Amish Stories

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The True Story of Yonie Kauffman

(as adapted by Brad Igou)
Recently, I came across the story of Yonie Kauffman, an Amishman in the Big Valley area of
Pennsylvania. It is certainly one of the most unusual stories to come out of Amish culture, and it is true. It
was put into novel form by Joseph Stoll, an Amish writer at Pathway Publishers, the Amish publishing
house in Canada. The book is called The Wasted Years. The story is fascinating, and it also points out that
much of our story of Jacob and the dialog seem to be rooted in reality. If our story of Jacob’s Choice is not
exactly the norm, then certainly the story of Yonie Kauffman is even more unusual and bizarre.
Nevertheless, it did occur. It is reminiscent of the French film Return of Martin Guerre and the American
version Sommersby. Following is my synopsis of the story, and some actual passages from the book by
Joseph Stoll, published in 1993.
In 1900, Yonie Kauffman was 20 years old. In fact, he was almost twenty-one. In two months, and he
would have a birthday, and then he would be on his own. That was what Yonie was thinking about as he
rested against the hoe handle. On his own---free to come and go as he pleased, to choose his own work, to
be his own boss. Yonie heard a train whistle echo down the valley. Trains had always fascinated Yonie.
They were a romantic symbol of the great beyond, of life outside this narrow valley... Oh, the time would
come when he would get out and see the world.
Yonie’s mother shouted at him, for he was obviously daydreaming. Yonie thought about his situation as he
got back to his hoeing. The humiliation of it all! Here his mother ordered him around as if he were a young
lad... Yonie resented having to stay at home to hoe. But carpenter work was scarce, and his dad had made
the decision that morning---Yonie would stay home and help the womenfolk hoe the garden. Now Yonie’s
mother questioned him.
"What makes you so quiet, son?" she asked. "Is something bothering you?"
Yonie shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, I don’t know," he answered.
"Of course you know," she insisted, not unkindly. What point was there in telling his mother how
dissatisfied he was? She would never understand. Why tell her how irked he became when Dad gave him
orders. Yonie couldn’t stand being bossed around, and his dad still used him like a little boy, it seemed.
Whenever he worked with his father, there was always tension and resentment building up inside him.
"Come, Yonie," she coaxed. "Tell me what’s wrong. You’re not the happy young man you used to be.
What has changed you?"
What has changed me? Yonie wondered. Why am I the way I am? He wished he knew the honest answer to
Mom’s question. But he did not, so he was silent.... How could he explain to his mother this restlessness
that seized him and made him miserable? How could he make her understand when he did not understand
himself?
There was much in this valley that was dear to Yonie, and he knew his roots should have grown deep. That
was what perplexed him. Why should he have this urgent longing to get out and see the world, the strange
places he had read about in his geography books and elsewhere?
Yonie’s mother thought maybe the sermon at the last church service, the communion, and ordination would
have had a positive effect on Yonie. Indeed, his uncle’s becoming a preacher had moved him, but his inner
dissatisfaction remained.
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Yonie reflected on his home and family, and the stories his mother told him of the days when the Amish
first came to the Kishacoquillas Valley, stories told to her by her parents. But Yonie’s thoughts were
disrupted by cries, and Yonie saw that the Zook’s barn was on fire. Nothing could be done to save the barn,
the fire started by a child playing with matches. When it was all over, Yonie’s little cousin was dead.
Suddenly Yonie felt guilty for his dissatisfaction earlier in the afternoon. His problems were minor
compared to what his Aunt Rachel was suffering at this moment.
Yonie ended up getting hired by the crew that would rebuild the barn. He wasn’t really too happy, because
he had heard the man in charge was a tough boss. "What’s wrong? Don’t you appreciate a good job when
work is scarce?" asked Dad.
"I guess." That was all Yonie would say. But inside he was rebelling... Dad had not even asked him his
opinion, whether or not he wished to work for this man. On the job, as he expected, he was not very happy.
Yet who or what was the main object of his dissatisfaction, he could not say. Perhaps it was Yonie
Kauffman! Well, once he was twenty-one, he would find out. Then things would be different.
When Yonie learned his good friend Amos’s family was moving to Ohio, he wanted to go along and help
them move in, seeing a little of the outside world along the way. Yonie asked his father, who replied
abruptly, "No, I can’t see any point in that. You’ve no business in Ohio, and besides, how would you ever
get back" Yonie knew the subject was closed. When he realized the trip to Ohio was forbidden, it seemed
all the more desirable. But his father had given him no consideration. It was the same old story.
The summer of 1900 wore on. Yonie Kauffman’s twenty-first birthday passed, and the money he now
earned was his own to keep or to spend. At home, the tensions between father and son did not lessen, as
Dad Kauffman continued to be curt with Yonie, ordering him around as before. Yonie, for his part, was
determined to now to bear the injustice in silence. He nursed his resentful feelings and kept them to himself
as much as possible. And so the rift widened.
