Rosanna’s Boys: A Sequel to Rosanna of the Amish

By Joseph W. Yoder and George Parsins

DO THE AMISH REALLY BELIEVE IN HEXES? DO THEY HEAL BY “POWWOWING”? WHY DO THEY PREACH AGAINST “WORLDLY WISDOM” AND HIGH EDUCATION? WHY DO THEY WEAR SUCH STRANGE CLOTHING?

Originally published in 1948, Rosanna’s Boys—the sequel to his successful semi-autobiographical 1940 book Rosanna of the Amish—by Joseph W. Yoder is a richly-detailed account of Amish life, and how the sons of “Rosanna of the Amish” turned out.

Joseph W. Yoder writes of his own brothers and people: as one who left the plainest of the Amish, he speaks honestly of the shortcomings, and passionately of the beauty of the Amish way of life.

It’s all here: quiltings, frolics, weddings, auctions, barn raisings, church services, visiting, hard work, schools and love.

Learn why Amish don’t need fire insurance or government aid; why there is little unemployment, crime or divorce among the Amish; why there are so many splinter groups; why some practice “the ban;” historical beginnings and relationship to ancient asceticism. Unusual texts and notes for Amish songs, poems in “Pennsylvania Dutch” with translations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Papamoa Press
• Release date: Jan 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781789123173

Joseph W. Yoder

Joseph Warren Yoder (September 22, 1872 - November 13, 1956) was an educator, musicologist, and writer. The first successful Mennonite literary figure in the U.S., he was especially known for his semi-fictional account of his mother’s life, Rosanna of the Amish (1940), his investigation of the sources of the Amish tunes of the Ausbund, and his efforts to record and preserve traditional Amish music. Born in in the Kishacoquillas Valley (known locally as the Big Valley) region of Mifflin County in Belleville, Pennsylvania, Yoder received a traditional Amish education. He was a schoolteacher in Milltown, Pennsylvania, for two years from 1892-1894. He attended the Brethren Normal School (later Juniata College) in Huntingdon and was graduated in 1895. He later attended the Elkhart Institute (later Goshen College) in Indiana, where he also taught English and music. In 1898 he switched to Northwestern University in Illinois. He also taught at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania and later as a college recruiter for Juniata College in Pennsylvania. He also organized and conducted singing schools for Mennonites throughout that state, and attempted to achieve reforms within the Amish and Mennonite churches in the Mifflin and Huntingdon County areas. At almost age sixty he married Emily Lane of Lane’s Mills, Jefferson County in 1932. They lived in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Later in life he taught at Belleville Mennonite School. He began his writing career in 1940, when he wrote Rosanna of the Amish, the story of his mother’s life (and his own). He later wrote a sequel, Rosanna’s Boys (1948), as well as other books presenting and recording what he regarded as a true picture of Amish culture. His musical background enabled him to transcribe traditional Amish slow music into musical notation (Amische Lieder, 1942). Joseph Yoder died in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in 1956, aged 84.

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Text originally published in 1948 under the same title.

© Papamoa Press 2018, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

ROSANNA’S BOYS

A Sequel to Rosanna of the Amish

BY

JOSEPH W. YODER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

Dedicated

to

My Beloved Parents

Christina Z. Yoder

and

Rosanna McGonegal Yoder

PREFACE

Rosanna of the Amish is the life story of a baby, Rosanna McGonegal, born Irish Catholic, orphaned at the age of five days, raised by a devout Amish woman, and so became a devout Amish woman herself. The book portrayed Rosanna’s life as it developed, showing in story form many of the customs of the Amish people, but the facts had to be gathered from the story. In this sequel the customs of the Amish people are stated more definitely, showing the strenuousness of their lives in religion, and in their daily toil. The Amish may not be entirely right in all their interpretations of the Bible, and in their religious practices, but one thing is certain, to them religion is the chief concern of their lives.

In Rosanna’s Boys the influence of the Irish Catholic relatives can easily be seen as it appears in the struggle between Amish conservatism and a greater freedom in dress and conveniences of the Catholic relatives.

In the story, The Church with the Overshot Wheel, first written by O’Henry, the author uses a few of the psychological patterns of the original, but gives the story a setting in the Kishacoquillas Valley and a distinctly Amish background in which the chief character, David Byler, embodies and portrays all of the finest virtues in Amish life.

