ANNA TELLS OF HER SISTER HANNAH

Someone asked me to tell about my twin sister Hannah.  She and her husband, Moses, built their house and barn right next to ours when they moved from Pennsylvania.  Their house is a two story as they still have some of their children home with them.  Also, living with them are my parents.

My Mother has Alzheimer Diease and when it came to a point where my Father couldn't take care of her alone, it was decided that Hannah and her family would be the best for them to move in with.  Their children help.  Also, Elmer and I run next door to see my parents and or give them a brake.

Even though Hannah is my twin, we are different.  Where I have a little extra weight to lose, Hannah is skinny as a rail.  Where I am very talkative - Hannah is very quiet -  in fact shy.  Where I will ride horses, go fishing, hunting and alike, which my parents did not approve of - Hannah did as she was told, which is one of the reasons, we decided our parents would be better at Hannah's home than ours.  Where I like to milk cows and plow the fields rather than cook and clean - Hannah is the opposite.

But in other ways we are alike.  When talking, I can finish what she is saying or she can finish mine.  We sometimes go in a store and when we get to the check out, we are buying the same thing for the same person.  Sometimes I get a feeling something is wrong at her house or she at mine and when we go to the others house - there is.  It can be as minor as a headache, but we know.

Hannah did not marry until her late 30's.  I remember we thought that she would never marry.  She only went to singings when my parents made her go or I took her with me.  Then she would either sit in a corner or with the girls.  When one of the men took her home, she was quiet as a mouse all the way home.

Hannah worked in a general store.  She would talk to people there.  Help them in their selection.  Answer their questions.  But, get her out of that store and she was so shy.

Moses had gone to school when Hannah did.  What we found out after they were married is he had a crush on her in school, but she never knew.  When he started courting girls, he would try to ask Hannah out, but she always had an excuse.  Eventually, he met another girl  who he courted and married.  He and his first wife had three children.  While the children were still young, his first wife passed of cancer.

A year after his wife's passing, people told him he should consider marrying again.  His first thought was Hannah.  Deep in his heart, he still had a crush on her.  Poor Moses, for all he had to go through to convince Hannah to marry.  Hannah thought the only reason Moses wanted to marry her was to be Mother to his three children. Now don't get wrong, Hannah loves children.  She wanted a man that loved her.  My Mother use to say, sometimes love grows after marriage.  Hannah wouldn't buy that.

I don't know how many times she said no to Moses when he asked to take her for a ride.  He would find excuses to come and help my Father on the farm.  We all knew why he was there except Hannah.  When Mother told her, she couldn't believe it.  He'd go into the store to buy something, just to see her and talk to her.  Sometimes with his children.  Sometimes alone.

One day when Moses came to the house, Father said to him, why don't you take Hannah for a ride in your buggy.  Hannah started excuses.  Moses of course, said sure.  As Moses hooked up his buggy, Father sort of pushed Hannah out the door and stood there to make sure she went with him.  Moses said all she would say on the ride was yes or no.  On Sunday, he came to ask if she would go on a ride, she did.  One day, when Moses came with his children, Mother said we will take care of your children, you two go alone and she handed Moses a picnic basket.  My parents took care of Moses children and they went on  a picnic.  Finally after almost two years Moses asked her to marry him.
She refused.  Hannah told him all he wanted her for was a Mother to his children.  Moses said if all he wanted was a Mother for his children, he could have married anybody. Then he told her about how he had a crush on her in school, and still did.  She said she would marry him and did.  We wondered if she would go through on the wedding day but she did.  It was a beautiful wedding.

She is the Mother to Moses three children plus they have had more.  They are all her children, now.  What started as selling a few items out of their house, turned into a general store in Pennsylvania, which they sold when they moved here.  Moses is farming the land again, but they are looking around to see about starting a general store in this area.  They would like one that sold canned goods, foods, cloth, tools,etc. and also have a section where Amish and Old Order Mennonites could sell their quilts, baked goods, canned goods and alike.  If they found a place big enough, maybe even some of the wood works that men make.

Hannah and I are so happy to be living next door to each other.  It felt like we were missing something when we moved to New York and they lived in Pennsylvania.  It was only the next state over, but still.  Now we are side by side and can run back and forth.  It's like we are one again.  We know Moses and Elmer think we are silly sometimes.

In looking for an area to start a general store, they found that two places the Amish and Mennonite would like, in this area, are a general store and restaurant. They would like them either Amish or Mennonite owned and operated.  Interesting to know.

Moses and Hannah gave me permission to say all this.  Moses wanted to tell all he had to go through to get Hannah - and she was worth it.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna