Today we traveled south again in temps reaching
103F. Along the way we stopped at the
Kauffman Museum in Newton, KS. It
displays the history of the Mennonites arriving in Kansas in the mid 1800's,
including their lifestyle and interaction with natives and other groups.
There is one picture that reflects how subgroups can be so different over time. The picture shows an American Mennonite
woman and a Dutch Mennonite woman sharing a seat at Schiphol Airport in
Amsterdam in 1967
It also has a history section that looks at
Mennonites through history, particularly during the Middle Ages, when
persecution by other religious and governments
was widespread.
The museum also is preserving the many varieties of
grassland plants on the site. They have a mid 1800's barn and house to view.
A very well done historical site
.
We are spending the
night at the fairgrounds in Shawnee, OK.
6 comments:
Both the Mennonites and the Amish have a fascinating history. That was a great stop.
103 makes me feel tired just reading the number. I can't get over how hot it is in so many places this summer. I was shocked at the picture of the two Menonite women. When we lived in Virginia there were several large groups of Mennonites on both sides of the mountains and while they did not look as strict as the one woman, the always wore mid calf dresses seemingly made from the same pattern and little white hats on their heads. Never bare legs or anything like the other girl was wearing. Looks like a very interesting place.
the interior was not as simple as I imagined. Especially the furniture. I suppose I was basing my thinking on sterotypes.
That Dutch Mennonite does't look like any Memmonite woman I ever saw.
What a very neat museum. I never ever thought about Mennonites in the Middle Ages. I just think of them in the 20th Century.
That's a little warm for me. What fun doing all that exploring but thankful you also have air conditioning!
You guys have been visiting some fascinating American locales.
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