Then Yonie heard that there was work out in the Kansas Amish settlement. He had enough money to take
the train, and announced his plans to go. His mother was upset. "But it’s dangerous. You never know what
company you’ll get into. Why don’t you stay home, and join church?"
And settle down once, and get married. Yonie could finish what he thought his mother was thinking. But
Yonie did not want to be tied down yet. What harm could there be in having a good time first?
"Let him go" Dad Kauffman told his wife. "maybe he’ll learn his lesson. My guess is he’ll come home
broke, and then maybe he’ll appreciate what people have done for him here."
Yonie left, and after the harvest, still did not return, or even write very often. His parents became
concerned. "Maybe I was too harsh with him while he was at home. I know I should have been more
patient. But that doesn’t excuse Yonie. He knows better."
"We’ll have to keep writing, and urge him to come back," continued Mom. "We must pray for him, and
trust that he will see his error."
But letters soon came back noting that Yonie had moved on, with no address. And so the months passed
with no word.
Unknown to them, Yonie had tired of a nomad’s life and he was homesick for his family and his childhood
home. Of greater importance, the burden of his conscience had grown too heavy, and he was ready for a
change. He wanted to make peace with his parents and God.
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He returned to the Big valley in 1903, resolved to make a new start, to right his wrongs, to join the church,
to live a Christian life. He was willing to humble himself and admit that he had erred. And he was aware
that the more than two years he had spent out west had been wasted years---a time when his life had lacked
direction, and he had gone from one job to another, without aim and without purpose.
Yonie was sick of such a life, and he knew now he could live a better one, if only... If only he got a
welcome from his family and former friends. If only he could be accepted by them, and then was worthy of
their esteem. If only he could overcome the temptations that came to him, the periods of discouragement,
the feelings of resentment and rebellion. If only...
Things went pretty well for Yonie when he returned. He got a job in the sawmill, and even survived what
could have been a fatal accident. Luckily, the blade would only leave a big scar on his left shoulder.
As the summer progressed, Yonie’s shoulder healed rapidly. He attended the young folks’ singing
regularly, and joined heartily in the singing of the old martyr hymns. He had an exceptional singing voice
and enjoyed using it.
For some time Yonie had been giving serious thought to getting married and starting a household of his
own. But he was still unsure of himself. There was only one girl that was of interest to him, and that was
Mary Stoltzfus... He was thinking of how highly respected Mary was, and of his own record of the past ---
his disobedience in going out west, his moody spells of discouragement, his bouts with his temper... Dad
and Mom Kauffman were pleased with Yonie’s interest in Mary. If any girl could bring out the best in
Yonie, Mary was the one.
But Yonie had a rival in seeking Mary’s affection, his distant cousin John Kauffman. Even though Mary
would let Yonie take her home from the singings, she never really seemed to make a commitment to him.
Time passed, and one day Yonie found himself cutting stone up in the mountains. Deciding to come and
finish the next day, he carefully hid his pick and shovel in a crevice between two rocks where no passing
hiker or tramp might find it. He wanted to return home and be sure to get to the young people’s corn
husking that night, and see Mary again.
But at the husking, he fell in with a group of boys who had brought some hard apple cider along, and they
succeeded in getting Yonie to drink too much. Rather than have to face Mary in such a state, he decided to
simply go home with his sister. As he left, he saw Mary being taken home by his rival, John.
The next morning Yonie woke with a bad headache. At that moment life was hardly worth living. If he
indeed lost Mary, what was the use of trying? Yonie was disappointed, discouraged, despondent --- more so
than he had ever been in his life.
Mary Stoltzfus was genuinely sorry, but she had made up her mind that their friendship should end.
Thus, when Yonie learned of a group of young men planning to take a trip to the Amish settlement in
Lancaster, he decided it would be good to get away for a while. His parents thought he might even find a
young woman there that might strike his fancy. But when the group returned a week later from Lancaster,
Yonie was not with them. Mom and Dad Kauffman debated what to do. Mom wanted Dad to go to
Lancaster. Dad thought Yonie wouldn’t listen to him, and that Mom would be able to talk to him better.
But before they could do anything, a letter arrived from Lancaster from a friend saying Yonie had gone,
and no one knew where he went.
Six years passed, and although the Kauffman’s waited every day for a letter from Yonie, none came. Now
it was 1909, and Yonie’s sister was getting married, and wished her brother could be there. But by this
time, Yonie had become a sailor, and was out on the oceans, visiting other lands. Still, he was sometimes
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unhappy with his life, with his companions, the card games, the drinking. So he resolved to return home.
Unable to write to his parents, he wrote his sister...
"I should never have left home. I know it was a terrible thing to do, and no doubt Mom and Dad have long
disowned me. Now I would like to come home, but I would like to know first if I am welcome. Please write
and tell me the truth. I do not want to come back if nobody wants me back. But I would like to lead a
different life."
