Homestead mailing list

[sjc <indexer AT fairpoint.net>]

bob ford wrote:
> Thank's Susan; The religion in which you were raised is not one of the Amish 
> religions ?  I remember you telling about it once; maybe I misunderstood.
>   
I grew up in an Old Order German Baptist Brethren, Lediite community, 
where I was a foster child from the age of 4, until I was on my own.

I then married an Amishman; that marriage lasted 21 years.

Now I'm not any of 'em, :-)  but  I have no regrets, much 'gained' 
family to whom I'm still close in both groups, and much contact still 
with them.
>   There are no Amish, to speak of, here, of which I am aware.  In other places, mainly VA, I saw Amish communities.  The one in VA that I remember , they were considered very affluent, though they kept to the old ways, no cars -- buggys instead; 
There is a big German Baptist group near Dayton, just south of 
Harrisonburg, still driving buggies.  The only Amish I know of there 
have gone there recently (last 10 years or so) and are down just 
southwest of Roanoke.  There are many conservative groups of Mennonite, 
German Baptist, and 'new' or Beachy, usually car-driving groups.
> but their buggies cost more than a luxury vehicle.  I have no idea if this is common, or specific to that one group.  
>   
Largely due to the very high cost of handwork......automation and 
buggymaking don't quite go hand in hand, at least not the way they do 
it.  My father-in-law was a wheelwright, making wheels and the metal 
tires for them, and fitting to wagons/buggies/whatever.  Now his 
grandson has taken over that business since Dawdy died in 1984.
> I have never actually met an Amish person, other than to say hello in  a 
> store, that I can remember.  Thanks for the information
>   
Well, come for a visit and I'll take ya to meet one; they don't make 
such good display items, tho :-)

SJ