My Dad was born in Plain City Ohio, son of an Amish farmer and Carpenter. When he was 12 , the entire family moved to Iowa in search of stricter church rules. The cattle and farm machinery were taken to the local train depot there in Ohio. And loaded on rail cars for the trip. The older Yutzy boys, Dave and Henry , decided it would be an adventure to ride on the open flatcar seated on the wagon next to the corn planter. As most brilliant ideas go, the first part went swimmingly. They waved to farmers and city folk as the train rumbled into the March afternoon, and ate the sandwiches Roy Mommy, (My Grandma Yutzy) had sent along with them. But by the time they reached Spingfield Ill, it got dark, and the weather turned cold. They reconsidered their options and none of them seemed promising. Shivering , they made their way to the livestock car, and huddled among the sleeping cows for warmth. The morning sun arrived about the same time they got to the Fairbanks train station and they arose. Stiff, hungry and cold, but with a good story to tell of their adventures.
They settled in on the dairy farm there in Buchanen county Iowa. And since there was no private school, Dad and his siblings rode the bus to public school. The Yutzy children had always gone to Public school In Ohio, and were well accepted and respected there. But the settlement in Iowa was new, too small for their own school. And so they were sent off on the yellow bus to Hazleton. Unfortunately, there were Bullies on the bus, most of them Catholic, and they harassed the Amish kids relentlessly. They quickly figured out that the Amish kids wouldn’t fight back, so they kicked and pinched the kids as soon as they got on the bus. Dad was 12 , and scrawny and from the first day he was targeted because of his size they tore off his beanie and threw it out the window , and made fun of his hair with the strange Amish bowl cut. At school the abuse continued, they were required to have tennis shoes for gym class, and Roy Dawdy, (My Grandfather) had bought each of the boys a new pair. But the first day dad wore his , they stole them after gym class, and burned them in the trash bin after school. When my dad came home after school, shoeless, Roy Dawdy questioned him, and dad told the story. Dad had to wear his work shoes to school the rest of the year as the family couldn’t afford to buy another pair of new shoes.
A few months later the bullies again targeted my Dad on the school bus on the way home. They cornered him in the back of the bus so the driver couldn’t see what was going on, and beat him, until his nose was broken and his shirt blood soaked. He got off the bus and tried to run to the house before he was spotted, but Roy Dawdy caught him at the door and roughly grabbed his arm. Dad told him the story , even though he could hardly talk through the tears. He was then sternly told that if he ever caused trouble at school like that, he would be whipped . And to never ever fight back or defend himself, as the Good Book requires you to turn the other cheek.
When dad became a father a few years later, he vowed that his children would never be forced to go to a public school. But that would cost him a great deal of time , money and stress.
Dad married Mom in 1953, and they moved to Arkansas. But the rocky ground proved to be unsuitable for farming and the menfolk were forced to take on carpenter work in order to survive Then dad was hit while riding in a taxi, and had his leg shattered. They inserted a long steel pin to hold his bones in place but He couldn’t work for months and the Yutzy’s almost starved to death. Eventually they figured enough was enough, and moved back to Buchanan county Iowa, where dads family still lived.
They had jumped from the frying pan into the fire. The local public school board had recently ordered that all teachers must now be state certified. The Amish there had an established private school , with a local Amish girl as a teacher, for all 8 grades. However, they could not be counted on the public school roster , and the commissioners were upset by the lack of income. So a letter went out to all Amish families, demanding that the kids go to public school or they would be considered truant. And in danger of legal action. The parents refused , and received a notice that they were in violation of state law and requested that the protesting fathers appear in court the next day. The district justice found them guilty, fined each family $30 and warned that if the kids were not in school the next day they would need to appear in court the next evening at 6 pm. Every evening the judge would ask each man how they pled. Every night they all pled not guilty and were each fined an additional $30 . This was equivalent to 3 days wages in those days so it added up very quickly. 5 days a week, for 6 weeks, dad hitched up the buggy and drove the 6 miles to court and back. This was in the busy harvesting season and he had to rush through the farm chores in order to make it into court on time .
