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Most families made it home safely before the snow began falling. Three families were still en route for home when the snow started falling. Two families, very close to their farms, managed to find the entrances to their yards. They got their buggies and horses into their barns, then stumbled into their homes. The third family –the Millers – wasn’t as fortunate. Their horse became confused as the road seemed to vanish in a sudden heavy snowfall. He went off the road before reaching the yard. Both horse and buggy foundered in the deep snow, piled on top of roadside foliage.
“We’re not that far from home! Just a few yards more. Bundle up and everyone hold hands!” shouted Mr. Miller. He led, breaking the deep snow with his boots and shins. Feeling for their wood fence, he became snow-blind and confused. The extreme cold, wind and snow all conspired to make him get lost. After several minutes more, his youngest children were overcome by the cold, developing the beginnings of hypothermia. He, Mary and Hannah soon began experiencing hypothermia as well.
“Come here . . . sit . . . with me. Stay . . . warm,” he mumbled, not thinking clearly. He and Mary gathered their three children into a close group, huddling to share what body heat they had. As the storm blew and raged, the family’s hypothermia became severe, leading to extreme tiredness and confusion. The two youngest girls went first, then Hannah. Finally, believing the children had only dozed off, Mary and her husband fell asleep, not realizing they would never wake up again.
This latest blizzard lasted until early Wednesday morning. Bishop Stoltzfus, worried about the members of his community, went from farm to farm, reassuring himself that everyone was safe and healthy. As he drove past the Miller’s farm, he saw their buggy some distance from the gate, lying canted at an odd angle in a snowbank.
“No, no! Please, Lord, let them be inside and safe!” he muttered. As he stumbled through the deep snow, he fell to his knees – the horse was still hitched to the buggy, frozen stiff. The bishop stood, fearing the worst. He scanned the countryside, looking – for what?
His eyes stopped on an odd formation of snow. Slowly walking to it and not wanting to see what might be buried underneath, he began brushing at the powdery cover. Eventually, he uncovered a dark-green hood, then a maroon-colored hood and scarf.
“Nee, Lord, no! In your mercy, why?” he asked. He continued to brush at the snow, uncovering five bodies. As soon as he confirmed that the Millers had not made it safely inside, he drove to the next farm to break the sad news.
“We need to get all the bodies inside – or bury them under snow so they won’t decompose too quickly,” the bishop said sadly. The weather had outsmarted him and his deacons.
Back at the Miller farm, he, the farmer and his two oldest sons extricated the Millers from their snowy bank, lifting them tenderly onto the wagon. Once every body had been uncovered, the bishop, farmer and farmer’s sons sadly buried the bodies under several feet of snow.
“Once it begins to warm, we will bury them. Ach, how sad to lose an entire family to weather! Denki. Get inside, where it is warm. We will let you know about school for your scholars,” said Bishop Stoltzfus.
“Denki. If they had only gone a few yards further . . .” said the farmer.
“No. I think the horse was blinded by the snow and wind. He couldn’t have taken them even one foot farther,” the bishop disagreed. “If you will start spreading this sad news, I’ll start letting families know. We will have another funeral to attend when it warms.”
Regardless of the recent blizzard, school resumed only a few days off schedule. Families sent their children to school on the following Monday, five days after the blizzard ended. Children trooped eagerly into the school room, greeting friends and classmates with excitement.
“It is good to have all of my scholars back!” said a beaming Rebecca Yoder. “We will be watching out for the weather. About illness – we believe the flu and stomach bug have ended, but if you do not feel well, tell me right away. I will get word to your parents so they can pick you up. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Miss Yoder,” chorused her scholars.
“We have been out of school since before Thanksgiving. I trust you did the work I sent home with Bishop Stoltzfus?” At her scholars’ confirming nods, Rebecca smiled with approval. “Good. I will be testing all of you to see how far you got with your learning. It isn’t Easter yet, but I have to set the dates for our final examinations! We will have much work to do between now and then, so let’s get busy . . .”
***
All across Ephrata, Amish farmers and carpenters began preparing to plant their spring crops or buy wood to make furniture for their Englischer customers. At farm after farm, men and older sons were out, plowing the earth with mules and plows. Sons and older daughters followed behind, sprinkling seed behind the slow-moving plow. In carpenter’s shops, like Joseph Beiler’s shop, carpenter after carpenter gazed at their customers’ orders and drew out plans. Once they knew what they needed to do, they began sawing the wood preparatory to making the furniture under order.
The sad aftermath of the harsh winter still overshadowed the Amish community. Bishop Stoltzfus met with his deacons to plan the funerals for the community members who had not survived illness or weather.
“We need to bury them before it starts to get too warm. We will visit each family and schedule funeral services. Once these are scheduled, we will let the community know so everyone can be present to help the families,” the bishop said.