Archived news releases
TWO BLUFFTON SENIORS DIG INTO THEIR AMISH ROOTS IN IOWA
Erin Miller and Karen Bontrager grew up together in Iowa and influenced each other to attend Bluffton College, but they were surprised when they found out their senior honors projects focused on the same topic—their Amish roots.
Both students researched their families’ conversion from Amish to Mennonite in the 1940s. Miller, a history major, studied the reasons her family—and others—left the Amish faith in the rural Wellman/Kalona community of southeastern Iowa. Bontrager, an English major, conducted a literary analysis of her grandmother’s writings about growing up Amish and then rejecting that tradition.
Bontrager’s 57-page paper, "Reading Clara/Writing Mennonite," is not a traditional research paper. "I call it ‘creative non-fiction,’ mixed with poetry," she said. "In the project I interact on a personal level with the life and writings of my grandmother."
Her grandmother, with whom she shares a middle name, is Clara Bernice Miller, who wrote four novels between 1962 and 1977. The novels, published by Herald Press of Mennonite Publishing House, were The Crying Heart, Katie, The Tender Herb and To All Generations.
"I drew on what Grandma had done as a writer and reflected on the ramifications for me as a modern Mennonite writer," said Bontrager.
Her grandparents left the Amish community after they had three children. Their reasons for leaving—and the themes running through Miller’s books—were that the Amish lacked spiritual fervor and failed to share their faith with others.
"Her books fall into the ‘coming-of-age’ genre," said Bontrager. "They feature young women making life-changing decisions like who to marry and whether or not to stay Amish."
Bontrager, who worked on her project into the wee hours of the morning, found herself connecting with her grandmother in an unexpected way. "It occurred to me one night that the time I finished writing was about the time that Grandma used to start writing," she said.
Meanwhile, Miller studied 70 years of Amish retention and defection patterns, resulting in a 60-page paper titled "The Kalona Amish." Her research included 20 interviews last summer with people who left the Amish faith.
"There was a huge exodus between 1945 and 1960, with perhaps up to 60 percent of the Amish leaving their community," said Miller. "I learned that other Amish communities in America experienced similar defection rates."
Among the reasons that people left the Amish community, she found, was that they wanted newer technology, especially for farming, and they were unhappy with the lack of emphasis on Bible study and on evangelism and missions. Another factor was that young Amish men were exposed to the wider world through alternative service as conscientious objectors during World War II.
"Today, though, the Amish defection rate—both in my community and nationally—is only about 5 percent," Miller said. "The main reason, I think, is that the Amish have isolated themselves more and strengthened their distinctives." One important way was to establish their own schools.
Miller believes her research project is a way to connect with members of her extended family, some of whom are still part of the Amish community.
Senior honors projects at Bluffton College are a three-semester process, resembling post-graduate studies. Each student selects a faculty committee that approves the project, offers guidance along the way and, at the end, judges the student’s "defense" of the project. Four other seniors besides Miller and Bontrager are completing honors projects this spring.
Steve Shenk, Blufton public relations office, 4/15/04