My Hutterite Life

by Lisa Marie Stahl

Lisa Marie Stahl, a young Hutterite woman who grew up at the Gildford Colony near Havre, Montana, provides a rare public glimpse into the lives of the Hutterites, a communal religious group with colonies in the upper Midwest, Northwest, and Canada. Originally appearing in the Great Falls Tribune, Lisa’s "On the Colony" columns cordially and tenderly shared details about the Hutterites’ style of dress, colony organization, beliefs, holidays and celebrations, and day-to-day life. Her first-person-style articles have been collected, organized, and bound for the first time in this special book. Beautiful black and white photographs by Michael Crummett complement the text.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Religion

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Rae vautrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child visiting my grandparents in Montana I would occasionally visit the Glacier Hutterite colony. The Hutteries are a religious sect who live and work communally eschewing individual possessions. Unlike the Amish they don't forbide modern technology. I loved the trip to the colony as it was always fascinating to see these people who dressed like they stepped out of the late 1800's, spoke in strangely accented voice, and were eternally busy. True to Hutterite culture my grandfather would disappear with the men to see the latest farming equipment while my grandmother and I were taken on tours of the kitchen and gardens. The Hutterite ladies would gently chastise my for my belly baring top and offer us fresh baked buns or cookies. We always left with fresh produce, jars of cream, and, for me anyway, a sense that maybe the modern world wasn't all it was cracked up to be. This summer I began watching the National Geographic channel's "Meet the Colony" about the Hutterite King Colony north of Lewiston, Montana. There has been much criticism about the series, especially from the Hutterite Elders regarding this series but I love it! It renewed my interest in the Hutterites which lead me to read this book. It is a compilation of columns written by a young Hutterite girl and published in the Great Falls Tribune. My fourteen year old self who thought this lifestyle might be appealing is gone and I now marvel that any woman can want to spend her life cleaning, cooking, and being totally submissive (this is a completely patriarchal culture)but it is interesting. This issue is addressed in the TV show as one of the main character, Claudia, is struggling with balancing her Hutterite faith with her desire to dress, act, and behave like a "normal 19 year old girl". The traditional young lady who wrote this book quite writing at 21 to marry and start a family with her husband in Canada. It's a shame, she has a natural writer and this was a enjoyable book...if you are obsessed with Hutterites as I currently seem to be.

[Jill Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent "starter" book that offers a clear vision of WHAT goes on in Hutterite colony and HOW daily life is lived. It was a little short, though, on WHY this sect lives the way it does, explaining their customs and traditions without giving background or origins.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting vignettes of the life of a teenage Hutterite. The collected articles are arranged by topic. If they had been arranged chronologically, it might have emphasized how Lisa matured over time. Still, by the end of the book, I was just as saddened as her faithful readers that she stopped writing.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows the marks of having started as a newspaper column, An interesting look into Hutterite life.
And with the help of the book I could tell that the Hutterites from whom I bought unrefined honey, luscious tomatoes, and fresh from the vine raspberries on Wednesday, were Dariusleut.

Book number 152 of the 150 that I "challenged" myself to read this year.

[Clark Hallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Marie Stahl, a young Hutterite woman who grew up at the Gildford Colony near Havre, Montana, shares details about the Hutterite lifestyle in this collection of first-person articles. Originally appearing in the Great Falls Tribune, Lisa's "On the Colony" column gave readers a rare public glimpse of this communal Anabaptist group with colonies in the upper Midwest, Northwest, and Canada. Her articles, collected in this book, enable readers to discover what it's like to be a Hutterite. I found this to be a very interesting and enjoyable read. Although it revealed many aspects of Hutterite life that sets them apart from the mainstream society, it also revealed that they are in many ways just like those of us in that mainstream society. Lisa revealed the benefits of community support that colony life provides. She also revealed that Hutterites have wide-ranging interests that connect them to the larger society. They maintain neighborly and business relationships with the larger society and they vote in our elections. Although Hutterites embrace many long-standing traditions, they are very knowledgeable about, and utilize, modern technology and business practices, especially those related to agriculture-related enterprises. In addition, Hutterites are not boring, solemn, or unfriendly people. They are very social within the colony, between colonies, and with non-Hutterite neighbors. They also know the importance of having fun and pursue hobbies, play games, and read a wide variety of printed materials, including books, newspapers, and magazines. I came to like Lisa and her family while reading this book, and I wish she would publish additional essays from Canada under her new (married) byline, Lisa Marie Tschetter.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recently joined a book club after moving to Missoula, and this was the second book for it. Someone works with Hutterites around here and swears they steal everything that wasn't nailed down. She was looking for insight into their culture. I think you'd get a far more accurate picture from someone who's left one of these colonies. This one was written by a 14-year-old girl whose favorite painter is Thomas Kincade and who considers herself to have limitless options for what she can read because she's allowed to pick up both Christian romance novels and Christian westerns. I will never give respect to any of these cultures because their existence depends on taking choice away from their members; this book only confirmed that stance.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most people, I knew hardly anything about Hutterites. Most people tend to group all of the community-based religious groups together, but this book explained how the Hutterites were different. They are permitted to use technology as long as it benefits their community as a whole. The book is a series of newspaper articles written by a teenage girl, all of which explain a different aspect of life "On the Colony." It was fascinating to learn about their strong sense of community.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning all about this group of people. I wish We all coul learn to live a much simpler life like they do. They are back to the land and eat all they make. The author really gives you a clear picture of their way of life. After reading the book, I made sure I watched the Nationl Geographic special about the Hutterites. It was excellent!

[Wilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned of the Hutterite religion and the lifestyle. This was written by a young 15 yr girl who was asked to write about their colony in Montana for a local newspaper. The book consists of the news articles she wrote.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up this book in while vacationing in Montana. Saw several Hutterite families and was interested in their culture. Book is a collection of articles that a young Hutterite woman wrote for the newspaper in Great Falls, before she married. Interesting to learn about them.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little book. The insight to this culture was so interesting. I would love to learn more about the next passage in her life.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a different way of life! shocking,, great read.

[Molly]

I greatly enjoyed her columns in the Tribune, but haven't read them in book form yet.