Table of Contents 1968-1990

Signifying

The Education of Levi Miller

1968    Peace and Love. Death of Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, riots, the presidential campaign, Mark Hatfield at Malone College commencement; choosing pacifist alternatives, letter writing with Gloria, bed courtship poetry, positive thoughts, sex and marriage, director of public relations, graduation, September 1 wedding.

1969   Botijas # 1 Puerto Rico. Gloria busy and happy, Botijas # 1, Orocovis, Puerto Rico, voluntary service unit, learning Spanish, going native, the political season, Amalio Colón, Elba Colón, teaching in Bauta Arriba, fellow teacher Sr. Efraín Colón, two years of teaching English as a second language. 

1970  Voluntary Service. Support of Mennonites, voluntary service creative leadership conference, Harrisonburg, Virginia; The Cost of Discipleship; Miller family visits: Roy R. and Berdella, Andrew and Mattie; a trip to Colombia; field trips and rainy days, job options and a visit to Scottdale, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico voluntary service learnings and recommendations.

1971  Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Industrial and professional culture of Mennonite Publishing House, Ken Reed, Leo Tolstoy, Clayton F. Yake, Helen Alderfer, Conrads and Savanicks, Orie Cutrell, Washington D.C. Vietnam War protest, “Coming Home to Holmes County,” Thanksgiving weekend in Philadelphia.

1972  Howard and Edna Zehr. Institutions, Mennonite Church General Conference, Daniel Kauffman,  Mennonite Book and Tract Society, Mennonite Publishing House (MPH), Mennonite Historical Library,  Mennonite Central Committee, The Mennonite Commission for Christian Education, Mennonite Community Association, Tourmagination, Mennonite Federal Credit Union, Mennonite Business Associates, Mennonite Youth Fellowship (MYF), Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Arnold W. Cressman, John Howard Yoder, primitive camping, acapella singing and church membership, political activism, Ladon Sheats, Merle and Phyllis Pellman Good and a Boston vacation.

1973  Editor of Miscellaneous Curriculum. Mission education, 1972 Mennonite Yearbook, John A. Hostetler and Amish writings, Lancaster Mennonite Conference, Builder and Ivan Illich, Visiting the Bruderhof, Scottdale residences, Ben and Rosie Charles, Gloria’s pregnancy and birth of Jacob, Mennonite Youth Fellowship and leaving the sixties youth culture, public school and parents.

1974  Lookout Camp. Family gatherings on weekends; Andrew’s Lookout Camp, ponds and fish, signs; Paul and Carol, Roy and Ruby, David and Brenda, James, Rhoda and Jon Mast, Miriam and Veryl Kratzer, Ruth; Mennonite Publishing House editing stresses, moving to Bowling Green, Ohio, sources of income during graduate studies year.

1975  Bowling Green, Ohio. Daughter Hannah’s birth January 24, visiting James, a Geauga County Amish Sunday, Geoffrey Chaucer, John A. Yoder braucher-chiropractor, John A. Hostetler, Amish English, Henry David Thoreau, final MA exam, Mennonite seminary courses, Guy F. Hershberger, buying property at 903 Arthur, Scottdale, Ralph Hernley. 

1976  More with Less. Choosing my work at MPH, Mennonites in Toledo; Doyle Miller injury, Jim and Florence Mitchell family, Allegheny Mennonite Conference, John C. Wenger, Robert Bear, The Reformed Mennonites, Mennonite Central Committee, the American bicentennial, Rosemary and Harold Moyer, More-with-Less cookbook, Gloria’s food co-op, a vegetarian diet; Mattie Miller diet and exercise, dandelion. 

1977  Worship and Europe. Edwin Alderfer, tennis partners, storge, Schnauzer Pinky, a tree house; trip to Europe, TourMagination, Jan and Barbara Gleysteen, Arnold Cressman, Willi Schweikard, communion at Anabaptist cave, J. Lawrence Burkholder, Daniel and Mary Miller, leadership, Argentine dirty war, Patricia Erb.

1978  Anabaptist Prophets. Pittsburgh Opera, Le Prophète (The Prophet) at the Met, Candide; Associated Church Press, William H. Masters, Wesley Pippert, Evangelicals, Sojourners visit Mennonite Publishing House, Doug Hostetter, Ben and Dorothy Cutrell, Privileging Youth Culture, Lorne Peachey, Two peace sermons at Scottdale Mennonite.

1979  Steeler Football. Pirates and championships, Russ Grimm, Family Cluster, Edmonton, Alberta, three-week Bible School, David and Annie Donaldson; Miriam and Veryl Kratzer communalism,  Art and Peggy Gish, a Good Friday anti-war demonstration,  Elizabeth’s birth, July 25, Gloria’s aerobics; Mennonite assembly at Waterloo, Ontario; Roy R. Miller and Wilbur Yoder; funeral of Levi L. Schlabach, Abe Hostetler’s America, Scottdale reading groups, children’s literature and movies.

