November 1, 2011
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Amish Girl
Respecting their right not to be photographed with their faces showing I shot this one of Mary who had been doing the laundry for an Amish neighbor who has a new baby. She is returning home to finish the family laundry. In this family of 16 children 5 have left the Amish life style. Three boys and 2 girls left within a few months of each other. Mary remains at 14 years old and 2 other younger girls, I think 5 boys of various ages remain home also. Mary assumes much responsibility for the household chores. She is a friendly sweet girl.
Comments (9)
splendid respectful photo!! the countryside looks much as it does here!
Quite a story that family has. Do you ever visit Liddy in her home?
@Dominie -
@windupherskirt - Thanks for your comments. I see the family often but not as often as I used to. Too busy, too much going on for the leisurely visits like we had in the past.
It is a hard life. I work with a woman that was brought up Mennonite. She married a man 20 yrs her senior, never intending to leave but when he left she followed. She still does many things the old way but has also embraced modern life... It was hard for her.
Beautiful shot~
I love to read Amish fiction and am drawn to many of their ways, but I could never handle the shunning part. ~and I've yet to try shoefly pie!
@murisopsis - There is much hard work for the Amish women.
@WildWomanOfTheWest - I am not so sure that the shunning is a part of this particular group. Or at least not to the extent it is done in some of their districts. Very interesting life style isn't it?
It is interesting to see the difference in Amish dress in your area compared to ours.
@cerwindoris - These Amish refuse to post a slow moving sign on their vehicles. It was taken to court and they were allowed to circumvent the law. Although several fatal accidents and not fatal accidents have happened between automobiles and Amish buggies and equipment. Most of the Amish men smoke cigars and chew tobacco. These Amish, even the youth, never ride horse back or bicycles. They do not appear to hold so tightly to the shunning practice as in other districts. Many,if not most of their farms are not as tidy and neat as I've seen in other areas. Several of the families have come here to this poverty stricken area from New York, Eastern states and Canada. Selling high priced land there and buying our much cheaper Southern Iowa land. Nearly all I know of are self employed with many catering to the tourists with their baskets, furniture, quilts and baked goods. I was looking for some patio furniture and saw a sign directing me an Amish work shop. I had a specific style in mind that he didn't have on display. I was very disappointed to have the man show me a catalog where he orders the parts and then assembles the furniture. In our Southern Iowa welcome center that is an elaborate and very nice Amish store that draws much traffic. The majority of items are from China & simply stated "assembled by the Amish" or "distributed by the Amish". I've not been there for over a year so maybe this has changed. Like everything anymore everyone does what they gotta' do to make a dollar I guess.
Wonderful photo.
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