Yonie would be in New York for two weeks, and he had a post office box, anxiously awaiting a reply. But
he was shocked to receive his own letter back, unopened, and stamped "Refused."
Yonie was crushed. This was so unlike Mary. or had Dad given her orders? The truth was evident to Yonie.
His family had rejected him. He was no longer welcome.
So Yonie determined to return to the ship and his life on the sea. Unknown to Yonie, however, was the fact
that his letter ended up by accident at the home of an old maid (named Mary like his sister) in the Big
Valley, who thought someone was playing a joke on her, and refused this supposed letter from the long
gone Yonie Kauffman.
Then, in 1915, a friend of the Kauffmans ran into a 35-year-old man in Ohio who he was sure was Yonie.
Of course, much time had passed. It was decided that Dad Kauffman and a sister would go and see him.
Dad had his doubts, even more so when he met the man in the hotel room. Sister was not quite sure. They
asked him to reveal his bare shoulder and see the scar, but none was there. The man offered no information,
refused to say who he was, and did not speak the dialect. No response came when Dad said all was forgiven
if he would just come home and be their son again.
Back home Mom Kauffman was distraught. She wanted so to believe her Yonie had been found. As the
family talked, it was learned that the scarred shoulder was actually the left one. Could it be it really was
Yonie, and he had purposefully showed them his right shoulder only?
Several months passed, and a tramp arrived at the Kauffman home. Mom saw his face, and suddenly her
heart jumped. She asked if he was Yonie, and he said that indeed he was. Thus, in 1916, the mysterious
man from Ohio had come home, and admitted to being the long lost Yonie. However, some people had
their doubts, including Dad Kauffman. Besides, Yonie’s lifestyle was less than desirable. He came and
went. He did odd jobs. He still had a drinking problem. He still disliked interference and advice. Thus
neither Dad, Mom, nor the ministers could persuade him to change his life. People continued to argue about
whether this really was Yonie. As time went by, he joined a Mennonite Church, but then was expelled for
his drinking problem.
One day Dad Kauffman did not arise from bed. As Mom talked to him, she feared the worst. He spoke
these words about Yonie as he lay dying...
"I see now we were too hard on Yonie when he was a young lad. Or at least I was. I meant it for his good,
because I saw so many boys growing up without restraint, and I didn’t want to make that mistake. Yonie is
natured a lot like I am, and I often wished my dad would have helped me overcome my temper when I was
a boy. Now I see that I was too harsh with Yonie.... Sometimes I feel my life has been wasted if Yonie
doesn’t repent."
Yonie seemed affected by the death of Dad in 1923 at the age of 78. He came to visit Mom more, and did
chores around the house. Then the day came for the reading of dad’s will. When Yonie heard that all dad
was leaving him was $25, and that the rest of the estate would be divided equally among the other children,
he was angry, and heard to mutter, "Twenty-five dollars! Chicken feed!" He felt that his older brother Crist
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was to blame for his being shut out of Dad’s will. One night a fire broke out in Crist’s barn, and it burned to
the ground. Yonie was suspected, but there was no way to know for sure.
Ten months later, Mom Kauffman passed away at the age of 70. People thought this might finally change
Yonie, but he came to the funeral with the smell of liquor on his breath.
As some time went by, the family members talked among themselves, and decided to try and help Yonie
buy a home of his own, since it appeared Yonie was making a decent living, and perhaps could be
convinced to put some money into a place of his own. This is what happened, and Yonie got his place in a
town far enough away that he wasn’t seen all that much anymore, although they heard he was getting
married.
By now, most people had probably forgotten the controversy over whether this really was Yonie, but the
real Yonie was indeed somewhere else. He was still a sailor, and had now reached the conclusion that he
had to return home. He arrived on a Sunday, not really wanting to be seen. He managed to enter the house
through an open window. It became clear that one of his sisters lived her now, and that his parents were
both dead. He longed to return to the days when he was young, sitting at the table, hearing Dad read from
the German Bible. Yonie felt he had wasted his life. He was alone, no wife, no family. He thought of what
might have been. Yonie couldn’t decide what to do.
As night came, he decided to look for a barn to sleep in, and maybe for a meal. Tramps were not unusual
visitors to the Amish in those Depression years. He went to the Levi Yoder farm, and made his request. But
Levi surprised him by saying that he looked for all the world like Yonie Kauffman. Yonie broke down, and
admitted that indeed he was. When Yonie’s sister and others in the family heard the news, they could not
believe it.
They went to meet the new Yonie, and Mary knew it was indeed her brother as soon as she saw him, and
also wondered how she could have been so fooled by the other. To put all doubters to rest, Yonie bared his
left shoulder, where the scar from the sawmill accident was still clearly evident. A few days later, to further
prove his identity, he took some people up into the mountains, and there located that pick and shovel he had
hidden in the rock crevice some thirty years ago.