The other story, Lonesome Clearing, is told verbatim, as the author heard Dr. Charles Lose tell it at an assemblage of Clearfield County teachers. Since the story was never published in book form, the author records it here as a loving tribute to Dr. Lose, an eminent educator, and a gentleman of culture and understanding. When asked whether the author might tell this story upon occasion, Dr. Lose said, Certainly, you cannot do me a greater honor than to tell my story, so we hope that recording it here will preserve it for the pleasure of future generations.

The Amish poems are included for the pleasure of the people who still speak and enjoy the palatinate German. The translations are free translations with no effort to maintain the rhyme or rhythm.

All customs and practices herein described are exactly as carried out by the Old Order Amish. There is a slight variation of these customs and practices in various communities, but the difference is very slight, having been held unchanged for well onto two hundred and fifty years.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

An Amish Homestead

Grandfather’s House

Old Home

Where Barbara Now Lives

Our Homestead

Yost and the Six-horse Team

Levi

Levi and His Pony, Laury

John

Aunt Margaret Reese

Uncle Will McGonegal

Uncle John McGonegal

Mother (from a drawing)

Where Yost and Barbara Lived

Father

Das Lobsang

Wachet Auf

The Ausbund

Sich! Wie Lieblich

In Der Stillen Einsamkeit

CHAPTER 1—Big Valley

The Kishacoquillas Valley, commonly known as Big Valley, in central Pennsylvania, is one of the most picturesque spots in the entire country. Picturesque because it looks as though the hand of God had carved it right out of the mountains and had fashioned it for the enjoyment of man. It lies between Stone Mountain on the northwest and Jacks Mountain on the southeast, ranges of the Blue Ridge Mountain system extending in a northeasterly direction from Tennessee to New York. The valley is thirty-five miles long and four miles wide, is somewhat pear shaped with the broader end lying to the northeast. It is entirely surrounded by mountains which are as even on top as if the hand of nature had taken a great pair of shears and had trimmed them as evenly on top as a gigantic stone wall. At only two places does water flow out of the valley, at the southeast end and at the southwest end. The broad Kishacoquillas Creek flows east and Stone Creek southwest. Between these mountains rich farms extend from side to side with here and there a gently sloping hill. For the most part the valley soil is rich limestone, and heavy fields of waving grain and fragrant fields of blossoming clover bear glowing testimony to its deep fertility. Here Amish farmers seem to vie with each other in seeing who can have the straightest corn rows and drill rows, and fence rows, cleanest of brush and briar. As tourists journey through the Kishacoquillas, it is not uncommon to hear them say, This is the most beautiful agricultural valley we have ever seen, while others say, A veritable garden spot.

The farm buildings of the valley are outstanding—large red barns, commodious hog houses, chicken houses, milk houses, large well kept gardens and, probably best of all, spacious dwellings. Some farmsteads almost take on the appearance of miniature villages, and as one looks over the valley from some vantage point he is impressed with three ideas: order, abundance and peace.

So far as can be learned, the first Amish people to come to America were Barbara Yoder and her eight sons, the husband having died at sea. They arrived in Philadelphia about 1714, and immediately moved northward and settled in the rich Oley Valley in what is now Berks County. Other Amish, Zooks, Hartzlers, and Kauffmans soon followed and by 1790 they had pushed as far west as the Lost Creek Valley in Juniata County, and the Kishacoquillas Valley in Juniata County, and the Kishacoquillas Valley in Mifflin County. Our own forebear, Joseph Yoder of Earl Township, Lancaster County, came to the valley in 1796 and bought one thousand acres of land from Captain John Armstrong, who had received this land from the William Penn heirs, for his services in the French and Indian War. Captain Armstrong built a log barn and a large stone house on this tract which was occupied by succeeding generations of Joseph Yoder for one hundred and thirty-two years. It will be remembered that Little Crist Yoder, husband of Rosanna, was born in this house, and owned part of this tract for his entire life. The house is still standing, and is in good repair.

It has been humorously said that an Amish-man can smell limestone land for one hundred miles. While this statement is open to doubt, one thing is certain, Amish-men know the value of limestone land and prefer it to all other kinds, and because of this fact, this pioneering colony grew rapidly. On the early records the names most common are Yoder, Hooley, Hartzler, Zook, Detweiler, Kauffman, Peachey, Hostetler, and Byler. All these names are still well represented in the valley.

