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But these days, she expresses little interest in relationships and rarely dresses like a Yank -- unless she's going to a concert or an amusement park, where the ogling is infinitely worse.

Her interest in Yank ways, however, has expanded beyond keggers and midriffs. She'd like to go to college and become a nurse. She knows of one Amish woman who did just that, but when she finally joined the church, she gave it up. "I don't know if I could be a nurse and still be Amish," Tina says. "No one has done it."

Her life's path is based entirely on such precedents. She does things, she often says, because "that's just how it's done."

When asked why she doesn't leave the Amish -- what they refer to as "Yanking off" -- Tina shrugs. "Don't really see the point."

On a rainy winter evening, Tina sucks down Smirnoff Ice in an empty diner on the outskirts of Middlefield. She's joined by Locher and her friend June.

June is Tina's partner in crime -- a ruddy-cheeked 21-year-old with a devilish giggle. She is lapping everyone by at least two Buds, not including the one she spilled on Locher's lap. "You gotta watch out for this one," Locher says, pointing at June. "I'll put this girl up against pretty much any Yank I know."

June started her rumspringa when she was 17. "But I went to my first party at 15," she says, bursting into laughter.

She has already joined the church. But that hasn't kept her from closing down the bar on Saturday nights. She doesn't fear being shunned over a couple of Miller Lights. "It's really not as strict as people think," June says.

The women make clear that their church is not as puritanical as outsiders perceive. Tina's is simply a group of about 15 families who take turns hosting Sunday services -- a community of sustained tradition, uncluttered by modern conveniences. Their isolation has more to do with preserving the old ways than any real disdain for Yanks.

In Middlefield, there are dozens of these churches. Each has its own pastor and its own views. In June's church, it's up to each family to decide how to deal with disobedience.

Locher is one of the few Yanks who understand the subtle variances of their world. He dated an Amish girl -- a stunningly slender blonde from a family of eight children. She was sincere and grounded -- so different from the other girls Locher had dated.

She peaked his interest in the ways of the Amish. So Locher paid a visit to her pastor, hoping to sort out fact from fiction. "They're nothing like Amish in the City," Locher says. "Their focus is on family and helping each other out. Nothing else matters. I really respect that."

The pastor revealed that his oldest son had left the church to marry a Yank. He decided not to shun his son. His only rule is that his son must dress Amish when he comes to visit. "I realized they were a lot more open than many people perceive them to be," Locher says.

Though he stopped seeing the girl, Locher still toys with the idea of becoming Amish. "Sometimes it would be nice to get away from the city and live off the land," he says. "But I still have too many questions."

A few Yanks have joined the Amish, but it's rare. "It's so hard," Tina says. "You have to give up your radio. No TV. No car."

On the other hand, many Amish have left their communities, seduced by a Yankee soul mate or the chance to own a car. Some are shunned forever. Others return like prodigal sons. And there are those capable of navigating both worlds, like June's uncle, who left the Amish long ago. "I still love my uncle," she says. "He drives my dad to work almost every day."

Like many Amish teens, June thought about following her uncle. "It was when I was 16 and I wasn't getting along with my family," she says. "But now I love my family, so it doesn't make sense to leave."

Her family is smitten with the choice, even if it means she still bends the rules a bit. "I just don't tell them that I go to bars," she says. "But even if they found out, they wouldn't do anything about it."

The waitress interrupts, asking if anyone needs anything. June mischievously eyes Tina. "I'll have one more," she says.

As forgiving as June's family may be, the law is not.

While police elsewhere in rural Ohio focus on meth labs and wife-beaters, Middlefield's cops have a curious fetish for busting the Amish.

June was first pinched at 17. She and her friends had killed a six-pack before hopping in a buggy to buy more. They noticed a cop trailing them and stuffed their mouths with Listerine strips just before they were pulled over. It was no use. Everyone was forced to take a field sobriety test. June failed miserably. The cop delivered her home.

Tina was once cruising around town with her cousins when one accidentally dropped a 12 of Bud into the street. They were instantly pulled over. "They'd been trailing us for a while," Tina says. "I wasn't even drunk, but they're always following buggies around."

Locher wags his head in agreement. "You'll never see a buggy parked in front of a bar," he says. "They're instant targets."

Former Chardon Municipal Court Judge Craig Albert admits as much, but cites safety as the reason. "The car will go right into a ditch," Albert says. "But the horses will go right through an intersection. These kids will get in their buggies and pass out and just let the horses head home on their own."

After four years of dealing with the law, Tina and June are now well practiced in deceiving it.