Yonie was a changed man. He was repentant and very sorry for the pain and sorrow he had caused his
parents by his disobedience. But it was too late to make amends to them. What a waste his life had been.
The most he could do now was to live the remaining years of his life in a way that would have been
acceptable to them. Only thus could he hope for God’s forgiveness, and for grace and mercy for his soul.
Who then was this other Yonie Kauffman? Yonie heard of the impostor, and on August 25, 1932, the local
newspaper reported on the meeting of the two Yonies. The impostor, now married, had heard of the news
of the real Yonie’s return, and told others how he had come to the Kauffmans, at the urging of friends,
perhaps convinced of receiving an inheritance. He seemed almost relieved now that his fear of this
happening was over, and he could admit what was in fact the truth. As the newspaper noted when the two
men met, the impostor showed "no reluctance to admit the imposition and he found the man he wronged
just as ready to forgive and forget." The imposter also admitted to having set fire to Crist Kauffman’s barn
after Dad Kauffman’s death.
And thus ends one of the strangest stories in Amish history. It is a story of sadness and deceit, or
disappointed parents and a disobedient son, of years wasted in sinful living.
The only happy portion of the story is the somewhat brighter ending, but even this is tinted by regrets and
sorrow over what might have been. The End.
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An Amishman Travels the Globe

The Amazing Story of "Yonnie Fisher"
An Amishman Travels the Globe - Part I
by Brad Igou
Most of us think of the Amish as a people that stay close to home, the family, the community. But there
are always those adventurous spirits in a society that long to travel, to experience new lands and
cultures. No other Amishman has done what Jonathan B. Fisher did. He made two trips to Europe, and
one trip around the world. His is a special and unique story. In this and the following two articles, we
join him on his travels.
Early Travels
Jonathan was born in 1878. He led a fairly "normal" life as a maker of cheese in Lancaster County. But the
"New Holland Cheese Man" also did some traveling around North America, including Mexico.
In 1908, however, Jonathan made a more ambitious trip, setting his eyes on Europe. He sailed to Europe
and traveled in France, Germany, England, Switzerland, and other countries. After his return, he described
his adventures in a book published in 1911, A TRIP TO EUROPE AND FACTS GLEANED ALONG THE
WAY.
Around the World
Jonathan married, and several years later decided to make a more ambitious trip --- around the world. His
wife, according to various sources, said she "elected to stay at home." Once again a book published after
his return described the countries and people he had met. Let’s join him on this voyage and see what he
"gleaned along the way..."
Cuba
Jonathan begins his trip on February 17, 1934, from New York. First stop is Havana, Cuba, the "Paris of
the Western continent" at the time. He writes that "by this one may know it is none of the ‘slow’ places -
altogether the opposite." We learn that this means it is a place of much activity and excitement. "But such a
babbling of tongues! I have been in six of the European countries, but this place has thus far been the limit
in the above respect."
Through the Canal
Jonathan meets many interesting people on the ship. Sometimes, his comments are telling. Of a wealthy
merchant, he writes that "this acquaintance seems to be a very kind hearted person. However, I could not
keep from thinking probably he has his heart too closely attached to his worldly possessions." His ship
passes through the Panama Canal, a trip as fascinating today as it was back then.
Various stops are made along the California coast. At a naval yard in San Diego, some of the officers
"became interested in me. We had a lengthy discussion as to the non-resistant’s views of conscientious
objectors." He made mention of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, which he described as not being "slow
places."
Crossing the Pacific
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During the long voyage across the Pacific, Jonathan gets to try some food prepared by the Chinese on
board. Of these unusual dishes he notes, "in some one is at a loss to know which part of the preparation you
eat and which portion is to be left on the plate." Concerning eating with chopsticks, "the appetite is apt to
increase faster than one can keep it satisfied with these pencil-like sticks."
Japan
Sixteen days after leaving the California coast, and 6,000 miles distant, Jonathan arrives in Yokohama,
Japan. He manages to visit Tokyo and Kyoto, among other cities. Sounding not unlike a modern-day
traveler, he notes that "one may consider oneself safer to travel in Japan than in many parts of our own
country. Will admit it oft times will, however, prove less convenient. No matter, the thrill and experience
will readily over-balance the inconvenient part. I shall leave Japan with a bright spot in my heart for the
kindly folk."
An Amishman Travels the Globe - Part 2
China
Following his fascinating stay in Japan after the great earthquake, it is on to Shanghai, China, then with a
population of 3 and 1/2 million. The swarm of human activity leaves quite an impression on him. "I secured
the services of the ever-present rickshaw, of which they say there are 20,000 in the city. If Japan has these
human drawn ‘go carts’ by the hundreds, they are here in China by the thousands. By the time all my
luggage was piled in, there was no more room for myself."