The first Amish to come to America came from Switzerland, Alsace Lorain, and Holland. They broke away from the Mennonites in 1693 because their leader, Jacob Amman, contended that the Mennonites were too worldly. He criticized them for shaving their faces. He claimed that if one wants to be unworldly, one should grow a beard. He also claimed that buttons on clothes sanctioned the military spirit. Christians, said he, should be non-resistant: they should discard buttons and wear hooks-and-eyes to fasten their clothing. He also objected to the way Mennonites enforced the ban, the treatment administered when one is excommunicated. They avoided an excommunicated member (refusing to eat with him) at communion only, but said Jacob Amman, The Bible says if a man is called a brother and is an adulterer, or a fornicator, or a usurer, or a drunkard, with such have no fellowship, no, not to eat, and that means, never eat with him under any circumstances, 1 Cor. 5:9 11. For this reason, when an Amish member violates some point in church policy, he is excommunicated, and no member will eat with him until he is reinstated. He is not allowed to eat with his own family, if they are members of the church, and the wife always is a member. No young man or young woman can be married unless they are in good standing in the church. Jacob Amman was a legalist, and he believed in enforcing these rules very strenuously. He also imbued his people with the idea that all new things are wrong. When they broke away from the Mennonites adopting beards, hooks-and-eyes, and the ban, they seemed to conclude, Now, we are right, and any departure from these rules and practices will forever be wrong. So, all Old Order Amish people are very slow to change from their old customs, and this applies to their cut of clothing, house furniture, farm machinery, modern conveniences, education, and social customs.

However, in the valley there are eight different Amish churches which have the same Article of Faith, the same baptism, the same communion, and the same prayer book. These eight churches divide roughly again into two groups, the Old Order and the more progressive group. The Old Orders do not have church edifices, but hold their preaching services in the dwelling houses of the members or, if the house is small, they may hold the preaching service in the barn, if weather permits. The progressive groups have church buildings in which to worship.

When the first Amish came to the valley, about 1790, there was only one Amish church. It was not till about 1865 that trouble came. Bishop Abram Peachey was bishop of the two congregations, because, by this time, the colony grew so large that they could not all be accommodated in one dwelling house. Abram Peachey was a man of strong personality, devout in all things and steadfast in the doctrine of the church. The members said, "Er ist ein standhafter Mann." The two congregations were called upper church and lower church, meaning that one congregation lived in the upper end of the valley and the other in the lower end.

This went very well for a time, but in the lower church there was a preacher who was not inclined to be so devoutly orthodox on Ordnung (rules governing the church). Up to this time baptism was always administered in the house, but Solomon Byler thought that the mode of baptism could be brought nearer to the way Jesus baptized, if they went to a shallow creek, where the applicant would kneel in the water, and the bishop would dip up the water with his hands and apply it to the applicant. But baptism had never been performed that way among the Amish, at least not in America. It was a new thing, "‘Sis eppes neues (something new), says Bishop Abram Peachey, and he set his foot on it firmly. But Solomon Byler was so impressed with the desirability of the idea that he brought the matter up again and again. But the bishop was steadfast. Finally committees were called to adjust the matter—first from Lancaster County, then from Somerset County and lastly from Ohio, for by now the matter had grown to a controversy. Some members agreed with Byler, others agreed with the bishop. The committees that were called all agreed that going to the creek to baptize would be entirely biblical, and rather sided with Solomon Byler. But Bishop Abraham would not yield, not to Solomon Byler nor to the committees. Finally, one Sunday in preaching service, Solomon Byler brought up the subject of creek baptism again. Bishop Peachey lost his patience and maybe his temper, and he turned to Solomon Byler and said, In Gottes nahme, wann du net zufruhte bist mit wass mir duhne, geh un duh wie du witt." (in heavens name, if you don’t like what we do, go and do as you please). That was the signal for the first division in the Amish Church in the valley. Probably, too, it was Solomon Byler’s first opportunity to withdraw and have a church of his own. He did withdraw, and all the members that believed as he did, went with him.

It was soon evident that Solomon Byler and his group were not so particular about maintaining the old rules, the Ordnung, of the church, and at once they were charged with beginning a more liberal church. And that they did, for it was not long until it was noticeable that the Byler men were cutting their hair shorter and trimming their beards closer than the Peacheys. The next progressive step was to build a church edifice in which to hold their preaching services. This was an entirely new thing to do, and the Peacheys looked upon them as a people who were rapidly going astray.

