Welcome to YouTube Friday where we explore, view, and analyze some of the best and worst online footage of various Amish, Mennonite, and Plain pursuits. This is tough because I do have to sift through a lot of clips. I never want to post anything where I feel like someone doesn't know they are being filmed close-up or is blatantly disrespectful, so it is a tricky balance. There are some neat things this week.
AMISH FUNERAL SCENES: This is some rare, amazing footage that I am sharing with you. A man named Simon Kinsinger took this footage at his Aunt's funeral in Oakland, Maryland this past summer. The footage is documentary-style, not disrespectful (but, see, that is a judgment call and that is what makes this tough..one person's disrespectful is another person's documentary). I also weighed in the fact that this footage was taken and uploaded by a family member and it's not like he was hiding taking this footage. I am trying to reach Simon for more context, but in the meantime this is some fascinating footage. I will say that Oakland,Maryland is a very unusual Amish settlement. I've never been there, but I have some contacts there. They are horse-and-buggy Amish, but they are very progressive. In fact, this is one of the few Amish congregations that actually worship in a formal church building and that is where this was filmed. Be sure to read the comments section, Simon gives a bit more insight there. I did, by the way, also factor in the the "Oakland" element when deciding to post this. If this were, say, footage from a Swartzentruber settlement or a more conservative Amish one, I probably would have passed, but Oakland is more open to outsiders. There are two tracks from the funeral.
Click here to watch the congregation singing a beautiful rendition of City of Light.
Click here to watched an abridged version of the funeral service itself and graveside service.
I love the sense of community that shows through and the beautiful backdrop of the western Maryland high country at the cemetery is stunning.
ICED MAPLE COOKIES: This is from an "online cooking show" called Chow Time. This show is set in Geauga County, Ohio and the first part of it is just a lot of PR stuff about Geauga County, but if you start watching at minute 6:38 you'll see Amish woman Emma Miller taking part in a fascinating/fun baking demo of homemade maple cookies. Click here to watch.
BUGGY CLIP: This is a 19-second buggy clip of a young Amish woman driving fast down a road. But where? The buggy is gray, so that is Lancaster County style. The setting looks familiar, like I have been there before, but I couldn't quite place it. Anyone recognize the town?
Carol
Stoltzfus Meats (sign at the end of video) is in Intercourse PA.
Michelle
I think that I was at the place in the cookie video this past summer.