the black or blue stocking cap. Men can buy t-shirt that are brilliant in there redness
and women can wear yellow.124
Men wear blue or grey shirts, black or blue pants black or blue coat (usually blue
jacket/coat six days a week unless to a gathering or funeral or wedding then only black.)
123 Lulu is the only accident with a washer of a child known as, Lulu’s brother
Norman was the perfect Amish child exactly like any other child. Norman always
told the true and I would learn so much from Norman and his questions always
struck a nerve. Questions asked should always meet a truthful answer, No matter
what if someone mustered the courage answer it. As an observer Norman was
always a treasure to ride with. Barb Hershberger is David Yoder’s cousin Anna’s
brother. Barb is from Indiana.
124 Clothing wore as bed wear or under outer clothing is purely the business of the
wearer. That’s a way the Amish rebel against the doctrine that keeps the Amish sane
because every now and again you we all need to break loose and be who we are!

42
men will wear sweaters under their coats in the winter because the coats are not insulated
just cloth as well as the pants. Long johns are worn. Black or blue stocking caps are
worn these are only worn by boys and men, when they hunt they will wear the orange
vest and stocking hats. Shirts and pants do not have buttons they are held closed with
safety pins. Boots are black never any other color.125
Amish love garage sales and yard sales. Amish children can have normal children
cloths they are worn under their Amish clothes. They can have pirate things and cowboy
guns and black stocking caps; they also only wear white or black socks.
Females and males wear clothing with safety pins instead of buttons. Pride does
not exist for females in the Amish community they are banded from dying their hair to
appear younger. The men wear wide brimmed straw hats except for Church, weddings,
funerals or other special gatherings then they wear black hats.126
Homes -In and out
Houses around Waukon and Roseville are all white with green tin roofs. There is
usually a clothesline, one house owned by the Borntrigger’s close lines. Homes inside
are sparse in furniture like Elmer and Mary’s old home built in 2000. Jurri and Fanny
now reside in Mary and Elmer thirteen-year-old house.
127
The kitchen table sits in front of the kitchen by the front door directly opposite
that is the black kitchen wood stove with one of Mary’s birthday gifts nearby. The gift
built by Elmer is a five-foot tall wood box. Mary has a fan that sits on the wood stove.
The fan works with the force of warm air.
125 Information was read that stated that Amish men wear white hats it has never
been observed an Amish man wearing a white hat in the Allamakee County Amish.
126 (Clay Anderson 1974)
127Amish fruit cake (Clara Miller’s) (I.O.W.A. one writers view)

43
The floor is hard wood; one circular woven rug medium not large is in front of the
coach... Mary’s bathrooms are inside, there is a battery operated circular white light that
functions with a press on the dome. This round light is the only artificial light that will
be seen in an Amish home.128
Mary’s curtains in the kitchen are not the usual blue most
homes within the community have her curtains are white. In Mary’s living room there
are two glass curio cabinets with tall straight windows with several things Mary collects
gifts most of them.
Elmer’s roll top desk sits in a corner with an old German clock that often Mary
will comment on the ring; Mary says the clock works fine without the noise. Elmer and
Mary both enjoy word searches and reading. Books are not placed on a table and there
are no end tables. There is not a dining room table there are leaves that fit into the
kitchen table that causes it to expand. In the living room, a door goes to the outside. The
door literally goes to nowhere. The door is visible on the outside of the house it was
placed there in the off chance there might one day be another porch there. At the big
house that use to belong to Elmer and Mary and is now home to Fanny the youngest
daughter and her husband Jurri and their now three children. (Suzie, Jacob, and little
Mattie) The larger home Mary designed in the living room there is an upright heater..129
Elmer sells wood stoves in this Amish community.
Amish are very neat and clean, as are their homes when Danny and Lavina
resided in David’s old farm Danny neatly stacked fuel for the wood stove in the porch.
128 I find them useless
129 Mary’s rocker sat by the heater in the front room she loves romances written for
the Amish community. Amish books are found locally at Wal Mart there are two
near Waukon one in Decorah, IA and the other just across the Mississippi River
Prairie du Chine, Wisconsin. Writers like Jenny S. Eicher, Judith Miller, and Erica
Vetch. All the Amish romance writers are women and none admit to being Amish.