When Shem Yoder, a minister in the lower church, saw that the Bylers were becoming more liberal in their Ordnung, he conceived the idea that maybe some of the members would welcome a conservatism still greater than that practiced by the Peachey Church, so he advocated a greater strictness. Soon there were members in the lower church that openly sided with Shem Yoder. When Shem saw that a goodly number were siding with him, he withdrew from the Peachey Church too, and established a church that did just the opposite from what the Byler church did: they wore their hair longer. The Shem Yoder group was then called the Old School Church, and they have kept that name until this day. In a period of a few years three Amish churches arose in the valley, and men who were once brethren had no further fellowship with each other, sad to say. These churches were called the Peachey Church, the Old School Church and the Church House Amish (Die G’meh Haus Leid).

About 1880 trouble arose in the Old School Church between two men concerning some cloverseed. These men seemed unable to settle their dispute, till finally, it was taken into the church. Here it caused considerable trouble. As usual, members lined up on both sides, some claiming the one was right, and the others claiming the other man was right. When it became evident that they could not settle the matter among themselves. Bishop Yost Yoder of Nebraska was called to settle the matter. By this time it seemed that more than just cloverseed had entered into the dispute, and when Bishop Yoder was not able to bring the two sides into harmony, the church divided. One group agreed with Bishop Yost Yoder from Nebraska: they enforced the Ordnung still more strictly—the men letting their hair and beards grow longer, and had their clothes made of coarser material. They were then named the Nebraskas, after Yost of Nebraska. The other group maintained the even keel of their Ordnung, and kept their original name, the Old School Amish. Now, by 1880, there were four Amish churches in the valley.

When Solomon Byler, of the Church House Amish passed away, Samuel Yoder became the bishop. He was a fairly well read man, had rather lenient ideas, and kept the church in peace until he passed away. Samuel Yoder was followed by Abram Zook, who was not so well versed in the Scripture. During Abram Zook’s administration, preacher Joseph Byler moved from Missouri to the valley. It seemed that in Missouri the Amish gave considerable time to Bible study. On this account, Joseph Byler was quite well versed in the Scripture. It often happened that when Bishop Zook was preaching that he had difficulty to quote the Scripture that he wished, and Joseph Byler obligingly came to his aid and helped him out. This was all right at first, but it soon became apparent to the congregation that one of the lay preachers was better versed in the Bible than the bishop was. This did not set well with the bishop and his friends, and in a few years strife came into the church. The bishop was conservative; Byler was progressive, and while the jealousy of the bishop was not mentioned, Satan soon saw to it that questions of discipline would arise in which these men would be on opposite sides. The first such question was the case of Noah Sharp. Noah felt that the Lord wanted him to wear a full beard (mustache and chin beard), but in the Amish church mustaches had always been forbidden. The bishop said, Sharp must either shave off his mustache or be excommunicated. But Joseph Byler said, There is no Scripture against a mustache, and if the brother feels he should wear a mustache, we should not gainsay him. On the heels of this jangle came the subject of falling top buggies. They were a new thing and the bishop was against them; Byler was not opposed. Next came the subject of temperance. Many felt they should work against the liquor evil. Some went to court to testify against the saloon. The bishop thought they should have stayed at home. Next Sunday in church the bishop preached against those who worked for temperance. At the close of the service the bishop said, We will not excommunicate those who testified, but we will let them off, if they will stand and confess a fault. One young man arose and said, I am one who testified against liquor: I feel I did right, and I will not confess a fault for anybody. A number of men said, Amen. Rev. Byler and some of the members said, The young man did right. The bishop arose in a sputter, and dismissed the meeting. It was not long after that until the church divided. Bishop Zook and his group went off, and built another church, and because they built it near a locust tree grove, the church was immediately called the Locust Grove Church. And because the church where Byler and his group remained was surrounded by maple trees, it was called the Maple Grove Church. In recent years be it said to their credit, the Byler faction accepted fellowship with the Mennonite Church, and now they are frequently called Amish Mennonites. Now, in about 1890 there were five Amish churches in the valley.