Each night they were threatened with jail time and never knew if they would be coming home or sleeping at the jail. One night he was too sick to go, and stayed home. About 7 pm , the Sherriff pulled into the driveway and took dad into custody and drove him to the courthouse. He was then charged with a felony of failure to appear which remained on his record for life.
A few days later an entourage of law enforcement vehicles and a truck with a trailer pulled up to one of the Amish protesters farms and backed up to the barn. They loaded up 2 of his prized Jersey milk cows and hauled them off to the auction to satisfy his debt for truancy. Another Amish farmer was plowing a field with a team of Belgium’s, and the deputies unhitched the plow in the middle of the field and took the horses to pay the fines.
The following afternoon mom and dad were at the local hardware store picking up staples, when an announcement came over the radio. “The sheriff and other law enforcement are now at the Yutzy farm to attempt to collect on a judgment. No one appears to be home , so they are camped out awaiting the Yutzy’s return”. A shock wave ran thru dads body and paralyzed him for a minute, right there by the nail and rope selection. After he was able to catch his breath he found mom and together they decided they might as well face the music. But first they finished their shopping, taking their good old time . The ride home was silent, Amish are taught to hide all their feelings and emotions. But Mom gripped his hand tightly and smiled at dad. And he knew in his heart that God was on their side , and the words of Matthew 19:26 ran though his mind on a loop “With God all things are possible “
Pulling into the driveway to their house in their double buggy, they could see that the yard was full of law enforcement vehicles and a taste of fear went through them. But they looked straight ahead and the horse put on a show for everyone .He was a former race horse, and it seemed he wanted to show off for the audience . Head held high , tail slightly raised , he trotted briskly along , scattering the reporters. Without any guidance the horse stopped at the fence rail on his own. They were immediately surrounded by a gaggle of reporters, cameras clicking as they yelled questions .
At the center of it all was Sherriff Fred Beier and he rudely started to interrogate dad even before he could hitch the horse to the fence. Dad interrupted him, and asked if they could discuss it in the house away from the pesky reporters. The Sherriff agreed and they sat down at the kitchen table. Mom added a stick of wood to the cookstove and set a kettle of water on the top. They Sherriff stated that he needed to take something with him to satisfy dads debt, and Dad replied that he had nothing of value except 40 acres of standing corn . Mom poured the two of them each a cup of spearmint tea and the Sherriff leaned back in his chair. “Well. I guess we will just wait until then” He said. “I hate to take anything you need to make a living, like work horses and farm machinery” You folks have a great evening, I’ll get rid of the circus outside for you” He ducked out the door and soon it was peaceful again on the Yutzy farm.
Several days later all the Amish received notice that next week all the kids must attend public school . The following Monday a yellow bus stopped at the end of the Yutzy driveway. It was the first stop, so the bus was empty. The Sherriff was following the bus and when he saw that no kids boarded it, he drove up to the house and asked where the kids were. I don’t know” my dad replied. “What do you mean” the Sherriff demanded, “every parent should know where their kids are at all times”. “They could be at the barn, or the neighbors or walking to school” dad said. “How about this?” my dad offered “Why don’t you bring the bus to school tomorrow morning and pick up all the kids at once?” “Well that’s the first good thing I’ve heard you say Mr Yutzy! Brilliant! We will be there tomorrow morning bright and early”.
Dad immediately went over to the neighbors and called a reporter from the Des Moines register. Thomas DeFeo and dad had become friends after dad found out he was very sympathetic to the plight of the Amish. He had advised dad that the key to getting the schools accepted was to get the public sympathy on the side of the kids with pictures or movie footage of the kids being harassed. He promised to meet dad at the schoolhouse the next day and they said goodbyes.
The next morning everyone gathered at the small one room school. Swarms of media , Truant officers, county commissioners, Sheriff’s deputy’s , and amish fathers. There was an electricity in the air, that crisp November morning, yet few knew that this day would change the course of history. The school bus was parked along the road, and the reporters set up the tripods for the heavy movie cameras. Facing the school bus so they could film the Amish kids entering the bus. Dad sought out his reporter friend and advised him to set up his camera in the opposite corner of the schoolyard with a view of the door and the cornfield behind it . Dad then went inside and had a word with the students . In Pennsylvania dutch,he told them “Von Ich Meigh hant knegh due, springet fwa sich velscun felt” (When I raise my hand, run for the corn field.)
