The pavilion at the Park is the meeting place for anything and everything. It is designed for such things. This afternoon there was a meeting about the Nicholas Stoltzfus House in Berks County Pennsylvania. I am under the impression every Lancaster person with Amish roots traces back to Nicholas Stoltzfus. Today there was a meeting at the park concerning Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead. Their website is: Nicholas Stoltzfus
Below are some pictures of the meeting.
On the right...
On the left...
Both sides of the isle.
Passing out literature.
Opening up the Meeting. I think Paul Kurtz was the speaker.
Coming in barefooted is perfectly okay. The only Nichols Stoltzfus I knew was a preacher in Aylmer Ontario and he would preach in his bare feet, while the sweat poured from his mutza. He had to wear the mutza because all Amish preachers do. At least they did...
A few historians from elsewhere were in the crowd too.
It was interesting while I was there, even if I am not a Stoltzfus.
That's very interesting that there is enough Lancaster folks in Florida right now to appreciate this program. I think they hold an annual event at the restored Stoltzfus homestead and some people have their reunions there. I always wanted to visit as I have some Stoltzfus lineage. It was such a small, humble little cabin. How things have changed!
ReplyDeleteFebruary is the biggest month for the Lancaster People. They wait to come down until all the weddings are past and the holidays are over. Actually the Elite Lancaster bus starts coming down the first Monday in January and ends their runs the last week in March. Two years ago or so the Melard Bus from Lancaster started making runs and their business is picking up.
DeleteWhat is a mutza?
ReplyDeleteThe Mutza is the preacher's suit coat and they must wear it always to church services, funerals, weddings etc. It has an open split part way up the center of the back, plus 2 false splits on either side of the real split. They claim long ago the preachers wore such coats because they went from place to place to preach on horseback and a coat like that was practical.
DeleteI've always liked how ok it is to go barefoot in that culture. I still go barefoot more than most. Never heard of a preacher preaching barefoot, though! :-)
ReplyDelete