Write Your Comment show comments (22)

  1. For Heaven's sake--we non-Amish are called (the) "English," not "Yanks." Geez.

    Comment by Gill Avila — March 15, 2007 @ 05:11PM

  2. How would you know what we're called? Don't just go by what you learned watching "Kingpin" and "The Witness" jerkoff. Oops, I mean, yank.

    Comment by RoBotkin — March 15, 2007 @ 10:59PM

  3. Thank you for writing this article on the Amish youth. Too many people living outside of Middlefield really don't understand the reality of young Amish folks. Let the truth be told. Thanks!

    Comment by Ron Duncan — March 16, 2007 @ 12:02PM

  4. People like Gill Avila and RoBotkin should really finish their "Hooked on Phonics" classes before they comment! The term "Yank" is what the Amish call the non-Amish. Not what everyone else refers to us as. And the writer of this article clearly states she actually got her facts from hanging out with these Amish women. Not by watching movies as RoBotkin would like to assume. Maybe before you two would like to act like you have a clue as to what you are talking about, you should actually learn to read!
    P.S. If any of these words were too big for you, please consult your dictionary. You know, the really big book on your bookshelves that is collecting dust.

    Comment by RJ — March 16, 2007 @ 02:29PM

  5. I can see that "Robotkin" is an uneducated moron who's never read a book that didn't require crayons, otherwise I'd recommend that he/she/it read Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish by Tom Shachtman. Maybe someone can read it to him/her/it.

    Comment by Gill Avila — March 16, 2007 @ 05:18PM

  6. Its sad that people ridicule and treat the Amish as weird. There life is quiet and peaceful with little stress. When a member of the Amish community needs a house or barn built the whole community, some from hundreds of miles away, come together and build it. If father becomes sicks and can't farm the community takes care of them. Not many "Yanks" will do that even for there own family!

    Comment by Dave Mohn — March 16, 2007 @ 08:55PM

  7. Interesting article. I don't know anything about the Amish, I think it's good to have a counter to the ever accelerating technological world we live in. It's horrible though, that her family force her to choose between either the Amish life or the "Yank" life using her family as bullying tactic. I find this to be quite a common theme amongst the, admittedly few, religious families I know..

    Comment by Tom Houston — March 18, 2007 @ 04:05PM

  8. Hmm. The amish practice of shunning is exactly what Jehovah's Witnesses do. It's too bad that there are such intolerant people in the world today, but it was nice to read that one of the pastors did not shun his son just because he decided he didn't want to be amish.

    Comment by Regina — March 20, 2007 @ 06:26PM

  9. My friend sent me this article. It's an amazing piece of work, actually; really engrossing. Awesome job.

    Comment by Sam — March 20, 2007 @ 07:21PM

  10. Whomever wrote this article obviously has aspirations of becoming a porn fiction best selling author. Although I found it humorous, it is obvious that the author knows nothing about the amish. Yanks? All non amish are referred to as "English". There are to many other discrepancies in this story to bother with, so I will just have to leave this loser author to his own devices.

    Comment by slowride — March 20, 2007 @ 10:38PM

  11. If you folks reading this don't know an early April Fool's joke of a story... then you are a bunch of 'dumb English.' This dumb dutchman knows a joke when he reads one.

    Comment by padoogle2001 — March 20, 2007 @ 11:34PM

  12. I read this article and found it very interesting as I sit here in my office at Camp Anaconda, Iraq. I don't agree with the comment about the Amish being intolerant because they choose to live a different life style; see the world and you'll learn that everyone chooses their "own" lifestyle. That comment is blatantly disrepectful because who is this person to judge? Come over to the Middle East and you'll experience things you never thought possible, but it is good for a person to do this if they make such comments. When I get home in November, I am going to do a 3 to 4 day road trip and visit this bar and meet some Amish women, buy them some beers, and get to know them because I find them interesting and mysterious. We have them in Michigan but I'll need a vacation when I get home.

    Comment by Scott — March 25, 2007 @ 07:07AM

  13. This has to be the dumbest article Scene has ever published. So what if Amish girls like to go out and have a beer? Who cares except the Amish?????

    Comment by Gail — April 2, 2007 @ 02:16PM

  14. in regards to article in firstpunch "beer:the miracle cure" if in fact Miss Michelle Arthur currently is prescribed an anxiety remedy, the persons responsible for firing her owe her an apoligy and in my opinion; her job back. unless you understand anxiety/panic attacks, they may seem to be some what shocking and bizzar to the ignorant. but in fact, panic attacks are a common affliction to millions. certain people handle individual attacks differently. her actions are identical to substituting a chocolate bar for insulin if the circumstances call for it. would you fire that person? aside from a petty misdomeaner,the actions may have saved a trip in an ambulance and another stress scar on the nerves of miss Arthur. this is an affliction that we cannot control. we can only hope to contain it. miss Arthurs rights and dignity have been violated. i hope this letter shames someone into making this situation right. with my most sincere conviction,

    timmy shmotz

    Comment by timmy shmotz — May 14, 2007 @ 04:33PM

  15. Seriously, this is a pretty accurate article, I live in Middlefield and I've been to the bars around here including Twisters. And yes, we are referred to as Yanks around here.