44
130
Living rooms and bedrooms on the ceiling there are many light hooks hanging down
for kerosene lamps. Kerosene lamps not only produce good light as well as a lovely heat.
In some homes, grey paint is places on the floor of the bathroom. 131
In the front room,
there are usually two long couches a couple. Mary collects little porcelains and
teapots.132
Mary’s bedroom has no mirrors a rocker a crib near the rocker and a queen
size bed now this time of year a lovely handmade quilt rests upon the bed.133
The parents’
bedroom is the only bedroom on main floor; all the other bedrooms are upstairs.134
The
parents’ bedroom is usually downstairs and the children’s are upstairs except for the
grand child’s crib. When Amish travel, they are people when possible they stay with
family. In Kentucky, the Amish are not allowed to have outhouses in the house the
Amish of Allamakee are allowed to have bathrooms within the house.
Farm equipment
In Kentucky, the Amish are not allowed phones and their tractors are essentially
horses and a wagon. It is a special treat to see two men driving eight horses or team
haying. The Amish of Waukon do not farm work like this eight horse hay wagon.
Amish Clarence Borntrigger referred to by the local Amish community as “the candy
130 Amish expect the vehicle they drive in to be extremely clean they leave all their
trash as well as baby diapers stuck under seats.
131 Placing paint on the floor in a room in a say a bathroom is fool hardy it is a dry
issue see if depends on humidity and will it dry. Depends, Lavina had a heck of a
time as did her sister Ester when they had tried to place new paint before her eight
baby.
132 Mary enjoys bisque birds. Amish will not take music boxes or snow globs or
figures that resemble angles. A good gift for an Amish ladies bells, stain glass, solar
garden things, plant holders that hang, lap robes, rugs, a bank full of chains. Mary
loves small kerosene lamps.
133 The second house is designed much like the first that is now e three housing Jurri
and Fannie and their three children.
134 In David Yoder’s home, David and Esther slept upstairs and all the children
rooms were in the windowless basement.

45
man” because Clarence an Elder and his wife have the Amish candy store on Sherman
Ridge road. Clarence was the first Allamakee County Amish man to purchase a round
bail bailer. The purpose of buying the round bail bailer was so Clarence could put up his
own bails.
Alvin Yoder is the buggy man he builds and fixes the buggies for the community.
Every year Alvin goes with some of his baggie equipment and made buggies to a huge
buggy show in Atlanta Georgia. Buyers of buggies come from around the world. Alvin is
sort of a local pop star if there were Amish pop stars.
Stories:
The Christmas tail
The winter weather was dark, dank, bone chilling David Ester’s husband got his
license for deer season. Ester’s middle brother processes meat in Wisconsin around
Viroqua area. It had been decided that a driver would take the meat and Ester and the
youngest two plus the meat up to Esther’s brother to be cured. The snow in 2008 was as
lovely as the garsh awful cold.135
No one had ever bothered to clear off the vertical
driveway so an old Cadillac could drive up empty to get the meat and the passengers.
Amish eat every part but feet and hide of an animal. Meat is now mostly no longer
canned since freezers have come to the Allamakee County community.
135 I also knew that riding in the backseat was like skimming across a lake like a
stone sticking rocks. Riding in the back of mom’s old caddie felt like when it was
being made pictures of shocks were brought out and viewed but never put in.

46
All the meat and it seems all the meat of all the neighbors as well was placed in
the old Caddie inside and in truck. It seems people never seem to take into consideration
what goes in comes out.136
Esther’s journey to brothers’ home was not interesting. The
driver was to be back up in two days to collect the meat and the family. It is
approximately sixty-eight miles each way. Two round trips one hundred and thirty six
miles as a Social Entrepreneur the driver’s fee was to be revenue. Unfortunately, the
driver was the only person that imagined that!
The return consisted of three adults two small children and like a ton of meat!137
Cold and fresh snow on the ground the drive up to get the meat went well. When
on an Amish trip never assume it will be a trip up and back. Never assume anything
“Ever”, why because your time does not matter to the Amish, they are as if in their own
little worlds. Sometimes it is best when working for the Amish that many are really still
the thirteen-year-old children that graduated eight grades. After driving back toward
Waukon little Jacob would sing out in Amish every time he saw a Christmas tree or
decoration it was very sweet. When we were at the foot of the driveway, we saw that no
one had thought of plowing the driveway in four days. It was 1230 am, the Amish do not
drive so it is not important to them when they leave to go home. It was terribly cold too
cold for babies to get out and climb a hill with meat.
136 However, not comfortably, two small children and over a hundred pounds of
meat, Amish never wear seat belts. Amish children love to stand up on seat as the
car drives. Amish women usually are not athletic and their diet is not healthy.
137 No one bothered to tell the driver that the trip was a community endeavor, not
all the meat that went into the truck and backseat made one deer. Amish are not
wealthy mostly but they resemble who history glorified as gypsies due to the fact
that Amish will if you are humble and gullible you become a mark and I as a
Social(goody to shoe)Entrepreneur driver.

