Amish Community Lays Loved One to Rest with Traditional Burial Customs
ASHLAND COUNTY – Having a funeral in any culture is never easy, but in the Amish tradition it carries with it a deep sense of reverence, simplicity, and community.
This afternoon, State Route 96 was lined with quiet patience as the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office assisted in guiding a long convoy of black Amish buggies, passenger vans filled with extended family, and even groups of walkers. They made their way slowly toward Township Road 1293, before turning left and climbing a gentle incline to a small, secluded Amish graveyard.
At the base of the hill, horses stood in solemn silence, their hooves taking turns trudging carefully up the slope as if sharing in the weight of the moment. The rhythmic creak of buggy wheels and the muffled steps of families walking hand-in-hand replaced the usual sounds of traffic, creating a stillness that spoke louder than words.
Friends and family had traveled from across Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and communities throughout Ohio to pay their final respects. Gathered in traditional black and white attire, the Amish community carried forward customs passed down through generations.
The casket—simple, wooden, was lowered into the earth by family and neighbors, without decorative headstones or modern ceremony. Instead, quiet hymns sung in Pennsylvania Dutch, the reading of Scripture, and the collective presence of the community marked the farewell.
The Amish do not view death as an end but as a passage into eternal life, and their funerals reflect that hope in modest but powerful ways. Graves are often dug by hand, and burials take place in small family or church district cemeteries. The services are held in homes or barns rather than churches, emphasizing humility and community over grandeur.
As the last hymn faded and the grave was gently covered, Ashland County witnessed not just a funeral procession, but a glimpse into centuries-old traditions—where sorrow and faith walk hand in hand, and where community came together in quiet respect.
