82-Uncast«r Farming, Saturday, May 29, 1993
Finding Yoders Has Farmer Plowed Under
GAY N. BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
GRANTSVILLE, Md. Ken
neth L. Yoder, whose 250 acre
dairy farm flanks the Dorsey
Hotel Road, insists he’s a fanner.
But more often than not, it’s Ruth,
his wife, and Dwight and Annetta,
their two children living at home,
who are milking the 68 registered
Holsteins in the bam.
That doesn’t mean Yoder
doesn’t do his sharing of plowing,
mind you. It’s just that he’s usual
ly digging into a new project that
doesn’t call for a tractor or sod for
that matter.
His latest undertaking has Yod
er on a quest (along with a few
committee members), to locate all
the Yoders in the world. You see,
they’re going to build a Yoder
House this summer that will even
tually contain a history of Yoders
back to the fourth century when it
all began with St. Yoder.
The house will be built in the
Spruce Forest Artisan Village east
Annetta Yodtr, daughter of Ken and Ruth Yoder, Grants
ville, Md., says she enjoys tanning and would much rather
work outside than Inside. She stands with Cringle, one of 68
registered Holstelns In the herd.
81 jqc
farm. Cornucopia was the name of the original ® U w fu J new ‘'S' l,o their
means beautiful mountains. Neighbor Dee lt ** SCHOENENBERG
of here along Route 40, next to the
Penn Alps Restaurant and Crafts
Shop. Inside will be an archives.
Unique features in it will be the
soul wimlow where, it was
believed, the spirit flew out once
the person died; a Holy comer and
walk-in fireplace, and an apart
ment for the hosts.
Yoder learned to know other
Yoders in Europe when in 1955,
he joined the Mennonite Central
Committee’s PAX program in lieu
of military service and was sent to
Germany. He was to help resettle
refugees still, homeless from
World War 11. The place was
Espelkamp.
That’s where he met Ruth. With
her family, she was a refugee, and
in the same youth group with
Yoder.
He had taken his MCC orienta
tion seriously. He said, “We were
told by MCC we weren’t to be
chasing women.” So while he and
Ruth chatted on a platonic level,
nothing of romance entered the
Ruth and Ken Yoder are holding two books about Yoders that were given to them
by the late Karl Joder from Germany, a researcher.
relationship for several years.
Jokingly, he says, “I got to Ger
many and found the lady who
wanted to change her name to
Yoder.”
The two dated the last six
months of his three-plus years in
Germany. Communication wasn’t
too difficult. He spoke Pennsylva
nia Dutch and knew some high
German. She spoke German, was
taught English in school but never
used it. Then too, she was from a
farm family.
Yoder returned to the U.S. for a
year before going back and marry
ing Ruth. It was scary in a way,
especially for her mother, when
Ruth married and came to the U.S.
Still fresh were the vivid memo
ries of Denmark where they had
been held in the refugee camp.
“My mother made sure I had
enough money in the bank for the
back trip,” laughs Ruth.
When his dad retired from
active farming, Yoder and Ruth
moved to the family farm where
he had grown up and became the
fifth Yoder generation to run it.
Both the house and bam were built
in 1874, he says.
“I was always interested in dis
advantaged people,” says Yoder,
now an ordained minister. He got
*'' "*' *jeS.
the idea to start a housing project
in Harrisburg’s inner-city. Work
ing independently, he purchased
decrepit, old houses to fix up and
resell or rent to refugees and
recovering alcoholics. The busi
ness is Harris Homes.
He made good friendships that
crossed racial lines and became
lifelong friends with a black pas
tor and his congregation. They’ve
shared visits.
Such business ventures often
take Yoder away from home. He
says, “The only way I can do it is
because 1 have a good family.” He
and Ruth have seven children.
i. The Yoders have been to Ger-.
many and Switzerland several
times. One person they met was
the late Karl Joder who was
researching Yoders since the
1930 s and had an ancestral pedi
gree that covered six meters
(probably 18 plus feet). He gave
books relating to Yoders to Ken
and Ruth. One he’d personally
handbound and the other was a
secular history from Steffisburg,
Switzerland, wherein were the
actual signatures of the town
council members from 1980.
It was in Steffisburg, that a
number of Yoders held prestigious
positions such as judges or gover
nors, according to the book.
Yoder is also the secretary
treasurer of the Casselman Valley
Amish and Mcnnonite Historians
who celebrated the 2Soth anniver
sary of Yoders coming to America
from Germany, last year.
That’s when all the brainstorm
ing Yoders decided that what they
V&mesteed
want is one house in which to pre
serve their long history. And
they’re after artifacts from houses
all over the world to save within
the 30- by 40-foot walls. Even the
house design they’ve selected is a
pre-1750 style.
Ruth sent a rather accusing look
toward her husband, which was
meant to remind him that he
would be better off without
another project. But she already
knows he’s in over his “waders”
and the water keeps on risin’ when
you’re talking Yoder House
project.
No wonder Yoder says, “I went
out this morning to feed tjte cows,
but by the time I got around, it was
already done.”
Anyway, folks if you are read
ing this article, you must be a
Yoder yourself. Or maybe a
descendent of one. How could you
not be, after all, when back in
1987, Yoder listings in the nation
al telephone directory exceeded
8,000.
So, do Ken Yoder a favor and
get in touch with the folks here
who want to know about your
Yoder line. You will be sent as
much information about the Yoder
House project as you want. You
can contribute something by way
of an. artifact or treasure, informa
tion, money, time or suggestions.
Call Esther Yoder at the Spruce
Forest Artisan Village: Telephone
(301) 895-3332.
The address is The Yoder
House Spruce Forest Artisan Vil
lage, Route 2, Box S, Grantsville,
MD 21536.
trfoies