47
David’s sons had not thought of getting someone to getting the driveway shoveled.
The meant had to be brought down the hill when we left that was because the old caddie
could not drive the long steep hill. David’s hill or driveway to the house is at least a four-
foot incline all the way the Normal distribution.138
When we had left for Esther’s brothers
the meat had to be all carried down the hill and placed in the vehicle, because there was
no way the big old car was going to make that climb on snow and ash sprinkled here and
there.
The boys Dennis and Hal and their dad climbed on to the hood. Esther and the
two little ones followed behind, the meat rode. Mary the second eldest of David and
Esther children tossed coal ash in front of the car and up we went. 139
The Silo
One afternoon the Social Entrepreneur who drives for the Yoder and Miller
families collected Jurri at the farm. The vehicle left Jurri‘s farm all trips driving for the
communities are adventures with missions. The mission today was to find a stone silo,
between Waukon and Postville on the back roads. Many farms are just residences now it
is too expensive for families to farm any longer so the silo just sits idle. A silo would be
spotted and we would drive to the silo, Jurri would leap out, go, and check the silo out.140
138 The hump of hill is steep.
139 It doesn’t seem obvious to Amish that people who drive while waiting freeze. I
never enter a home because it is cold.
140 Jurri’s father in law Elmer Miller a few weeks earlier had told their driver that
the best silos are pits in the ground. That had been discussed by the driver and Jurri
which corrected the drivers thoughts upon the subject a lot. Jurri said since it was
himself doing the farming and not Elmer in subzero weather he was not interested
in grand theories. Jurri stated that it is easier in an Iowan winter to go out pull down
a shoot and feed his stock then trying to find the pit, shovel down to it, uncover it
then get at the feed his cattle. The driver agreed with the young man.

48
It took an entire afternoon to find just the right silo, and then Jurri approached the
farmer and bought the empty silo. Jurri and his brother in law David Yoder will spoke in
Pennsylvania Dutch from time to time. The two men had decided to take it apart number
the parts then haul it to Jurri’s farm. 141
Next time the driver viewed the silo it had been
erected by Jurri’s’ barn. The silo appeared to have always stood just so.142
People commit on the fact that a high school education is needed in today’s world
yet Amish have an eighth grade education and assembled a silo that was not working to a
nearly new functioning silo. In today’s world of throw aways this is the best recycling of
any farmer in fifty-seven years I have ever viewed yes I am that Social Entrepreneur.
While experiencing Amish culture the Amish culture comes alive from this
subcultures stories. Elmer Miller (Mary Miller’s, husband) Elmer told about that when
he was a lad it had been a hard winter and yet it was his mom’s birthday. Winter was
dissipating and still a little bit of snow covered the ground. With the ice cream container
the children collected just enough snow to make one bowl of homemade Amish ice
cream.143
Elmer‘s mother said it was the best present she his mother received. Elmer’s
mom retold the children’s gift until she died years later.
Jurri Ginridge is married to Fanny Miller youngest daughter of Elmer and Mary
Miller. Two years ago, the young couple, and only child moved from one of the oldest
Amish colonies in southern Iowa right on the Missouri boarder. Jurri’s farm was failing
with sick cows. The Amish take care of their families, Elmer said why not move to
Allamakee County in Northern Iowa so Jurri and fanny and little Suzie moved.
141 The Amish love the card game concentrations and puzzles.
142 There was no evidence that the silo had been an after thought.
143There isn’t anything better than homemade Amish ice cream.

