Fall 2018 www.michianaanabaptists.org Page 4 Goshen College Archives Leadership With the 2017 relocation of the Mennonite Umble). Currently only a small number Search Church USA Archives to Elkhart, a separate of collections are represented online in Goshen College Archives has begun to take the Mennonite Archival Commons: http:// In 2019 MAH members Light from the past | Established 1992 shape. mac.libraryhost.com/ will need to elect a Fall 2018 www.michianaanabaptists.org Vol. 27, No. 2 The primary purpose of the Goshen College People wishing to consult materials in the new president and a MAH Executive Archives is to house and provide access to GC Archives should begin by contacting Committee Programs on the Brethren in Christ Church the institutional records of Goshen College. the Mennonite Historical Library at least new treasurer, since Ervin Beck, President And All-Hostetler Kin at Oct. 20 Meeting However, the GC Archives also houses one day in advance of desired use (574-535- the allowed two terms 1402-1 Pembroke Circle personal collections of GC faculty members 7418. [email protected]). Goshen, IN 46526 Jeff Williams, pastor of the Nappanee Brethren in 10:30 coffee break and a second program at 11 a.m., Christ Church, will speak on the history, faith and presented by Daniel E. Hochstetler. and some records of College Mennonite Since archival collections are still stored in of the current officers, Jason Kauffman practice of that Anabaptist denomination at the Church. GC’s Newcomer Center, it is usually not Vice-President Dan’s program will introduce us to the Hostetler/ Ervin Beck and Miriam fall meeting of Anabaptist Historians Hochstetler descendants of the Jacob Hochstetler possible for the MHL staff to provide same- 19779 Bluff Drive, Goshen The individual collections mean that GC on Saturday, October 20. The meeting will be family who arrived in the U.S. in 1738. The 7th Yutzy, will have expired. IN 46526 held at the Nappanee church, located just south of Archives includes documents on many day access to collections. Nationwide Gathering took place July 27 and 28 Helene Hoover NorthWood High School on SR 19. at Berlin, Ohio, drawing 600 attendees. Dan was topics of interest beyond Goshen College Ordinarily, researchers interested in GC Give suggestions for Membership itself. archival materials will need to come to the Jeff, who graduated from Messiah College with a co-founder of the group, long-time editor of its nominees to Ruby 2005 E. Jackson Blvd. majors in Bible and Philosophy, has been at the newsletter and is currently vice-president. 3rd floor of GC’s Good Library building, at For example: post-WWII relief work Elkhart, IN 46516 Nappanee church since 2000, first serving as intern, the center of the campus at 1700 S. Main St., Bontrager, Al Yoder or There are at least eleven different spellings of (H.S. Bender & G.F. Hershberger), Miriam Yutzy, Treasurer then associate pastor and today as senior pastor. the family name in the U.S., including Hostutler, Goshen, IN 46526. 62835 CR 29, hymnody (Mary Oyer), translations of Helene Hoover. The Brethren in Christ denomination consists of Hogstadler, Hostetar, etc. Goshen, IN 46528 Amish historical documents (John S. Joe Springer, curator 300 congregations in the U.S. and Canada, with After the meeting ends at 12 noon, attendees are more in Africa and elsewhere. According to Jeff, John Smith, Secretary invited to an open house at the Stump family log the BIC denomination represents an integration of 1422 Hampton Court, house and homestead on the hill east of Nappanee at elements from the Anabaptist, Pietist and Wesleyan

Goshen, IN 46526 the intersection of CR 50 and CR 15, where the first at the rear. the at Holiness movements.

Brethren in Christ congregation, having moved to 38&11. The earlier building is the gabled structure structure gabled the is building earlier The 38&11. Floyd Miller, At Large

A second local BIC congregation, Union Grove UnionTownship in 1840, first met. At the southwest Yellow Creek Wisler Mennonite Church building, CRs CRs building, Church Mennonite Wisler Creek Yellow 4425W 100S BIC, is located at 69954 CR 11 and pastored by LaGrange, IN 46761 corner of the intersection is the first BIC church Darin Simm. building, now owned by a different denomination. Allen Martin, At Large The morning will begin at 8:30 with registration The Stump buildings, now owned by Helen Mishler, 65612 CR 13 and coffee, followed by a business meeting at 9 are remarkably well preserved, both inside and out. Goshen, IN 46526 a.m. Jeff’s program will begin at 9:30, followed by a

MAH News & Notes is Allen Martin (left) and Ken Yoder, presenters at the published twice a year. March 17 meeting. Yoder, who is editor of the Yoder family newsletter, spoke about Yoder family origins in Send events, reviews or Switzerland, their immigration to North America, and articles to Ervin Beck: the all-Yoder international reunion held in Summer [email protected]. 2017 in Shipshewana. The family name is now spelled in 14 different ways: Yother, Yothers, Yotter, Yoter, Kristin Troyer, layout Yoders, Loder, Joder, Jotter, Joders, Youder, Youther, Karl Stutzman, webmaster Yothers, Youthers. The name presumably derives from Barbara Smucker, photos the name of St. Theodore, if pronounced “thee-yoder.”

