One of the perks.. Some people may feel differently.. About being a Military wife are all the different places and people that one may encounter. Moving from California to Montana, we knew would be a pretty huge adjustment for the both of us. Luckily we both have quite a lot of traveling experience under our belts and figured we would just make the best of what serving our country brings to us.
In moving to a new place there's always one shocker or another... And boy was this definitely one. THE HUTTERITES OF MONTANA
A Hutterite you may ask? yea... I was just as confused as you probably are right now.. I mean I had heard Amish, Mormons, Masons.. But never a Hutterite. They're quite distinct people with distinct cultural customs. Nonetheless living in town one hear's a lot of rumors/facts about how they live their lives. Some of the things we've heard are:
- They are the richest people in Montana (which in fact I've come to learn that they are.. just to give you an example they own most of the "empty" land that you can see driving through the state)
- They are extreme bargainers (extremely true, they can definitely bargain to get the best price possible)
- They speak a dialect of German (I unfortunately don't speak German so I can't prove this)
- The men let their beards grow out when they are married (TRUE! I've actually asked a Hutterite this and he said yes)
- The women don't have their own money to spend so they try to knit things and make things, and when they come into town they try and sell their knick knacks (I've actually gotten a little gift from a Hutterite at work -- a cute little scarf that probably wrapped around my arm lol)
- Men and women must court before they marry (Not proven by me)
- They do not inbreed (in fact there's this "rumor" that men will pay other white males with evident "white male genes" such as blue eyes, blond hair, tall, etc. to have intercourse with their daughters in order to prevent inbreeding within the colonies.. whether this is true I don't know)
- They travel in Carriages.. sometimes :) (TRUE)
- Some colonies allow use of cell phones and "modern technology" others completely forbid it. (True, there's different colonies and depending on their last names one can see the different customs that each practice)
These are only a few of the things that I've heard and seen about the Hutterites.
So the farmer's market that only takes place during the months of summer in Montana (due to the winter) is a perfect place to see quite a few of them. Unfortunately the women do not show up to these markets until the end of summer, so I'll have to update you on pics of them later on.
And here's my favorite :)
Honey took this picture when he was out in the middle of no where one day for work.
Anyways hope you enjoyed my little 411 on the Hutterites. :)
