Hutterite Life

About the Book

Reflections Reading Peter Tschetter's book Hutterite Life is a personal reminiscent collection of stories of a generation living during transition times to a more convenient way of living on the prairie of South Dakota. One can get a gimpse of the living conditions of that generation whether one was in communal living or in community living. Peter has expressed believing that a Christ-centered life is lived by allowing the Holy Spirit of God to move one to live in a way that show's God's grace. That a Christ-centered life mst reflect a heart filled with the testimony of Jesus of those who claim His name---thereby giving real meaning to their own being. "Pete", as affectionately known, has expressed a desire to write down more stories of his childhood. His rich eperiences and also those involved should be read and not fall forgotten to the ages. I encourage him and the Hutterite people to share their life of communal living in this unique American sub-culture. - - Dawn (Hofer) Stahl

About the Author

I was born eleven pounds at New Elm Spring Hutterite Colony during a blizzard on the night of November 20, 1936. About five months earlier, on July 4, my parents and the Amos Hofer family moved down from Canada with the truck otherwise used to haul grain and livestock. My dad, my mother, and some of the others rode in the back of the truck with all their household goods. Children were shooting fireworks in the towns they went through. They came down on Highway 37 through Aberdeen, Huron, and Mitchell and turned east when they got to Dimock. Unpaved Highway 37 was very dusty and hot on July 4, 1936. When my parents arrived at Elm Spring, some of the people who were to resettle the colony were already there. When the minister Joe Hofer greeted them, he remarked, “I don’t know whether I should rejoice or cry over you.”