Membership is $10 per year. Renew at meetings or send payment to Helene. Pastors and All members, please give Librarians: your e-mail address to Helene. Please post this letter in a Meeting usually on the third public place. Thank you. Saturdays of March and October. Fall 2018 www.michianaanabaptists.org Page 2 Fall 2018 www.michianaanabaptists.org Page 3 Amish Arts Exhibit at Goshen College The exhibit “Amish Arts 1900-1940: From • A chest of drawers made for Elizabeth moved to Elkhart and LaGrange Counties: the Pottinger Collection” continues until Yoder in 1871 for her marriage to red, green and black paint with gold stencils Nov. 18 in the Library Gallery at Goshen Reuben E. Bontrager in1872. Elizabeth and inscriptions. College. The exhibit includes many was the mother of Levi Bontrager, who *Another unusual piece is a carving in different kinds of domestic folk arts from married Annie Christner. a bottle made in 1919 by Daniel Rose, Amish communities, mainly in northern • A one-drawer stand made for Tobias a Mennonite man from Johnstown, PA, , including a number of important Kemp in 1880 for his marriage to Mary who was confined to a wheelchair and items with documented origins in ancestors Christner of Holmes County, Ohio. was registered in Washington, D.C., as of current Mennonite and Amish families: • A blanket chest made by Sam Miller “Champion Whittler of the .” • A quilt made by Esther Beachy (Mrs. for Lena Schrock for her marriage in 1903 to Samuel J. Whetstone. This exhibit is free of charge and sponsored Henry D.) Yoder in Hicksville, Ohio, by the Mennonite-Amish Museum c. 1920. She was the mother of The furniture is similar to that made in Committee. Call 574-535-7418 for open Bertha (Mrs. Amos D.) Bontrager of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, from hours. Honeyville. which many Amish and

The large audience at the October 17, 2017, meeting. Wisler Mennonite Church Profile Notes from the presentation at the spring 2018 meeting by Allen Martin, pastor of the Fairview Wisler Mennonite Church.

The Wisler church began in 1872 when There are 10 Wisler congregations, in as formulated by Daniel Kauffman. Jacob Wisler and others left the Yellow Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota, Gelassenheit, or yieldedness, is a key value, Creek Mennonite Church in disagreement with 35 ministers, all ordained by lot. imitating Jesus: “Not my will, but Thine over Sunday School, singing in parts and Ministers meet twice yearly in conference, be done.” It is a choice, not a requirement. evangelistic meetings. The Yellow Creek for “encouragement to press on.” Wislers Living a “separated life” is more important Old Order Mennonite Church separated associate with the Weaverland Conference than being “a light to the world.” from the Wisler Church in 1916 over use of and with the Muddy Creek Library, both in the telephone, especially. Pennsylvania. Worship services begin with three songs, led from the congregation, followed by Wislers, who also regard themselves as “old The Schleitheim Confession supports an a silent prayer, which fosters personal order,” refer to their more conservative inward-looking church concerned with responsibility before God. Songs are sung neighbors as “horse and buggy” or “John preserving essential values, not reforming in parts, using a hymnal lacking musical Martin” Mennonites. Wislers maintain the government or converting the unsaved. notes. An audible prayer concludes with all the old order to fulfill the Scripture: “Jesus “The quiet in the land.” The Dordrecht saying The Lord’s Prayer. Christ, the same, yesterday, today and Confession is used in instruction meetings Program on Speaking of Yellow Creek forever.” As Allen put it, “God is an old twice yearly. The Wisler confession of faith In the meeting house, people sit on three order God.” includes the “Garden City Fundamentals,” sides of a long preacher’s bench, men on Baptism Colloquy Yoders Cemetery Records one side, women on the other. A typical On Friday, October 5, John Rempel will The U.S. Census Department finds 45,000 The Yellow Creek Frame Cemetery of service lasts two hours; communion, with report on the recent “Trilateral Dialogue citizens with the family name of Yoder. Harrison Township, Elkhart County, IN. foot-washing, lasts three hours, and is on Baptism” involving Mennonite 98.1% of them self-identify as “white,” Ed. James G. Hermsen and Thelma preceded by a service of preparation. World Conference, the Lutheran World the family name with the highest such L. Hoover Martin, July 2010 (500 pp., Until 1946, some songs were in German. Federation and the Roman Catholic percentage. “Statistically speaking, the $65). In the 1960s, part-singing began, as well as Church. Rempel, who participated in the Yoders of America are probably the least Old Yellow Creek Cemetery. weddings held in the church. Receptions, conference, will reflect on the dialogue likely white people to marry someone of Ed. James G. Hermsen, April 2011 reunions, etc. are held in Harrison School, process, the concluding statement and a different race to themselves,” says Mona ($36). which the Wislers now own, or in a Wisler its relevance for Mennonites today. The Chalabi in the Feb. 26, 2018, issue of The Copies of these books are now available community center nearby. meeting is open to the public, from 11 to 1 Guardian. Other Germanic family names from Lester Martin (574-831-2497), p.m. at the Lambright Center, Anabaptist in descending amounts of whiteness In addition to the customary eight grades, singly or at $100 for the pair. the school also offers a high school diploma Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart. include Kruger 97.1, Mueller 97.1, Koch to a few students who choose it. Bring your own lunch. 96.9, Schwartz 96.8, Schmitt 96.8.

Interior of the Yellow Creek church, with long preachers’ bench