    He does pretty much make it sound like fiction the way he writes it, though.

    Comment by Kyle Cavanaugh — June 16, 2007 @ 04:34PM

  16. all you people are old, aren't you?
    i've seen an amish boy about my age once at niagara falls with his family and whatnot.
    he and i made eye connection and it looked like he wanted to say "please, take me away!"
    he was really cute though, id love to hook up with a cute amish guy in suspenders and stuff. heck yes.

    Comment by Lauren — August 13, 2007 @ 07:56PM

  17. I grew up near Middlefield, in N. Bloomfield. I went to school with Amish kids, they definitely call us "Yanks" I never heard the term "English".

    Comment by Todd Gill — August 16, 2007 @ 09:16PM

  18. It's very sad, that some young girls or guys, feel like they have to stay in the amish community, or they loose their family. It's like your family is taken as hostage. "Stay or you'll never see your family". What kind of bullshit is that? Religious people have to respect if a family member, isn't interested anymore, in the religion. They don't show that respect, by disconnecting the former member to his/her's family.
    And in those family, where they bend the amish rules, when the former member come for a visit, should wear whatever clothes he/she choose.
    It's not about a choice between electricity or family. I mean, there a ordinary families out there, who are together, and with electricity.
    Not to sound disrespectful, but I'm a 100% atteist (and don't see myself as evil, as many religious people think of), but simply a guy, who don't believe in a God. Nothing more than that. Life is on the planets in the universe, and will be there under the right circumstitions. A sun (star) with the right distance to a planet with atmosphere, water, and earth.
    I live in modern society, and I think, it is natural to use what modern technology can enrich our daily lifes. If you get sick, you can pick up the phone to call a doctor,and he can drive his car to you fast, in order to quickly get you up and running again. At night, you can turn on a lamp, if you wants to read a book, so you don't get bad sight reading in poor light. A.S.O.
    I hope one day, people will realize, that religion is superstition. And you can still be able to love, without being religious.
    Sorry for my bad english

    Comment by Krusty — August 22, 2007 @ 10:03PM

  19. I live in Johnstown, NY and we have quite a large Amish population within 15 minutes of our small city. I often see Amish in their buggys going up my street on their way to sell their baked goods and other things they make on the busy main street corner. They are also often seen in the local grocery stores etc. Anyway, every now and then I stop and buy a pie from them to bring in to work (because they are absolutely awesome)and they are extremely pleasant and willing to chat with us. Here in upstate NY they do refer to us outsiders as 'English'. I believe its just a regional thing if they refer to us as 'English' or 'Yanks' and obviously there is no difference and it is not meant with any distain or spite. I did know about rumpringa but I have yet to see any Amish youths in any of the local bars that me and my friends frequent, but who knows, maybe they are just 'blending in'...I doubt it though...must be another regional thing, how much their particular family or congregation will tolerate....just my 2 cents...their lives are very interesting to me and I have the greatest respect for how they choose to live, I know I couldnt do it....

    Comment by Jdub27 — October 7, 2007 @ 11:21AM

  20. BTW if anyone is actually still following this thread or commenting, after doing a little bit of research I found that our Amish population is actually considerably small, only about 100 families in the area, but we still interact with them almost daily. I can imagine it must be alot different in the middlefield, ohio area where there are thousands of Amish....

    Comment by Jdub27 — October 7, 2007 @ 12:00PM

  21. I've lived in the town over from Middlefield all my life and worked in Middlefield. The Amish really are like this - I developed pictures of their "barn parties" and bar visits for 3 years. I went to school and grew up with Amish kids. In fact, one of my best friends, who just graduated from college, used to be Amish. Her Mom, who turned Amish to marry an Amish man, decided she didn't want her and kids to be Amish anymore and they converted back. However, they still live with their Amish father and all their Amish relatives come to visit them. It's not as strict as you think. Also, if they decide not to be Amish anymore it's called "yanking over", not "yanking off". I have no idea where you would've gotten that term. Other than that, the story is fairly accurate.

    Comment by Anna — October 31, 2007 @ 09:22AM

  22. Something "piques" one's interest. It is not "peaked." No editor?

    Comment by Dan Syzlak — January 3, 2008 @ 09:28AM

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