49
Elmer, Mary, and their oldest son Dennis and Mattie their oldest daughter and
Lavina third eldest daughter came to the Waukon area in 2000. 144
The parents Elmer
and Mary Miller were in the big house on the farm. Mattie, Elmer and Mary’s eldest
daughter runs the bulk foods store on the family farm, Lavina the second daughter ran a
bakery out of the basement of her folks home. The Miller is live on Paint Creek its off
Maud road about nine miles from Waukon off Elon road. When Jurri’s family moved to
the family farm, the young growing family got the big house on the farm and Elmer made
a new one for Mary.
Lavina had recently married Danni Hershberger and had bought David and
Ester’s farm from Elmer.145
It is normal for family to in a manner of speaking scope out
a location then buys land; settle then other family will come.146
Lavina the second
youngest daughter of Elmer and Mary Miller has MS, had a bakery under the folk’s home,
144 A year according to Dr. Victoria Chrisman teaches that numbers to nineteen can
be written in numbers every number after nineteen is to be written, exceptions to
that rule is years.
145 Until David’s home was fit to live in Lavina and Daniel lived in matties basement
under her bulk food store. Lavina’s bakery had to move as well since the family of
Fannies was now in the house. The farm had come alive with so much activity. A
new building was built on to Mattie’s Bulk foods for Lavina’s bakery.
146 In a small way this has been down by every culture since the beginning of time.
Movies are created with this theme in mind example the Iowan movie “Field of
Dreams”. And yet I have heard it shouted in a way of a slur toward Amish and other
minorities and yet when my mother’s side of the family came from Wales in the
1600’s and bought land from William Penn’s brothers that was the way it was done,
It’s like that first swim of the summer standing on the dock there still is a nip in the
air and your courage is vanishing by the moment but you stick in a toe. The toes are
just to see what’s what in the manner of speaking. Step by step my adviser is
continually telling me step by step that’s how humanity does everything. With
family already in a location the first step is down now it’s up to desire to be a part of
those you love lives.

50
and lived upstairs with mom and dad.147
Lavina wed late in life she was thirty to Daniel
Borntrigger a nervous little man who had cared for his father most of his life till his father
pasted away. Mattie Mary and Elmer’s second oldest daughter has the Bulk Food Store
is a wonderful place it is nearly across from where her folks build their new home.
Daniel found it hard to cope; Amish never fight in public, air their dirty linen.
Denial loved farming but Lavina who was brought up to pinch and save and work
through pain seemed to have told Daniel clearly that he was not going to buy stock and
start a farm that he needed to be bringing in funds. Lavina’s day starts at 2 am runs to 9
p.m. on most mornings from March to early December.
Lavina does her doctoring in PA or if she is in a bad way in Mexico. Daniel was
not from money and it felt like he thought that with a working wife his life was to take a
turn for the better. Daniel did a few jobs where he raised calved s for people but if
became more and more annoying to the new family he joined in marriage that he, Daniel
was not employed. The Yoder driver took Daniel to the Lomen farm to milk. Jim had
inherited the family farm about 14 miles from Daniel farm. Daniel worked with illegal
aliens he was certainly a hard worker. He started work about 2:30 am and work till 6:00
or 7:30 P.M. piled up hours.148
Daniel was seeing a nice bit of over time.149
147 Mary is sixty now and Elmer a year older. Esther who is married to David Yoder
is now forty. Mattie is thirty-seven, Lavina now thirty five, Dennis the oldest of
Elmer and Maries children is forty-two Dennis and his wife live on Sherman hill
Road about five miles from Waukon. Dennis has the communities saw Mill. There is
a younger brother in Wisconsin he cures meat.
148 Drivers don’t get paid by the hour it isn’t like an English taxi. I recently learned
that most drivers do charge per person. Those that drove with me never paid per
person they paid as many they could stick in my vehicle as well as not wearing seat
belts and no child seats either.

