Amish In The News: Mennonites in Vogue, Hutterite Hockey, Obituary, Sausage and Beans, and More!

By Kevin Williams

We have an interesting mix of stories and recipes in this week's Amish in the News so let's get right to it!

MENNONITES IN VOGUE:  I'm so glad someone did this photo spread.  Vogue isn't where you'd expect to find a spread of Mennonite women, but there is.  I've often thought that Plain women exude a certain beauty, a very natural beauty unencumbered by the cosmetic crunch that impacts the rest of America.  And 18-year-old photographer Bella Newman really was able to capture some wonderfully tasteful, beautiful photos of Mennonite women going about their daily business. Click here to see.

The Hutterite women of Baker Colony put on their game faces...

MENNONITES VS. NON-MENNONITES IN HOCKEY:  I love this story that crops up once a year, the Hutterite ( a sect closely connected theologically to the Amish) women of Baker Colony in Manitoba take on a team of local ladies on the ice.  Makes for a great match up!   Amazed the way the Hutterite women can play competitive hockey in their dress and head-coverings but somehow they manage! Click here.

ANNIE B. STOLTZFUS:  I occasionally like to link to an Old Order Amish obituary. You get a lot of insight into their life and culture.  Check out the obituary for Annie B. Stoltzfus which appeared over the weekend. She passed away at her home home at the ripe age of 100 this past weekend.  How many grandchildren and great-grandchildren does she have? Check out the obituary to find out! (actually, to my eye, it seems like less than you'd expect, but still quite a Christmas shopping list!)

MILLIE'S SAUSAGE AND BEANS:  Millie Otto is an Amish writer in Illinois, not connected to this site, she write her column for a handful of newspapers in the Champaign area.  Anyway, this week she shares a recipe for "Sausage and Beans" and laments the flop of her Lemon Chiffon recipe last week.  Click here.

SAM GIROD FOUND GUILTY:  We've not talked much about this story on this site and I'm not sure what to make of it.  On the surface, it looks like government overreach.  A hard-working Amish entrepreneur targeted simply because he didn't label some products correctly?  Yet, a federal jury found him guilty after only deliberating four hours.    I'm not sure if there's more to this story that isn't getting reported.  One of the charges, the most serious, is threatening a person to try to keep him from providing information to a grand jury. That carries 20 years and he was found guilty on that, but the stories never really delve into that.  So with the scarcity of information it's tough to know whether this is government bullying or legitimate prosecuting.  Click here to read more.