He finds a teahouse crowded and fascinating, with "a never ceasing ‘wallawalla’ or ‘gabble-gabble’ -
whichever you wish - going on." Stories of river pirates and spectacular gorges mark his trip up the
Yangtse River.
And what of magical Hong Kong? "At first sight, the city much resembles a giant layer cake with its
successive tier after tier of streets from along the waterfront to the handsome villas and official residences
set above the other rows of streets, perched one after another, stretching along the mountainside."
New Lands, New Suit
In Singapore, Jonathan has a new Amish suit tailor-made for him at a cost of $3.50. "I visited a hatter and
had my plain straw hat re-modeled for use in the hot countries. This was done lining the entire inside with
material or red silk, leaving an air space between the lining and the top of the hat."
He suggests that "if one is interested in learning characteristics of the country he happens to visit, let him
take an extended bus ride and he will get it a-plenty."
Jonathan was dazzled by the beauty of Java and Sumatra, and describes in detail his visits to rubber, tea,
and tobacco plantations.
On the island of Ceylon, he is amazed by the great numbers of ravens. "I was told that at night one should
avoid walking beneath the shaded trees in which they roost. This is worthy consideration if one wants to
avoid a laundry bill."
Bible Lands
Next the Amishman voyages throughout the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. From his vessel, "in glancing
across from either the port side or the starboard, no more water is to be seen, unless you peer straight down,
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but sand, sand, sand! In a sense it produces the effect of the ship moving along over the land instead of
water."
He notes the great distances covered and the various means of transportation used. "On one occasion a
continuous travel of 1,000 miles across the Iraq desert was experienced." He describes the difference
between elephant and camel riding, preferring the elephant. "A camel will swing and toss the
unaccustomed to a tiresome degree. Some will become ‘camel-sick.’ I was able to hold out in that respect."
Altogether, Jonathan stays several months in Egypt and the Holy Land.
Columbus and Mussolini
Jonathan sailed from Egypt and the Holy Land across the Mediterranean Sea to Genoa, Italy. There he
visits the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and travels on to spend two weeks in Rome. Here Jonathan
hears Mussolini speaking to a huge crowd. "It was acclaimed the greatest event that Rome had seen for
ages. For the military affair, I had no inclination, but Mussolini’s ‘talk’ was not missed."
On board ship, he again observes with interest his fellow passengers. In colorful language he describes a
professor who "possesses an oblong over-sized head and stern countenance set upon a slender and ill
proportioned body, resting upon very long thin legs. Lest we ridicule, one will admit there are after all
‘worthwhile’ existences in the peculiarly featured personage. Underneath those extremely thick and long
eyelashes is imbedded an evident storehouse of knowledge."
An Amishman Travels the Globe - Part 3
Stops in Europe
Following his visit to Italy, where he heard the infamous Mussolini deliver a speech, Jonathan headed for
Spain. In Barcelona, he meets up with a Spaniard who had worked in Baltimore. This man, who married a
woman he had met in England, became his guide around the city. Of the many items for sale in Barcelona,
this plain Amishman writes, "Let the ones who are inclined to vanity and who have ‘stuffy’ purses
patronize the jewelry stores."
Casablanca, Lisbon, and Dover are the next ports of call, as Jonathan works his way through Europe.
Eventually he reaches England, and he travels to London, where he especially enjoys a visit to the nearby
grave of William Penn. Finally, Jonathan sails for home.
Coming Home
Approaching New York, he "becomes desirous to again step on American soil. Partings are made, and
myself and belongings were soon afoot at the same place from which in a fleeting one and one-half year’s
time the journey was started."
Jonathan wrote home reports of his visits to the various countries as he traveled, and these were printed
regularly in a local publication. After his arrival, he put his writings into book for, complete with pictures
he had collected. His book is now a rare and much sought-after collector item.
The Final Voyage
While you might think that Jonathan’s traveling days were over, he made a third and final trip abroad in
1952, at the age of 74. He went with a load of livestock sent by a relief organization to Europe after the
war. While there, he was the only Amishman to attend the Mennonite World Conference in Switzerland.
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"Yonnie," as he was known, died the following year, leaving his three daughters and a foster son. Neither
his diabetic condition, nor a back injury from "handling a large Swiss cheese which got out of control," had
deterred his travels.
When abroad, he always sent reports and letters home, keeping diaries and autograph books of people he
met. These items, his two lengthy books, and his 1908 passport are preserved in a local library.
Jonathan B. Fisher’s travels are astonishing even by today’s standards, perhaps even more so because he
was Amish. Many readers, whether Amish or not, were enthralled by his stories of far-away lands and
peoples. His writings remain fascinating and insightful to this day, testimony to the quality of his eighth
grade education.
Reading his books, you not only "glean" many facts about foreign cultures, but you also come to know
Jonathan himself. How I wish I could have spent a few hours visiting with him!