51
The farm Daniel bought was David, Esther had had goats, and over the whole
Amish, farms even though they normally rent there land to not Amish (or English) keep
the land neat and pristine.150
The farm needed work it had been a working farm not for
crops but for goats. David and his growing family milked goats. Everything needed to
be cleaned and painted; the only thing was right about the piece of land Daniel had seen,
as a potential farm was that he got a good price for it David was at his wits end
financially. The Waukon Farmer’s Bank would tell David nearly once a month “you can
make a go of it! You want to have something to leave to the boys.
Jurri brought his cows and milking units. The lights in a barn run off generators.
Fences bring change it sure did to the outlook and the fortitude to this fine young man.
Times were tough struggling in southern Iowa he seem to have it all now a large house to
fill with children laughter.151
The farm was becoming perfect but it was missing
something a silo. Jurri s father in law Elmer Miller thought the best silo was the open
trench silo. Jurri wanted a tall sturdy silo. When asked why Jurri frankly stated that why
would he want to have to find where the silo was on a cold day then scoop the feed, when
he could walk up to the silo pull a rope and feed the cows.
149 Daniel soon found out that in Iowa farmers don’t have to pay overtime and most
do not so all the extra working him into an early grave came to naught.
150150 Elmer Esther’s father and Elder of the church was the silent partner in the
Goat farm, Elmer owned the goats and sold the farm to David and Esther and later to
Daniel and Lavina. Elmer thought that if the family had goats David would be more
likely to remain home then be tramping all over tarnation seeking employment. It is
impossible finding work in an area like Allamakee. Old families with money keep it
and new people are an out of luck.
151 An average Amish family in Allamakee County has ten children, there is one
exception a Miller family has fifteen children.

52
David and Jurri assembled the silo it went up as a British castle brought
disassembled to be reassembled when it gets there it was going. Jurri disassembled the
Silo he found and bought that was sitting useless. David Yoder Jurri’s brother in law
assisted in the reassembling block by block.
The Bakery
Mary works for Lavina, now that Mattie runs the whole operation Mary works for
Mattie.152
Lavina pays her mom, Mary also goes and sells at the Farmers Market every
Friday (May to December) in Harper’s Ferry, this little bit of money she makes she buys
what she needs or maybe goes to see Esther and her family in Wisconsin. Mary raised
ten children and one husband her legs are shot, she’s a diabetic.153
Mary judges no one
and because there is not a social security, Mary will work until she cannot any longer.
The gift
When Amish adults get together at night they might sing or play match game154
with a deck of normal playing cards. 155
Each individual would take a turn; a turn
152 Amish women age more per year then modern women, it’s not fair just is even
though the men of the community think they do the work men would never last long
in the job of a women.
153Standing on concrete is horrid on varicose veins these pumps stop moving our blood
up to the spleen and liver for purification)
154 A normal deck of 52 cards lay facing the floor or table. Each player takes their
turn selecting two cards if the cards match then they get another turn. Adult and
child alike love this game. In many ways adults are still children and they might play
rummy but never a real challenging game.

53
consists of flipping two cards to see if they match if they do not flip, they back. The
winner is the individual with the most pairs.
The Amish of Allamakee can wear greens, blues, red, pink, and purple and sects
of Amish across the US are barred from such a privilege. Little boys (and sometimes
girls) are allowed baseballs, skates, scooters, toy animals that are plastic or metal and toy
tractors or farm equipment. Little girls get to cuddle cloth made dolls void of face. Pity
most little girls are to bush helping their moms with the next child to play and those blank
faced dolls are too expensive for mothers of Amish children and haven’t the time to sew
toys for their girl children.
Many houses’ floors are painted grey though it is not necessary. Inside curtains
are blue material. Many of the families around Waukon, IA have freezers not
refrigerators. The freezers could be in the garage but never in the house. In the five
years, the Amish of Allamakee County of Northeastern Iowa. Not even once has it been
heard by the Miller and Yoder driver a father or mother swear
When David and his family lived just past Elmer and Mary’s farm on Paint Creek
rd. Ester and David only had seven children they milked goats, on his little farm they had
lost of turkeys. The turkeys would eat his valuable seed. They made that mistake only
once. Hunting season is a grand thing but feeding children is more important that is a
thought David had and I agree with.
The fantastic idea that females and youths are not encouraged keeping and
inquiring mind Amish children and some adults love reading material all kinds. Darrel
155 155 The singing done by women and children is done in the Amish, which is called
Pennsylvanian Dutch. Men sing at weddings nearly all day. Women in the summer
are nearly always barefoot.