At precisely 9 am, Sherriff Beier stepped out of the squad car and strode purposefully up to the school door, He didn’t bother to knock, just swung the door open and yelled at the frightened children to get on the bus . To his surprise, all the kids walked to the door in an orderly fashion and gathered on the porch . The Sherriff smiled , and turned to dad., not knowing about the hidden signal dad had worked out with the children before any law enforcement arrived at the scene. “I sure appreciate everyone’s cooperation today, Mr Yutzy” He continued.
With a blank expression on his face, dad raised his hand , and said firmly, “Springet” The Sherriffs jaw dropped , and his expression darkened. “What did you tell those kids?” He yelled at dad. Like a bullet from a gun, the kids all shot off the porch in the opposite direction of the school bus. They scrambled through the barb wire fence, hearts beating rapidly. My sister Arlene got her dress caught in the fence , and left a strip of green cloth in the fence . Only one camera caught the action, but that was all that was needed. The kids disappeared into the cornfield as the sheriff and deputies gaped open mouthed. The deputy scrambled after them and was able to catch only one kid, Emmanuel Bontrager, who was a little more heavy set and couldn’t keep up with the other kids. The deputy drug him to the bus as he cried and threw him into the open door , cameras rolling. One camera then shifted to the schoolhouse door where the Amish teacher was sobbing, as Emmanuel was her younger brother.
The Sherriff had no appetite to chase the kids into the cornfield, so he left and the rest of his entourage soon followed the reporters rushing back home to meet their deadlines. And the Amish kids walked to the other side of the cornfield , where my uncle Jake was husking corn and throwing it on the wagon . One minute he was alone , and the next minute he was surrounded by kids. It gave him quite a shock! They eventually walked back to their homes. And were tearfully reunited with their families. Not knowing if the persecution would continue.
But the photos and news real clips went out over the ap, and were broadcast all over the United States and parts of Europe, and the tide began to turn. Mail and phone calls soon flooded the office of Governor Harold Hughes and eventually he decided to investigate himself. He and his protection detail were able to drive within a mile of the school, but were stopped by the muddy roads, unable to continue any further. So an Amish man gave him a ride in his buggy while the rest unhappily trudged thru ankle deep mud to the schoolhouse. The governor arrived and was invited inside, where he sat and observed the children for awhile , and then asked to see the kids grade cards and attendance . Satisfied, he remarked on the buggy ride back to his car that he was happy and satisfied that the Amish were doing a fine job on their own. He promised to put a stop to the harassment and had an order go out the next day for the courts to cease any new fines until further notice.
Not long after this, my parents decided to move to Wisconsin , and advertised an auction which included farm machinery and a large quantity of ear corn, now safety stowed in the corn crib. The morning of the auction dawned bright and clear and many neighbors and friends gathered and visited , waiting for the auction to begin. Just before the bidding started, Sherriff Beier once again raced up the driveway , skidding to a stop by the windmill. He marched up to the auctioneer and demanded that he sign paperwork agreeing to turn the proceeds of the corn crib over to him after the auction. The auctioneer replied that he had no authority to do that and suggested he speak to the auction clerk. Now it just so happened that the clerk was dads older brother Dave, and he told the Sherriff if the auctioneer wouldn’t sign it, neither would he.
So the Sherriff reluctantly came to my dad and by now he was getting extremely frustrated by these stubborn Amish. And he demanded that dad give him the money after the sale . Dad sadly informed him that the money had already been promised to his landlord , as payment for the use of the farm for the year . “Mr Yutzy,” the sheriff threatened , “you better have that money for me , or else”. By this time a crowd of auction attendees had gathered around and the Sherriff could tell the mood of the farmers was turning against him . So he slunk off to his car and fled out the driveway, tires screeching as he hit the pavement. The crowd laughed and the mood lightened as the auctioneer started his song and the bidding began. When the auction was over dad quickly sent the money home with Roy Dawdy to put in his safe , not knowing if the Sherriff would come by again, but he never did . And the next morning dad took the money straight in to the bank and deposited it .