Amish Country News Article
***
Jonathan wrote the following for his wife, Sara, a few years before his long trip around the world…
on the occasion of her 42nd birthday, November 10, 1930…
TO HUSBAND & WIFE:
Preserve sacredly the privacies of your own house, your married state, and your own heart.
Let no father or mother or sister or brother ever presume to come between you or share the joys or sorrows
that belong to you two alone.
With mutual help build your quiet world, not allowing your dearest earthly friend to be the confidant of
aught [anything] that concerns your domestic peace.
Let moments of alienation, if they occur, be healed at once. Never, no never, speak of it outside; but to each
other confess and all will be right. Never let the morrow’s sun still find you at variance.
Renew, and renew your vow. It will do you good; and thereby your minds will grow
together contented in that love which is stronger than death, and you will be truly one.
Nov. 10th, 1930 --- Dedicated to Sara & myself on former’s 42’d birth anniversary
"Pay Unto Caesar"

The Amish & Social Security
Part One: The Dispute Begins
In 1935, a bill known as "The Social Security Act" passed Congress. Included in this act was "Old Age,
Survivors, and Disability Insurance," provided for those in industry and commerce, and extended to include
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farm operators in 1955. What was once a benefit had now become a law. The tax was to be reported at the
rate of 3% of income up to an established limit.
While the Amish have no objection "paying unto Caesar what is Caesar’s," they do have problems with
commercial insurance. In a sense, insurance was seen as not trusting in God. Insurance plans were a
worldly operation. Plus, the Amish view of separation of church and state normally meant not accepting
money from government programs, especially something viewed as welfare. No one could deny that this
program was one of paying money to the government and then receiving a benefit in return.
Perhaps most importantly, the care of the elderly is seen as the responsibility of the family and community,
not the government. Whether it be additions built onto the main house where grandparents "retire," benefit
sales to pay large medical bills, or the community effort of a barn-raising, the Amish truly try to "take care
of their own."
An IRS press release outlined what happened immediately after the law went into effect...
In the fall of 1956, the IRS district director at Cleveland held meetings with Amish farmers and their
church officials in an effort to solicit cooperation and voluntary compliance with the laws we have to
administer. At these meetings, it was explained that the self-employment levy is a tax and that it would be
the responsibility of IRS to enforce this tax.
As a result of these meetings and of letters sent to the individuals involved, the majority of Amish farmers
in that general area voluntarily remitted the tax. With respect to those who refused, it became apparent
that some did not wish to contravene the dictates of their church, but they also did not want "trouble" with
IRS.
Thus, a portion of these farmers did not pay the tax, but did make the execution of liens possible by
maintaining bank accounts which covered the tax.
If things had stopped here, our story would be over. But the above "arrangement" wasn’t really satisfactory.
Even the Amish recognized that allowing the government to take the money from their bank accounts
wasn’t much different from simply paying the money voluntarily. One Amishman was quoted in a
November 1962 Reader’s Digest article as saying, "Allowing our members to shift their interdependence
on each other to dependence upon any outside source would inevitably lead to the breakup of our order."
A group of Amish presented a petition to Congress, with 14,000 signatures. The Amish questioned what
possible harm they could do by not paying into Social Security. "We do not want to be burdensome, but we
do not want to lose our birthright to everlasting glory, therefore we must do all we can to live our faith!"
Nothing happened.
The IRS press release noted that...
The current problem stems from the "hard core" group of Old Order Amish farmers who closed out their
bank accounts and made such levy action impossible. As a result, the IRS was forced to collect 130
delinquent taxpayer accounts from Amish farmers in the past two years.
Since the IRS was thwarted by the closing out of bank accounts, they next tried to attach checks for the
amount owed to cooperatives that bought milk from the Amish. Most co-op officials refused to do this. The
IRS saw only one alternative --- to seize property. In the case of the Amish, that meant cows and horses.
Part Two: The Amish vs. the IRS
10
While Social Security was called a tax and administered by the IRS beginning in the 1950’s, it was also
clearly described as a form of old age and survivors insurance. In a 1961 IRS press release, the IRS
recognized the Amish stance that "Social Security payments, in their opinion, are insurance premiums and
not taxes. They, therefore, will not pay the ‘premium’ nor accept any of the benefits."
As usually happens in these matters, it is one case that tends to catapult the situation into the public eye.
That case would be the collection of payments from Valentine Byler, an Amish farmer living near New
Wilmington, in western Pennsylvania. According to various articles, books, and sources, this is basically
the series of events as they occurred...
By 1959, Valentine Byler owed four years of IRS taxes. The IRS added the interest owed and came up with
a total of $308.96.
Byler explained that his religion forbid paying insurance. When he was told that this was a mere
technicality and that it was indeed a tax, he apparently replied, "Doesn’t the title say Old Age, Survivors
and Disability Insurance?"