54
Yoder subscribes to many magazines in order to keep up with the news. Amish cannot
own radio is at least not the Amish of Allamakee County.
An Amish Wedding trip told by the driver
Amish Wedding156
On September 10, 2010,
A driver drove Susie Borntrigger to drive to Kingston Wisconsin to collect Mattie
Borntrigger.157
There was a wedding in the wind. David Yoder, the Bishop of the
community of Amish near Waukon and Rossville, Waterville, IA. It is a secreted private
thing that only the people in the congregation of the Amish community know; to have
such distinction in the Amish community brings no adulations if a person was a bishop in
another church says a Catholic or even a Lutheran Church.158
David is a hard working kind, sweet young man of 35 was made the communities
Bishop. The driver drove and collected David’s cousin. 159
The Amish are a very as if
un-proud full sect.160
their driver from Waukon was employed to collect David’s cousin
156 (Littlewolf, Val Littlewolf Works in progress 2010)
157
I drove Suzie Borntrigger and to pick up David Yoder’s cousin, I drive for David and just recently found
out that he is the local Bishop.
158 No one kisses the ring of a Bishop of the Amish congregation like is done and has
been done since the Catholic Church began.
159 David’s cousin brought along her two youngest they sat in the back sit. David
told the story of his cousin’s husband. Her husband had gone out to cut wood. The
neighbor saw her husband eating lunch on a stump and after the neighbor made the
look on his tractor; the neighbor drove by where the Amish farmer had been sitting.
The farmer had entered the woods, dusk came he didn’t arrive home. The alarm
went through the community like cell phones were burning up the airways. The
neighbor knew when he had seen David’s cousin’s husband and where he had been
seen. The cousins husband was found the next day the husband had been located the
tree he was cutting done crush him to death.
160 A sect is a group in African history we learned to call it a group it’s not permitted
to call them or people a tribe.

55
in Wisconsin she lives in Kingstown.161
. Kingstown is not actually large enough for the
Wisconsin map so the town is over near Amherst. The drive took four hours up and back.
David’s cousins name was Mattie.162
Mattie a year earlier had lost her husband in a tree
cutting down accident.163
Mattie’s youngest two are 4and 5 and her eldest as well as
Mattie filled up my back seat.
It was my second wedding within the Amish community.164
The buggies start to
arrive at sunrise, as the yard fills with buggies and van’s from across the United States
the aromatic aroma’s from the wonderfully yummy foods being prepared all by hand on
and in wood stoves fill the air and rise toward heaven . The wedding party is secluded
from the drivers and the helper is because in the Amish community weddings are not
open to the public. 165
The helper is set up tables; they love Volleyball so nets are put up.
Firewood is brought in and the firebox is continuously filled. Without wood the stove
cools and the cooking stops it is not as if they can just plug in a plug and electric power.
The helpers are young men and young before marriage girls, he older women
maybe friends of the family do all the cooking for the entire wedding party, which
includes cooks helpers, wedding party, and drivers.166
The young men who are helpers
161 David’s Cousin Mattie from Kingston, Wisconsin the year before Mattie’s husband
went out to cut down a tree and was crushed had lost her husband to death by a
falling tree.
162 Mattie is a common female name like Mary, Suzie, Frieda, Esther and other bible
and Germanic names
163 David Yoder’s cousin lives in Kingstown it’s not far from the Wisconsin Dells.
164 A Sect is similar to what some folks see as a cult it sets them apart by chose because they
disapprove of many things the as we are called and thought of as the “English”.
165 The helpers are usually young people in the community that only reason for
having turned up for the wedding is to prepare the house and yard for the guests
and what will occupy those guest and the others that accompanied those individuals.
166 Usually young women and young men don’t get married till they are in their early twenties.