A short time later, the family was packing up to move , and 2 days before departure, dad thought it wise to inform the local court and drove to the county seat. He walked into the sheriffs office and let them know that he was not trying to hide, just wanted to be honest about his whereabouts. The Sherriff was furious and told him he had to pay his judgement before leaving. But Dad had no money to do so. So he was advised that he would be locked up until the debt was paid. The Sherriff told dad to go get some lunch until they could process the booking and then come back about 1 pm. Dad stepped outside, devastated by the turn of events. His appetite gone, he sat on the steps to ponder his next move. And who should come around the corner but Dan Bontrager, an older Amish man from the same church who was also a spokesman for the group , bouncing down the sidewalk. He greeted dad warmly , and asked how things were going, and was horrified to hear that he was going to be booked. I’ll go with you inside,” he said, “and let me do the talking”. So they went inside , and Dan asked the Sherriff if it was customary to book a man for unpaid debt without giving him a chance to post bond? “But Mr Yutzy has no money” The sheriff sputtered. “Well I do” said Dan, “what is the amount needed”? And Dan and dad walked out of there , heads held high with big grins on their faces.
So they moved to New Glarus Wisconsin, released on bond . And about 6 weeks later , the Governor of Iowa had a law passed that would exempt the Amish from having certified teachers. The law also ruled that the fines were unwarranted and therefore void . The newspapers the next day managed to get their last digs in though. The Headlines read “Iowa Governor Pardons Amish Criminals” To this day Christians schools all across America are exempt from having certified teachers
That should be enough for any family to go through, but there was more to come. The Amish believed 8 years of education was enough , and pulled their kids out of School to help on the farms when they reached that point. But the Wisconsin state law wanted them to stay in school until they were 16. So once again the harassment began.
The school districts wanted the extra money. The Amish schools only went to 8th grade , and they were not inclined to send their kids to Public schools So the Amish were fined each day that the kids were absent from public school. This went on for 2 months until it was finally heard at the county court. This resulted in a ruling against the Amish.
About then a new organization was formed, Calling themselves “ Religious freedom for the Amish.” It was made up of various church leaders and a hotshot lawer . Also on the committee was a survivor Of Hitler’s Nazi regime . They asked if they could donate their services to the Amish. According to the founder, the committee was formed on the day the news reels showed the Amish kids running toward the cornfield . They couldn’t promise a win but they wanted to give it a try. With the help of the Committee, the case was appealed to a circuit court which again ruled against the Amish . Not to be deterred, They appealed to the Wisconsin supreme court. In a stunning reversal, the state ruled in favor of the Amish. The local school district was furious and vowed to appeal it to the United States supreme court, the highest in the land.
There were 3 Amish Fathers named in Yoder v Wisconsin, Jonas Yoder, Wallace Miller, and my dad, Adin G Yutzy . Warren E. Burger, was the United States supreme court chief justice, and the case was heard in 1972.
Before the case could be heard, Dad had left the Amish church. He contacted the defense committee and offered to drop out of the case because he was now Mennonite. But the committee was happy to hear that, because they could now include Mennonites in the exception. Eventually the case was heard with many church leaders of many denominations testifying in favor of the Amish. My dad was unable to attend, but many of the Amish from Lancaster county Pa attended the hearings. They had also been harassed, fined , and spent time in jail for not supporting public schools .
William B. Ball, a Catholic attorney from Harrisburg Pa , represented the defendants, and argued that the Amish did not involve themselves in politics or receive government funding, including Social security benefits . All of the judges sided with the Amish except for William Douglas. He thought the students should have some say in their education and be given the right to seek education beyond the eighth grade. But in the end he agreed with the court’s decision.
The unanimous decision was 7-0 in favor of the Amish. The consensus was that individual states can not make a law overriding the constitutional first amendment right. Finally the uncertainty shrouding the religious right to educate was lifted , and private Christian schools were legitimized.
My dad had some faults, but the fact that he was willing to stand up to the highest court in the land is a great honor and source of pride to the Yutzy family. Every time I drive by a small Amish or Mennonite school I grin a bit, and feel surge of pride for the sacrifices he put into making sure kids everywhere in America did not have to suffer the abuse he was subjected to.