The IRS had tried to levy Valentine’s bank account, but he had none. In 1960, after refusing a summons to
appear in court, he was cited for contempt and brought to the Pittsburgh U.S. District Court. According to a
Reader’s Digest article, the judge "angrily demanded of the IRS agents, ‘Don’t you have anything better to
do than to take a peaceful man off his farm and drag him into court?’ " The case was dismissed.
But the IRS was undaunted and, according to its own press release, this is what happened next on April 18,
1961...
Since Mr. Byler had no bank account against which to levy for the tax due, it was decided as a last
desperate measure to resort to seizure and sale of personal property.
It was then determined that Mr. Byler had a total of six horses, so it was decided to seize three in order to
satisfy the tax indebtedness. The three horses were sold May 1, 1961 at public auction for $460. Of this
amount, $308.96 represented the tax due and $113.15 represented the expenses of the auction sale,
including feed for the horses, leaving a surplus of $37.89 which was returned to the taxpayer.
The Byler case, like all others in the same category, presents an unpleasant and difficult task for the
Internal Revenue Service... We have no other choice under the law.
Valentine was literally in his field with his team of horses doing some work prior to spring plowing when
his horses were seized. With these same horses he would prepare his fields, do his planting, reap the
harvest, and earn his living. The harnesses were also taken and included in the sale. According to a book
describing the auction, The Amish in Court, no Amish came to bid on the horses and, due to a lack of
bidders, they went for a good price, with the harnesses "thrown in" by the auctioneer. (Valentine borrowed
his neighbor’s horses to finish his plowing.)
Immediately after the seizure and sale, the Pittsburgh IRS Chief of Collections responded he was unaware
of the plowing situation. "Plowing never occurred to me. I live in an apartment." He was furthermore
quoted as saying, "We don’t ask people their race or religion when we administer the tax laws. People have
no right to use their religion as an excuse not to pay taxes."
Part Three: The Media Gets Involved
11
The dispute came to the public’s attention after the IRS seized the horses of a Pennsylvania Amishman,
Valentine Byler, to pay for the back Social Security taxes he owed and had refused to pay. With these same
horses he would prepare his fields, do his planting, reap the harvest, and earn his living.
Since increased taxes and Social Security were becoming more of a concern among the general American
public and the new Kennedy administration, it didn’t take long for this story to hit the newspapers, and not
just in the United States. A Public Information Officer for the IRS admitted that some Communist countries
picked up the story to supposedly show the hypocritical attitude of the government and lack of true freedom
in the United States.
The newspapers in America basically responded in favor of the Amishman. The Yonkers Herald
Statesman noted...
Many of us resent central government insistence that it must impose on us all the costs of cradle-to-grave
care as defined by bureaucrats. Yet we pay and pay and pay the taxes demanded because we have not yet
been able to devise a sound way of escape.
The New York Herald Tribune, under the headline "Welfarism Gone Mad," stated in part...
The majesty and might of the Federal government have now been marshaled against Valentine Y. Byler.
His horses --- which, since Amish rules forbid the use of tractors, represent his means of livelihood --- have
been seized and sold at auction.
What kind of "welfare" is it that takes a farmer’s horses away at spring plowing time in order to dragoon a
whole community into a ‘benefit’ scheme it neither needs nor wants, and which offends its deeply held
religious scruples?
And from the Ledger-Star in Norfolk, Virginia came this response from William H. Fitzpatrick...
...When the last Amish buggy has disappeared from the dusty by-road, or has been sold like Valentine
Byler’s three plow horses, it will mark more than the passing of a sect who were overwhelmed by time and
change. It will mark also a milestone in the passing of freedom --- the freedom of people to live their lives
undisturbed by their government so long as they lived disturbing no others. It was a freedom the country
once thought important.
Another article, included in a letter sent to Valentine himself, showed how the case could touch a raw nerve
with some, especially those unhappy with the new Kennedy Administration. It was the classic "little guy"
against the privileged politicians of "big government." Theodore L. Humes in a publication called Human
Events lashed out at just about everybody...
It is unlikely that the name Valentine Byler comes up between Bach fugues at the White House, or during
the poolside dunkings of Bobby [Kennedy] and his pals; the Ford Foundation is unlikely to commission
Marc Blitzstein to glorify him in opera as it has done for Sacco and Vanzetti; and neither Carl Sandburg
nor Robert Frost will honor him in verse.
Part Four: The Public Reaction
12
Between 1961 and 1963, Valentine received over 40 letters at his home, as people read about his plight.
Some even sent money. These letters came from a wide range of Americans, and reflected social and
political feelings of the time. Since none of these letters have ever been quoted or seen publicly to my
knowledge, I want to include selections from a few of them in this issue...
From Dallas, Texas: May I congratulate you on having the intestinal fortitude to stand up for your beliefs.
