Hutterites in North America - Menno-Hof

Winter 2016 | vol 25, no 2
Why support Menno-Hof?
by Susan Miller
managing director
At times we all ask ourselves
the question of where and in
what way we can best share
the gifts that God has given
us. This can pertain both to
how we spend our money or
how we use our time. We all
know that there are hundreds
of organizations clamoring
for our attention. (Just check
your wastebasket after
sorting through a days’ worth
of mail.) Some questions I
ask myself before I contribute:
Does this organization meet
real needs? Does it bring
benefits for eternity? Is the
main office taking a huge
chunk for “administrative
expenses?”
Of course you know
where I am going with this. I
feel blessed to be involved
with Menno-Hof as part of
the staff. Naturally, I feel the
benefits of supporting
Menno-Hof are right at the
top of the list. By giving a few
hours per week, month, or
year to share our heritage,
our story, you will have
helped give visitors a glimpse
into another culture that may
even change their worldview.
It may help them ponder their
own faith journey and hunger
after something more.
Volunteers at Menno-Hof
get the privilege of
interacting with visitors from
down the road, or from
Armenia or Vietnam (two of
the 64 countries represented
here in 2015). (cont. on page 2)
Hutterites in North America
by Arie and Daniel Hochstetler, Goshen, Ind.
Hutterites, like the Mennonites and Amish, trace their origins
to the Swiss Anabaptists in the 1520's. Due to persecution
they fled eastward through Tirol, Austria, and the country of
Moravia where the movement gained many followers but also
suffered major persecution and martyrdom. The name derives
from Jakob Hutter, an early leader (not a founder), who then
was burned at the stake in 1536, the year the Dutch Menno
Simons left the priesthood.
Like some German Mennonites, these Anabaptists also
eventually went to Ukraine where they prospered for a time.
Their history is the
story of ups and
downs, and they
have a strong
awareness of their
Anabaptist origins.
From the early
times, as an
expression of faithfulness, they practiced
community of
goods or
communal living in
production and
consumption, and
are strongly
nonresistant.
In the 1870's a
remnant
immigrated from
Daniel, top
Ukraine to the Dakota Territory in North America and settled
left, visits
in three colonies from which have developed several distinct
with
groups. Hundreds more, with the same ethnic and religious
Hutterite
background, didn't settle in colonies, but merged with
friends while
Mennonites or other groups. Today there are over 500
young
communal Hutterite colonies scattered from Minnesota to the
children
eat
Pacific and in the Prairie Provinces of Canada.
a
meal
In 1963 Mennonite sociologist Dr. John A. Hostetler
together
invited Daniel to apply to teach at a Hutterite colony in
separate
Montana and both of us assist him as informal field workers
from adults.
in research for his "Education and Marginality" study. This
included an analysis of how children are prepared to become
a part of the colony church and community, and of the
process and result when a small percent choose to leave the
colony.
cont. on page 2
by the
numbers
2015
…….
18,318
visitors from
64
different
countries and
all 50 United
States.
That makes
942,322
visitors to-date
(since
Menno-Hof
opened in
1988)!
Women at
work
preparing
food in the
communal
Hutterite
kitchen. The
large polka
dot scarves
identify
these as
members of
the
Lehrerleut
group.
2
Hutterites in North America (cont. from front)
Daniel taught the English school at a
Dariusleut Hutterite colony near Grass Range
where he had 19 students in six grades. The
next year he taught the school at a Lehrerleut
colony near Choteau, Montana, where there
were 34 students in all eight grades. Like the
Amish, Hutterite young people do not
usually finish high school or attend college.
In each colony we lived in a "teacherage" near
the residences, communal dining room and
church house. With three small children Arie
had many opportunities to relate to the
colony women and families, and observe their
way of life and talk about life and faith in our
families and in our churches.
Besides becoming acquainted with the
people and colonies where we lived, on
weekends we visited most of the 21 Hutterite
colonies in Montana at that time, plus a few
colonies in Alberta, Canada, and a
Schmiedleut colony in South Dakota for a
wider perspective. In addition to doing some
interviewing and other projects, we mostly
observed colony life through the seasons and
how the formal and informal activities
contributed to the life and well-being of the
community.
