Amos Stoltzfus, Canuck

Amos Stoltzfus came from a long line of Amish-Mennonite Stoltzfuses who had settled in southwestern Ontario beginning in the 1820s. These Amish-Mennonite folk, unlike their brethren (and sisters) in the United States, who had assimilated with the regular Old Mennonites in the early twentieth century, were a primitive and stubborn breed who clung to their peculiar variation of the faith until 1962, when the Southwestern Ontario Amish-Mennonite Conference finally gave up the fight and melded with the Old Mennonites of Ontario (not to be confused with the General Conference Mennonites or the Mennonite Brethren).

This long period of germination and intermarriage within a very small group had occasionally produced some of the usual effects -- dwarfism, hydrocephalism and polydactylity -- that were the curse of many inbred Amish groups, but what saved them from the typical fate was their canny recognition of the benefits of crossbreeding.

Hence an early Bishop, Yoney Stoltzus, had had his way with several comely Mohawk serving women and introduced a fierce and beautiful genetic strain into the Freundschaft. Also, the extended Amish-Mennonite household, with its institution of the "hired man" had brought a sprinkling of Scottish and English seed among the young ladies of the household behind the barn or in the hayloft when Grandpa wasn't watching.

It was from this hearty and diverse genetic pool that Amos stemmed. He himself was a fine specimen, with the Mohawk characteristics ascendant. In fact, his grandmother liked to tease him by saying, "Amos, du bist so braun wie ein Indianer", and his high cheekbones and dark complexion were testimony to the wisdom of his horny Germanic ancestors.