LL-L "Mennonites" 2002.10.06 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 06.OCT.2002 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: erek gass <egass at caribline.com>
Subject: LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.02 (02) [E]

Like Thomas, I live in South Central PA (York County), and grew up in
Northern Montgomery County (Eastern PA, at the time a "Pennsylvania Dutch"
area).  Thomas notes that our PA Mennonites are descendants of settlers
invited (by William Penn) from their homes in Alsace, Switzerland, and
Swabia.  A goodly number also came from France and French (rather than
German) cantons in the Helvetic Confederation.  In this they don't differ
very much from the "Church people" (that is, Lutherans and Reformests).  The
language they use amongst themselves is Pennsylvania Dutch (more correctly,
"Deitsch", the standard High German "eu" following the Pfalz dialect's usage
of "ei" instead).  It is important, perhaps, to note that Deitsch is not a
Lowlands dialect, but rather is a type of High German.  Although some
Allemanisch words are included in Deitsch, this is a dialect much different
than the Low Saxon I see being discussed in the group.

It is possibly worth mentioning that the three of the four general
categories of Anabaptists live in PA: the Mennonites, the Amish, and the
Brethren (no Hutterites here).  These are further divided into many subsets.
Most Brethren differ little these days from "Church" people, rarely speaking
Deitsch anymore, and dressing in traditional sectarian clothing only for
special occasions (when I attend a funeral or viewing, it's likely the only
time I see some of my Brethren acquaintances in their traditional clothing).

The Amish really are Mennonites, though they are usually spoken of as a
separate group (or, more correctly, groups).  Most non-Amish Mennonites have
adopted modern dress, education, and lifestyle.  In the easern part of the
state, the church in my town was one of the first to break away from "being
different" and as I grew up the Mennonite Church really didn't seem much
different than my own (except for the adult baptism, of course).  They drove
cars, they didn't paint the chrome black or take any of the other measures
so often mentioned in the press or in popular books about them.  Farther
west, in Lancaster County, the non-Amish Mennonites who remain traditional
can be identified on the roads by their black buggies (the Amish buggies are
grey).

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