Hutterites, also known as Hutterian
Brethren, live in diversified agricultural
communities consisting of 50 to 150 people.
Their highly structured lives reflect their long
past, but they have seen considerable
changes in the past century as they cope with
technology and the pressures of the culture.
While many of the colonies do grain farming,
ranching, or have large poultry or hog
operations, more are going into some kind of
farm-related manufacturing or sales. While
they all use modern farming equipment and
transportation, some other aspects of their
lives are more like a past century.
Hutterites all speak a German dialect related to
their sojourn in Tirol, Austria, but their church
services are in Luther's High German. Children
and teenagers have regular German school
sessions where they learn to read and write in
German, and memorize songs and Scripture.
Young people are baptized as members before
they can get married. While families are a
priority, commitment to the community is also
fundamental. Due to their distinctive
homemade clothes, in many ways they have
more similarity to the Amish than to most
Mennonites.
Besides the Sunday worship service,
Hutterites have a short service most evenings
just before the group meal. No hymn books
are used, as the minister chants out each line
before the congregation sings that line. All
sermons are read from texts written in a past
century. Their view of shunning, if necessary,
is very similar to the Amish belief. While
closed communion is observed, they have no
history of practicing foot washing. Ministers
are elected from the membership, and each
colony has a "head preacher," with a role
similar to an Amish bishop. There is also a
"second preacher" who becomes a head
preacher when a colony has passed its
optimum size and divides into two colonies.
During the two years we lived in Montana we
developed a close relationship with quite a few
people and have kept in regular contact with a
number of them. We have gone back to visit
several times, but by now Daniel's students and
our other friends are living in quite a number of
colonies due to periodic "branching out." In
September 2014 we drove a rental car 1,000
miles and visited nine colonies and found most
of Daniel's students. Since girls live in their
husbands' colonies, some of them were living in
Canada or too scattered to locate (if their
husbands had come from some other colony).
While Menno-Hof, for obvious reasons,
features primarily the history, life and faith of
Mennonites and Amish, it is well to remember
that there is a large branch (cont. on page 3)
Why support Menno-Hof? (cont. from front)
It is too bad that we need money to do
everything but that is just the way it is in today’s
world. You can no longer go to the market to
barter. No one will take that old computer off
your hands in exchange for a month’s water
supply! Whether we like it or not, we all need
money to function.
I want to thank all the faithful volunteers that
have been, and still are, so dedicated to keeping
the story alive here at Menno-Hof! You have
gone the second and third mile to be supportive
with your money and your time and I agree with
you—it is a worthy cause!
Welcome!
Bill Yoder joined the Menno-Hof staff as part-time
facility and grounds associate in December 2015.
Prior to Menno-Hof, Bill was self-employed as a
woodworker. In his free time, he enjoys riding his
low rider bicycle on trips of 20 miles or more. Bill
and his wife, Gladys, live in Shipshewana and are
members of the Old Order Amish Church. They
have five children and 13 grandchildren. Bill joins
Don Miller who also works part-time maintaining
the facility and grounds at Menno-Hof. Bill’s
woodworking talents have already been put to
good use at Menno-Hof and he has jumped right
in and helped where needed. We’re thankful to
have him join the staff team.
Karena Miller began as housekeeper at
Menno-Hof the end of November 2015. Karena
and her husband, Merv, live in Shipshewana, Ind.,
and have four children ages 4-12 who help with
the cleaning. They also help care for their
82-year-old neighbor, who suffers from dementia
and Parkinson’s Disease, on an almost daily
basis. Karena enjoys being outside taking care of
her flowers, garden, and yard and playing with her
children. In warm weather the family can
frequently be found sitting around a campfire with
family and friends. Karena is also the daughter of
Bill Yoder (above). Welcome, Karena and family!
Thank you to Carrie Miller and her family,
Shipshewana, for faithfully cleaning Menno-Hof
almost daily for a little over a year!
Beginnings & endings | host & hostess
Al Mortenson, Louisville, Ky. | March
Frederick & Sandra Gingerich, Au Gres, Mich. | April
Dick & Annie Boshart, Lebanon, Pa. | May
Tim Gascho, Twin Falls, Idaho | May
THANK YOU!
Thank you for serving!