While I am aware that your action stemmed from a love of your religion rather than from defiance, I hope
that your example may serve to point out to some of us just how far our benevolent Government will go to
reach its goal of making dependents of us all. There seems to be no place for a person who asks merely to
be left alone, and to provide for himself and his family
From New Wilmington, Pennsylvania: Please accept this as a small token ($5) toward the "resistance of
the tyranny of the majority." I only wish that I could do more but, being a college student, my funds are
limited.
From a minister in National City, California: We have always prided ourselves on having absolute
separation of Church and State, absolute freedom in Religion, and genuine respect for every man’s
conscience here in these United States. I am sincerely sorry this has happened. I hope that the Lord leads
you out of this situation well.
From Dickinson, Texas: Your courageous stand for your religious principles is to be commended. Your
action in support of freedom is action in defense of the freedom of all of us.
From a doctor in Dallas, Texas: Your views and beliefs should be respected. Our great nation was built
on principles and premises you adhere to. We as a country and a nation have come a long way from the
old time virtues of simplicity, hard work, frugality, and self reliance.
From Elk City, Oklahoma: We have been guilty of letting little things seemingly creep in and have
destroyed the quality of togetherness which you folk still possess. The idea that eventually we will all be
taken care of by the government simply takes the initiative away from folks. To my knowledge you are the
only people to have the admirable regard you have for no divorce, lack of juvenile delinquency, and caring
for the aged. I think we could all learn a great deal from you folk.
From Amsterdam, New York: The only point of issue is that if there are no cases of old age need in your
community, then you should not have to pay social security tax. But if there are, you should and must. It is
simple as all that.
From Washington, DC: Many of us do not like the apparent over-reaching power of "Caesar’s Might."
Which will last longer --- trust in God or trust in money? The Amish are wise enough to answer this one. I
dare say the Amish way, to trust in God and men’s good will, will last longer than any monetary system.
Part Five: The Amish "Fight Back"
13
The Amish held meetings with various officials after the incident. At a September, 1961 meeting with the
IRS commissioner in Washington, Amish bishops cited several Bible passages, including I Timothy 5:8,
which says, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied
the faith and is worse than an infidel."
This printed petition submitted read in part...
We, as representatives of the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church, do herein express our deep
appreciation, and with grateful hearts do we recount the favors and consideration accorded our
forefathers in the past...
We believe in a supreme being and also the constitution of the USA, and we feel the Social Security Act and
Old Age Survivors Insurance [OASI] is abridging and infringing to our religious freedom. We believe in
giving alms in the church according to Christ’s teaching.
It has been our Christian concern from birth of our church group to supply those of our group who have a
need, financial or otherwise... Our faith has always been sufficient to meet the needs as they come about,
and we feel the present OASI is an infringement on our responsibilities; as a church we feel grieved that
this OASI has come upon us...
We Bishops, representatives of the Old Order Churches of the USA are appealing to you to prayerfully
consider and reconsider this favor. In God we trust.
In the end, it was decided the Amish would seek an exemption based on the First Amendment. The IRS
would stop further seizures until the case was settled. The Senators present said they would try to get a bill
passed in Congress. In essence, a "moratorium" was in effect.
The Amish seriously considered a court case, and even hired a lawyer, in a move uncharacteristic with their
religious beliefs. As the court date approached, they wrestled with their convictions and decided to drop the
case, opting instead to pursue a legislative exemption.
Further meetings and public reaction mainly in support of the Amish continued through the year 1964. And
so it came to pass that in 1965, the Medicare bill was passed by Congress. As Wayne Fisher writes in The
Amish in Court, "Tucked into the 138 page bill was a clause exempting the Old Order Amish, and any
other religious sect who conscientiously objected to insurance, from paying Social Security payments,
providing that sect had been in existence since December 31, 1950. After Senate approval in July, the
signing of the bill by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 13, 1965, made it official and canceled tax
accounts of some 15,000 Amish people amounting to nearly $250,000."
What then became of Valentine Byler, who had suddenly been thrust into the limelight? According to
Wayne Fisher, "On May 3, 1965, Mr. Byler fell from a grain drill while working in his field and broke his
neck. While he lay very sick in a hospital bed in the front room of his farmhouse, the news of the passage of
the bill for which he had become a symbol, brought only a flicker of a smile from his face framed within his
red beard."
14
POSTSCRIPT: Following the first publication of the above article, I received the following email
from Val Byler...
Valentine Byler was my fraternal grandfather. I was actually named after him. I remember this story
being mentioned when I was very young. I was born in 1963, a year and a half before he fell and broke
his neck. He never let his disabilities keep him from ambition and trying his best. We built a shop for
him where he made and sold wooden toys, bird houses and feeders, etc. until shortly before he passed
away in 1998. I just wanted to say that I found the article very honorable, and appreciate the great
account of that event. If I knew then (I moved away in 1981) what I know now, I would have written of
it in his own words. But, he never talked about it.
Amish Country News Amish Series by Brad Igou (1999, 2005)
15

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