Yoder Projects

YODER PROJECTS

Last update: 23 March 2000

Projects involving fund raising:

Yoder House, Penn Alps, Grantsville, MD

JohnYoder Home, Sugarcreek, OH

Pleasantville (Oley Yoder) Cemetary, PA

Restoration of the old Yoder Cemetary - Somerset County, PA

Research & documentation projects:

Oley Yoder Tourbook

Yoder Heritage Videotape

Yoder Gutenberg Project

YODER HOUSE, PENN ALPS,GRANTSVILLE,MD:

A proposal is well underway in Grantsville, MD to build a house. The house is to be built primarily of "Yoder Stones"... stones collected from the foundations of old Yoder homesteads in the area and perhaps other stones with Yoder significance which may be donated by people from other parts of the country. A group of volunteers who have Yoder heritage in common have conceived of a primarily stone structure to be built among other houses in a grouping called the Spruce Forest Artisan Village, adjacent to Penn Alps in Grantsville. The structure may serve as an information center, and perhaps a museum and repository of local Yoder materials. A structure of similar function known as the "Miller House" already sets in the Spruce Forest.

The planning began at an initial meeting Sep.5, 1992, and took place in conjunction with the Yoder programs by the Casselman River Area Historians. They intend the House to be a center for Yoder information. Also housed in the Yoder Stone House will likely be the local bird carvings of artisan Gary Yoder who has been part of the Spruce Forrest
group for several years.

Those wishing to make donations make them payable to Yoder House Project, Spruce Valley Artisan Village, 177 Casselman Road, Grantsville, Maryland, 21536. The group has Federal status as a non-profit, 503C organization.

JOHN YODER HOME, Sugarcreek, OH:

The home of John S. Yoder (YR12577), built in 1869, is believed to have been the first built in the village of Sugarcreek. The Amish Heritage Association has moved it from its original location and is restoring it as a lasting memorial to the village of Sugarcreek and its Amish Community. For more information, contact : Amish Heritage Foundation, Box 704, Sugarcreek, OH 44681. Gifts are Tax Deductible.

PLEASANTVILLE (OLEY YODER) CEMETERY, PA:

This project is a follow-on by the Committee which organized and hosted the Oley Yoder Reunion/Heritage Tour in 1996. Their objective is to add to and to insure the continued solvency of the trust fund which had been established for care and maintenance of this Cemetery--- the oldest known burial place of Yoders in the United States. For further information email Richard B. Yoder.

RESTORATION OF THE OLD YODER CEMETERY- SOMERSET CO.,PA

Surrounded by the strip mining operation of the PBS Coal Company, Cambra Tipple, the old Yoder Cemetery in Somerset county has been a survivor. It's seen the land stripped off and then smoothed back again around it. Watchful eyes of interested descendants have helped insure this . This cemetery, completely overgrown and in disrepair, is on the original homestead of "Schweitzer" Christian Yoder (YR23), and contains dozens of graves, mostly unmarked. The homestead was passed along to Christian's son John. John's grave and that of his wife Barbara Yoder are among the few that can be identified today. We believe it likely that "Schweitzer" Christian, his second wife Barbara Hooley, and their son Bishop Christian Yoder Sr are also here.

This restoration effort is being launched by the YODER NEWSLETTER, with three short-term goals in mind:

a clean-up work weekend to be scheduled sometime in the summer 97

a commemorative marker for the Yoder Cemetery

restored markers for John and Barbara, with possible added new marker.

If interested in helping on this project, contact: Chris Yoder, 203 Lakeshire Rd, Battle Creek, MI 49015 or email to: Chris Yoder.

RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION PROJECTS:

OLEY YODER TOURBOOK

Dick Yoder of Bechtelsville, PA is building on last summer's excellent scripted tour of the Oley Yoder Heritage sites to produce a booklet with photographs. The YNL is supporting this effort and will be helping to fund the publication. It should be available later in 1997, and will be announced in the Newsletter, on the Web, and through the list server.

YODER HERITAGE VIDEOTAPE

Virgil Yoder's well researched, wonderfully photographed, and exceptionally scripted slide show of Yoder Heritage in the old world is being converted to VCR format and will be made available for sale to interested parties. What a wonderful centerpiece for you own YODER family Reunion! It should also be available in 1997, and will also be announced in the Newsletter, on the Web, and through the list server

YODER GUTENBERG PROJECT

The "Gutenberg Project", named after the first mass printer of the Bible, is a "cyberspace" project started by a professor at Illinois Benedictine College. His goal is to convert 10,000 of the most used classical works from paper into "digital" form (meaning to make them readable on a computer) by the year 2001.

We, of the Yoder Newsletter, have launched our own "Yoder Gutenberg Project". We intend to continue our efforts in data gathering and conversion. The "Yoder Archives" represents a large amount of information, but it is only a fraction of what could be made available from our files should we have more volunteer help available to do the typing/ or scanning. Help us expand these Yoder files, the YNL.... if you can type or have a scanner, have a computer, and some available time WE ASK YOUR HELP in this effort. Contact Chris Yoder with your offer of assistance.

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