1980   Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Raising rabbits and Adam Miedel; Paul M. Lederach’s projects, Cameron family, Foundation Series for Youth and Adults; youth culture; Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Arnold W. Cressman, family leisure camp, Paul and Carol Miller, Builder, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, kidney stones, Clayton Swartzentruber, Ocean City vacations, teacher strike, Dorothy Day and Rosanna Yoder.

1981 Leaving Scottdale (for a while). Memorizing classic texts, Andrew and Mattie’s fortieth anniversary, theology discussions, David and Rose Hostetler, Carl Keener, West Overton Museum fall heritage musicals; Laurence Martin; birthdays, Florida trip and vacation, leaving western Pennsylvania, Guatemala, Mennonite Publishing House.

1982  Caracas and Charallave. Preparing for Venezuela, Our People The Amish and Mennonites of Ohio, Puerto Rico with Jan Gleysteen, Pennsylvania German Weekend; Jerry and Audra Shenk; farewell in Scottdale and Holmes County; Eastern Mennonite board of Mission and Charities orientation; Venezuelan neighbor families: Hurtados, Diaz, Taylors, Sarmientos; Adelmis Blanco, Alexis Rivera, Ricardo Ochoa; Caracas, Harry Satizábal; our children deal with change; New York Philharmonic concert, rhythm of life in Charallave.    

1983  Honduras, Curacao, and Aruba.  New Year’s Eve at El Centro Dicipulado, Honduras missionary retreat, Amor Viviente church, Beachy Amish at Guaimaca, The Catholic Church in Charallave, liberation theology, an unusual pastoral transition, Harry Satizábal, San Bernardino congregational members, Luis Germain, losing my passport, the Caracas Marathon, Venezuelan baseball, Curacao and Aruba, vacation in Merida.

1984   Leaving Venezuela. Returning to Scottdale, preaching and sleeping, Carnival and Holy Week, Latin American foreign debt, New York City and re-entry, Mattie and Andrew, Paul and Carol, Roy and Ruby, David and Brenda, James, Rhoda and Jon, Miriam and Veryl, Ruth and John, Charles Fausold and a Spanish teacher.

1985   Roy R. Miller (1906-1985). Laurelville Mennonite Church Center staff, Dana Sommers, Laurelville programs, faith and farming conferences, media attention; becoming a licensed minister in the Allegheny Conference; Venezuela learning, coping with stress and changes.

1986  Arthur Avenue Neighbors. Laurelville family leisure camps with Merle and Phyllis Good; “Witness” controversy, Jacob, Hannah, Elizabeth, Arthur Avenue neighbors, Mildred and Web Stauffer, Bob Davis, Arnold and Patricia Gasborro, annual block parties, Fred and Rosanne Huzak, Denny and Carole Stoner, Charles (Chuck) Fausold tennis, Tinkey Nist and Charley Brown, Bob Davis and Stu, Café con Leche, Julio Macduff, Ophelia, Gloria’s student Mexico trip, a reflexologist guest.

1987  Liberation Theology. Laurelville staff, personality types, J. Robert Ramer, Berdella Blosser Miller, Central America: El Salvador and Nicaragua, Peace and Justice, Liberation Theology, Lori and Larry Leaman-Miller, Gregory A. Fronius; “I Am a Mennonite, Not an Anabaptist,” Joe Greene, Hall of Fame induction.

1988  Laurelville, Lolla, and Yoder. John J. Lolla Jr., Laurelville programs, Presbyterian Mennonite Shalom conferences, John Howard Yoder, Builders convention, ski retreats, Perry, Joe, Nelson, Henry Brunk, Howard Brenneman, Laurelville Lyceum, Arnold W. Cressman, Susie Bontrager, transitions.   

1989  Ben’s Wayne. Origins, main characters, time period, seven elements; sent to New York publishers, Good Books publishing, family reaction, John A. Hostetler response, American Booksellers Association (ABA), reviews, Holmes County Amish, Hannah spelling finalist, running for Southmoreland School Board.   

1990  Shakespeare. Jakob, William Shakespeare plays, films, Hartwood Acres summers, small groups, Maynard and Jan Brubaker, Kim and Diane Miller, Luciano Pavarotti, driving and sleeping, Pittsburgh Pirates, Jakob at Central Christian, Miriam and Veryl Kratzer family, Scottdale Mennonites 1790-1990; Gloria’ Spain trip; Canadian Mennonite writers.