In numbers, the strongest church in the valley was the Peachey Church, having three congregations, upper, middle and lower. After Bishop Abraham Peachey passed away, he was followed by Christian K. Peachey. Bishop Christian Peachey was a man of strong personality. While he was steadfast on the Ordnung (rules governing the church) he was also charitable, and was possessed with unusual powers of leadership. Because the members felt that he understood the Scriptures, was fair and just in his decisions, his word was law. When he passed away about 1895, his place was taken by David Peachey who was one of the preachers, but was now elected by lot to be the bishop. David was a rather young man, and among the preachers under his authority now was his uncle Samuel Peachey. Samuel had been preacher for a much longer time, and was, to all appearance, a stronger man intellectually. It was very apparent that here was a situation that was fraught with trouble, an uncle, older and better educated to be under jurisdiction of his nephew, younger in years and experience. However, they managed to get along fairly well for a while, but finally young Bishop David felt that his uncle Samuel was not showing proper respect for the bishop’s authority. Then the crisis came. A group of people in Lancaster County for some reason left the mother church. They appealed to Samuel Peachey to come and preach for them. Without asking permission of Bishop David, Samuel complied with their request. This did not set well with David, and when Samuel was about to preach for them a second time, David forbade him to go, but Samuel went anyway. John P. Zook, another lay preacher, sided very strongly with Samuel Peachey, in fact Preacher Zook had gone to Lancaster too, to preach for the shepherdless flock. This put two preachers against the Bishop. This at once precipitated a drastic contention. Members took sides: some said Zook and Peachey should have obeyed the bishop even if they were older than the bishop. Others contended that if they were called to preach for a group that had no preacher, they should go. When the controversy grew so intense that the possibilities of peace were hopeless, Samuel Peachey and John P. Zook withdrew from the Peachey Church and started the sixth Amish Church in the valley.

About 1930 a question of discipline arose in the Nebraska Church. One of the members had bought a farm. The house on this farm had rather liberal projections of the roof at the gable ends of the house. These projections were forbidden in the Nebraska Church. Some said the projections must be removed at once: others said, let the brother wait till the roof needs repairing, then remove the projections. Finally contention again waxed hot, and the church divided. The group that went off are called the Zook Church, and as usual the group leaving the mother church became more strict about the Ordnung, hair a little longer, clothes a little coarser and houses a little plainer. Then there were seven Amish churches.

There was a time when the Maple Grove Amish Mennonite Church was composed of two congregations, one located near Belleville, the Maple Grove, and the other located near Allennsville. For many years these two churches and the Amish Church at Matawanna were under the same bishop, Bishop Michael Yoder of Matawanna, a stately, dignified man. While he was not entirely against progress, he leaned rather strongly toward the side of conservatism. As years went on the Maple Grove Church seemed to forge ahead in education and liberalism, until the ties of fellowship seemed to dissolve, and now they are under different bishops. To their credit, there never was an open rift, but just quiet trends that led them further and further apart until each went its own way. And so, with this separation there are eight denominations in the Valley that have no church fellowship. Just how this can be reconciled with the teaching of Paul in Gal. 3:28 where he says, There is now neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, would be rather difficult to explain.

At public sales, funerals, and weddings, all Amish people, regardless of the church they belong to, get along well. At such gatherings most of them mingle as friends, but when it comes to things religious, church lines are rarely crossed.

But you say, If they have the same Article of Faith, the same baptism, the same communion, how then do they differ? They differ in Ordnung only, and Ordnung is the German word used to denote the church rules regulating dress, and modern conveniences and social privileges. The Ordnung in each church specifies just how long a man must wear his hair, for example, the Nebraskas must wear their hair so they touch the shoulders, the Old Schools cut their hair about an inch below the ear lobe, the Renno Church, about even with the ear lobe, the Peachey Church about halfway up the ear, and the Locust Grove and Maple Grove may cut their hair as they wish. The Nebraskas must always wear white muslin shirts and no suspenders. The Old Schools wear colored home-made shirts and no suspenders, the Renno Church, colored home-made shirts and one suspender made of elastic tape, the Peacheys wear colored shirts, home-made or ready-made, plain colors, and store suspenders, while the more liberal churches may wear what they wish in men’s clothing. The Ordnung also designates what modern improvements may be used and enjoyed. In the Old Order churches, especially the four plainest, tractors, automobiles, telephones and all musical instruments are strictly forbidden. The Renno, fourth in liberality, may use tractors for belt work but not for drawbar work—use in the fields. The four more liberal churches may use a tractor for field work, but only the three highest may use automobiles, telephones and electric lights, and only the Amish Mennonites, Maple Grove Church,