56
are also responsible for the care of the stock and any chores of both sides of the wedding
parties milking or stock chores so that neither side of the in-laws have to rush off and do
them on their day.
Gift’s given to young Amish couples by their family and friends are those that
serve a practical purpose. Example washcloths, spoons, plates, paper towels, mixing
bowls, sewing baskets, hammer’s lanterns, kerosene, load of wood for stove useful
practical are the Amish. They are different in many ways and yet we are so very alike.
The men of the community as well as men of both families not at the ceremony
sing prayers’ from sunrise to sunset. Before the meal at noon after the private prayers
and the men singing is, the only time the women sing in praise of the celebration is at the
noon meal. The bridal party and their folks eat separate from us the helpers and the
drivers. The food consists of mashed potatoes, gravy homemade bread, meat, vegetables,
tapioca, lots of homemade pies and cakes. 167
The tapioca has strawberries in it is
fantastic! You will also find lemon aid, cool aid, milk, coffee, tea and water.168
The
bathroom or “outhouse” is usually behind the house only on rare occasions will it be
located inside the house.
Kerosene lamps are not seen being light by the helpers until it has gone past dusk.
The Amish are very conservative. Being allowed to view even a small glimpse of an
Amish wedding makes the occasion special for historians that drive for the Amish. Guest
when leaving to go to where they will stay the night are usually farmed out that way it is
also least expensive on the wallet. After the wedding and the volleyball’s game watching
167
None of the food prepared at any time for any has preservatives in it so if not eaten soon after prepared it
ages fast if you take my meaning.
168
This wedding was in Illinois in 2008, one of Henry Borntrigger boys, Anna Yoder(Mrs. David’s eldest
daughter was dating the brother of the lad that got married)

57
about 10 pm we left to go home or to where the family was staying. Therefore, since the
driver was near home she did not stay with the Amish and wait.
Freezers
Many homes now as of 8 November 2015 have freezers in the Amish Community
in Allamakee County. Anna Yoder’s David Yoder’s sister and a David Yoder’s wife use
to go to Waukon twice a week to buy a chuck of ice for her cooler. That cooler kept
family food and that food sold to customers.
Darrell Yoder still uses the neighbors’ Amish freezer. Many Amish’s freezers are
any other they are trucks that sit outside near the garage, which usually houses the buggy.
The Amish freezers are bought from companies that have upgraded from diesel freezers
to more modern; the freezers are literally trucks that sit behind the Amish houses or
behind. There is one Amish man known as the hat person; the hat person still has the
logo on the truck.169
The hat person’s freezer had been a chicken truck. One Amish David
always referred to as the wealthy Amish his family’s freezer is out in the garage.
David had been hired by his Father in law to fix and get the freezer up and
running as shelves as we pulled in to the yard and a very non-looking yard Amish short
man ambled over to the car. The man who had ambled over to the car the men chatter for
a bit. David had wanted to know if the man had received his phone call and if the man
had the part that would start Elmer freezer. 170
The Amish man said he would go and get
it David said the short man’s well what David Yoder called the man was ex-ray. David
169
The hat person sold little and big man Amish hats, on Bear Hollow.
170 It the freezer was Mattie’s but the men of the households seem to always take
position of things like without them nothing would run.

58
said he called the man x-ray because and David smiled through his beard and simply said
“Well ex-ray always knows just what I have in my pocket.”
The entire operation took several days and just like any non Amish David
complained that Elmer was always after him to move faster. Elmer had gotten David to
do the job due to the fact David was always seeking employment and David was married
to Elmer and Mary’s second eldest daughter Esther.171
Leaving his two oldest boys run the
farm while David might be roofing in southern Iowa was not beneficial.172
David finally
succumbed to what was the most beneficial to his family and sold out. David paid all her
owed accept one female driver from Waukon.
Bowl of ice cream a birthday gift
Elmer Miller now sixty year spoke on our first trip together the purpose of the trip
was to purchase something for the fan in their new freezer. Elmer Millers favorite stories
were not about his birthday it was about the present for his mom. Elmer and his brothers
and sisters knew their mother’s birthday was near the end of the winter and his mom’s
favorite thing was ice cream (homemade).173
All Elmer’s brothers and sisters so all the
children worked together to round up just enough snow for one little bit of homemade ice
cream. Elmer said that his mom recalled the ice cream present until she passed away.
Hearsay:
171 Elmer was David’s silent partner in David’s goat farm that David was failing at
because he had so many children he had to make money to run the small dairy
operation.
172 David’s two oldest boys were 11 and 12.
173 The usual family curtails of between ten to twelve children. There is one family in the
valley with eighteen children but that’s not normal.

Ethnography of the Amish Community in Allamakee County

Ethnography of the Amish Community in Allamakee County

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Ethnography of the Amish Community in Allamakee County