The Menno-Hof staff and board members would
like to express gratitude to Dorothy Hostetler,
Roselawn Conservative Mennonite Church, for
her years of service as a board member. Dorothy
shared her gifts generously and made important
contributions to the ministry of Menno-Hof during
her terms. We pray that God will bless her in her
life endeavors. Thank you, Dorothy!
Hutterites in North America (cont. from page 2)
of our Anabaptist family in the Northwest that
shares a common history and faith.
Many Hutterites welcome friendly visits,
although due to their more isolated way of life
have much less contact with the outside world
than we are
familiar with.
Many
Mennonites
are familiar
with many
Amish, some
Hutterites are
acquainted
with some
Mennonites,
and a few Amish know a few Hutterites. But
rather few people have a long acquaintance with
members of all three parts of the Anabaptist
family in North America. We’re grateful for our
life experiences that have allowed us to be one
of those “few people.”
Daniel (above
left) visiting with
one of the old
Hutterite
preachers and
his daughter
who had been
Arie & Daniel Hochstetler live in Goshen, Ind., and attend East
a third grade
Goshen Mennonite. They have five children and seven grandchildren
student 50
and enjoy reading, hosting friends & travelers, volunteering at church,
years ago.
The MCC Depot, Menno Hof, and Greencroft retirement community.
Help keep the Anabaptist story alive: become a Menno-Hof member
Become a member and help us continue to tell the story of how God is working in people’s lives—past, present and future.
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3
DIRECTOR’S DESK
B
oy howdy! Here we are off and
running into another year. We
here at Menno-Hof have welcomed
the milder temperatures and
lighter snow falls so far this winter.
Even with this slow down I must
confess I have already shifted into
high gear with “business.”
Jerry Beasley
I recently had the privilege to
executive director
share some thoughts in our
church newsletter with my brothers and sisters
at First Mennonite in Middlebury (Ind.). I want
to share along this same train of thought with
you.
I keep saying to myself, “slow down and
savor the moment!” Then, just like the
“hardhead” I am, I find myself back at it trying to
squeeze more into a day than I should and
wondering did I do justice to any of it? My wife,
Ruth, and I both enjoy our part-time jobs, we
love the church, want to contribute to our
community, and are typical grandparents who
want to be at every event our children and
grandchildren have. I have learned that too
much rushing can result in missing the little
things that make those moments so special. We
both thank God for good health that allows us to
be active but also know that overdoing it can be
detrimental to our health. We do believe God
wants us to use our talents and to (continued below)
NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
SHIPSHEWANA, IN
46565
PERMIT NO 17
Director’s Desk (cont. from above)
Reunion is published quarterly to keep
our friends informed of happenings at
Menno-Hof. Send questions or
comments to director at
info@mennohof.org
Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite
Visitors’ Center
PO Box 701
510 S Van Buren St, SR 5
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Tele: (260) 768-4117
Fax: (260) 768-4118
E-mail: info@mennohof.org
Web site: www.mennohof.org
Hours:
Monday—Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
Summer hours (June, July, August)
Monday—Friday: 10 a.m.—7 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
Menno-Hof staff:
Jerry Beasley, executive director
Susan Miller, managing director
Charlotte Long, program and
communication associate
Bill Yoder, facility and grounds
associate
Don Miller, facility and grounds
associate
Board of Directors:
Larry Chupp, president, Shipshewana, Ind.
Lovina Rutt, vice-president, Goshen, Ind.
Donna Jones, Shipshewana, Ind.
Orie E. Lehman, Shipshewana, Ind.
Daniel B. Miller, Goshen, Ind.
Steve Miller, Goshen, Ind.
Jim Neff, Goshen, Ind.
Wayne Schrock, Millersburg, Ind.
Don Stauffer, Union, Mich.
Alvin J. Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind.
Fern Yoder, Millersburg, Ind.
be supportive and involved with family
and community but we also believe He
expects us to be balanced and thoughtful in our daily activities. I think there is
a way for me to accomplish this if I will
just take time to do it. I need to “be
still and know!” Being still also means
for me to be quiet and knowing means I
also listen for God’s Spirit to speak.
Although this idea is given to us in the
Old Testament, I believe Psalm 46:10 is
a relevant instruction today and
practicing it may enhance our efforts to
be followers of Jesus.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)