Amish/Mennonite Communities (Boonville, Montgomery City, Lancaster: renting, consignment, homes)

[Quilter]

How open are the Mennonite people to discussions with non-Mennonite people? I'm new in SW MO and have seen a couple of Mennonite ladies in Wal-Mart. I would love to talk to them about bread making, canning, quilting, etc. but have been shy about approaching them. I'm thinking they'd rather be left alone but my desire to know more about them by actually talking to them is about to overpower my shyness.

Thanks!

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by Quilter

How open are the Mennonite people to discussions with non-Mennonite people? I'm new in SW MO and have seen a couple of Mennonite ladies in Wal-Mart. I would love to talk to them about bread making, canning, quilting, etc. but have been shy about approaching them. I'm thinking they'd rather be left alone but my desire to know more about them by actually talking to them is about to overpower my shyness.

Thanks!

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong but, Quilt, could it be Amish ladies to whom you are referring? Don't Mennonites look and dress like anybody else.

Perhaps, though, I shouldn't be directing this question toward Quilter's post but should be asking the question in general: If I saw a Mennonite person could I distinguish that person from anybody else?

--'rocco

[Quilter]

Heck, I don't know! The ladies I saw were definitely dressed differently. I keep hearing about the Mennonite communities around here so I just assumed they were Mennonite. Guess I'd better do some checking.

So . . let me rephrase . . how open are the Amish to sharing with outsiders?

Thanks for setting me straight.

JL

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by Quilter

Heck, I don't know! The ladies I saw were definitely dressed differently. I keep hearing about the Mennonite communities around here so I just assumed they were Mennonite. Guess I'd better do some checking.

So . . let me rephrase . . how open are the Amish to sharing with outsiders?

Thanks for setting me straight.

JL

*cringes* no, no, I really didn't mean to set you straight ...sorry! I don't really know myself. It was just an assumption of mine that Amish folk dress differently where Mennonites dress like everyone else and generally integrate amongst the general community. I wanted the question answered myself.

*laughs* so please, someone set BOTH of us straight!

--'rocco

[twostory]

Something else I forgot to say about Bowling Green. You go to the store and
the Amish are parked in the parking lot with their horses. They travel to the
square. They go by your house in their horse and buggy. Bowling Green has a great Amish community outside town. We also have Mennonites. You could not find a niceer town with affordable housing and fairly close to a major city. Check out our antique shops, Bankhead chocolates, etc.

[Bird_Watcher]

Originally Posted by Quilter

How open are the Mennonite people to discussions with non-Mennonite people? I'm new in SW MO and have seen a couple of Mennonite ladies in Wal-Mart. I would love to talk to them about bread making, canning, quilting, etc. but have been shy about approaching them. I'm thinking they'd rather be left alone but my desire to know more about them by actually talking to them is about to overpower my shyness.

Thanks!

Just out of respect and common courtesy I'm not so sure if the approach in a Wal-mart would be appropriate.
I know when I go shopping I'm in and out of there.

For the record: Ohio and PA has one of the largest communities of Amish.

[sharpeyes]

Some Mennonites wear what we would call Amish style clothing, but Mennonites have variations in clothing from conservative to liberal, just as we have variations in religion and politics. Some Mennonite' walk among you at Walmart without standing out in distinctive attire.

The place to approach a woman about canning, quilting, etc. would be on her own turf, such as at a farm stand or farmer's market. Just be aware that some groups of old order Amish, stay apart from us more than others.

Amish or Mennonite communities I'm aware of in MO include ones at or near Bethany, Bogard, Boonville, Bowling Green, Canton, Clark, Dixon, Downing, Dunnegan, Kahoka, LaPlata, Licking, Mercer, Mt. Vernon, Norwood, Osceola,Princeton, Ravenwood, Revere, Seymour, and Windsor.

[Jessilynne15]

Originally Posted by garth

I seem to recall that there are some Amish and/or Mennonite communities in Missouri. Is my memory faulty? If not, are they primarily in the north or are there any in the southern part of the state. Thanks.

______________
I don't know about Missouri but PA is loaded with them. Especially Lancaster and Reading.

[smallcity]

bowling green has alot of amish there very nice people

[schlay]

There are so many different orders of Amish and Mennonite. If you see a lady with a small covering on her head (it could be white or black) but she is dressed like the average person, she would be 1 of the Mennonite orders. If her clothes are black or brown with some blue ect..and definatly have a different look to them she would be of the Amish order or conservative Mennonite. There are lots of different Amish orders also. I think you should walk up and start up a conversation. I do it all the time. They are very freindly people generally. If you hit a shy one like yourself, try again.
Does anyone know what part of the country these folks in Bowling green came from?
Many of my relatives and my Grand parents were and are Amish and Mennonite.
I hope I helped out.