Early in the morning, our new friend pulled up to the Victorian Inn to pick us up for a personal tour of the Old Order Amish homes, etc. in Nappanee, Indiana.  Having worked closely with these Amish families for many years, she considered many very good friends, and really has the insider’s view on their simple way of life.

Each Amish settlement is broken up into districts and the bishop in each district decides on the rules for the people. For instance, the Amish in Nappanee, Indiana would have different rules to follow than the Amish communities in Ohio or Pennsylvania; even differing from the town right next door.   All Old Order Amish do have a few things in common: no cars, no posing for photos, and no ornamentation.

Interestingly enough, the Bishop isn’t voted in, but, rather when a new Bishop is needed (after the death of the previous Bishop), eight men will each choose one Bible, and whomever takes the one with a slip of paper inside of it is the new Bishop…for life!

As you can see from the photo, the Amish here have their own schools.  Much like their homes,  Amish schools don’t even possess shutters, which is considered “too fancy” though you can see they do have playground equipment like swings, teeter-totters, and slides.  The schools are usually run by two teachers.  Amish students attend up to 8th grade but when they turn 16 their education is considered complete.

While once upon a time, the Old Order Amish in Nappanee weren’t allowed to have rugs, pictures, or even curtains, judging from the whispering of fabric peeking out of many windows, the current Bishop has allowed curtains at least, though he will decide what color curtains are and aren’t allowed.

Even their cemeteries stick to the “less is best” ideal.  Located every few miles, no one headstone sticks out over the rest.  Names and dates are the only things on the tombstone.  No flowers, wreaths, or anything of that sort.  It is uniform and very, very tidy.

Every other weekend, one Amish family will have church and furnish lunch for the members of the district (here, in Nappanee, there are 33 Amish families).  They sing a cappella, conduct the service in High German, and after the service, share lunch.  No work is done on Sunday except for feeding the animals.  At the end of the lunch, whomever is going to host church the next time will take the white wagon back with them.

All the farmers have giant workhorses.  These massive animals have shaggy patches near their hooves and are quite tall.  They work in groups of eight, making  two trips up and down the field, then rest while the farmer switches them out for a fresh team.  You can imagine how long it would take to get a field completed without using a tractor!

If you head to Nappanee, Indiana, you may notice little buildings at the bottom of every driveway.  These are actually phone booths!  No, they aren’t for Amish teens, the phone inside is used only in case of an emergency.   Bad things can happen to anyone and the Amish do take advantage of a few modern conveniences when it comes to protecting their own.

The Nappanee, Indiana Amish ride bikes everywhere unless they are heading to town, in which case they hook up the horse and buggy.  Apparently, (so says my source) these Amish treat their buggy like many non-Amish men (or “English” as they call it) like to treat their cars: with pride; the insides might have plush velvet and are very comfortable.

It can be quite a culture shock the first time you see someone so plainly dressed.  But even the Nappanee, Indiana Amish like to hit yard sales on Thursdays and Fridays, eat out at the local pizza joint, get groceries, even use the Laundromat!  Sounds a lot like you and me, don’t you think?

Related posts:

1. Nappanee, Indiana: Aged to Perfection
2. Four Tips to Remember When Knee Deep in Amish Country
3. Rules of The House: Your Guide to a Bed and Breakfast Stay
4. Bed and Breakfast: The Victorian Guest House
5. Get Your Kicks (Or, at Least, a Decent Meal) at Route 10