Hard Work in the Heartland

A Journey Through a Mennonite Community in Missouri.

Driving down a rural road near Versailles, Missouri, I saw barefoot children frolicking alongside feisty Fidos, a country cafe, and people traveling by horse-and-buggy and bicycles. What I didn’t see was more telling: television antennas and satellite dishes. That’s because I was traveling through a Mennonite community, where modern technology is rarely used in daily life.

“It’s a way of separating ourselves from the world,” says Owen Hoover, co-owner of Hoover’s Bulk Food Store and member of the Mennonite community in Versailles. “Some are more progressive using the internet and smart phone, but filtering and accountability are required,” he says. Electricity usage or a home phone is typical. “Others do not allow internet or computer access,” Owen says.

Being a Mennonite encompasses more than religion; it’s a way of life evident in their family and work environment, lifestyle, and community involvement. With an abundance of Mennonite businesses that visitors can frequent, Versailles offers an inside look into the Mennonites and their way of life.

THE MAKING OF THE MENNONITES

Mennonites are Anabaptists—a Protestant denomination that began forming during the Reformation. Anabaptists emerged in the sixteenth century as church leaders began disagreeing with many Catholic practices, leading them to split from the Catholic church. The name Mennonite was adopted from the Dutch Anabaptist priest, Menno Simons, who renounced Catholicism in 1536.

Throughout the ages, Anabaptists and other Protestant denominations were persecuted, imprisoned, and even executed by the Catholic church. But the Anabaptists and some other denominations were also persecuted by Protestants because of their belief that there should be a confession of faith before baptism, rather than baptism at birth, as Catholics and some Protestant denominations practice. Consequently, the Anabaptists moved numerous times throughout Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, finally settling in North America in the 1700s.

THE MOVE TO MORGAN COUNTY

Mennonites, with their Swiss-German customs, moved into mid-Missouri in the 1960s and 1970s, seeking cheap, fertile farmland. Versailles had a dwindling population in the mid-twentieth century, but today, the area is thriving with more than 100 Mennonite businesses.

“We get a lot of business from Mennonite advertising,” says Bryan Jones, editor and publisher of the weekly community newspaper The Morgan County Statesman. “I am personally grateful they support us. We try to support them too. Our employees frequent their shops.” He once wrote an editorial refuting complaints about Mennonite horses’ manure littering the streets. He admonished those complainers by pointing out that cars emit exhaust, which contains harmful substances and damages the environment much more than biodegradable horse manure.

OLD ORDER RULES AND REGULATIONS

Most Mennonites in Versailles are Old Order, which is divided into two subgroups: horse-and-buggy and conservative. Horse-and-buggy Mennonites adhere to a life with no modern technology and aim to stay separated from the world, which includes not using electric tools or cars. Conservative Mennonites, however, allow the use of cars, phones in their homes, and public power lines.

Both groups follow the Ordnung—a German word loosely meaning rules and discipline—which is a blueprint that outlines taboos and what behavior is and is not acceptable. It reads, “Let us be plain and humble in our home, clothing, carriages, and everything we own.” I talked to local members of four different Mennonite church conferences, which each have their own interpretation of the Ordnung: Groffdale (horse-and-buggy), Weaverland (conservative), Jefferson City (conservative), and Eastern (conservative).

Bill Idlewine, a church deacon in Morgan County since 2022, says, “Old Order refers to the style of church government and practices, such as, we don’t have Sunday School. We believe it is the parents’ duty to teach their children the Bible.” Deacons are ordained leaders elected by the congregation for life. They assist the minister with baptisms and communion. Deacons also try to help wayward members make amends and return to the fold.

“If the wayward member is not willing to do that, they could be excommunicated,” he explains. Unlike the Amish who shun excommunicated members, Mennonites still allow them to be part of their life. This consists of time together in the family home, being able to sit around the family table, and including excommunicated spouses in business dealings. The Amish split off from the Mennonites in the late 1600s, partly because the Amish exercise a total shunning of excluded members.

Bill didn’t grow up Mennonite. He studied German in high school and read the Martin Luther translation of the Bible. In Oregon, just before his 17th birthday, he converted from Catholic to Mennonite. He says, “I discovered a faith better aligned with my own understanding of scripture.” He moved to the Versailles area in 1978 and married a Mennonite, Anna Mary Leid, two years later. They had seven children, and today, their grandchildren number 54, all residing in the area. Large numbers of children help the Mennonite church to flourish.

He says Mennonites congregate in meetinghouses, similar to a typical chapel or church building, as compared to Amish who meet in their homes. Mennonites sing primarily in German with no music accompaniment while worship services are conducted in a mixture of German, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English.

Mennonites are known for dressing modestly to adhere to conservative standards. Men typically wear plain long-sleeved shirts with no collar and dark colored pants supported by wide black suspenders with no belt or tie. Women typically wear a white prayer head covering and cotton dresses in small print patterns with a high waist, loose-fitting skirt, and elbow-length sleeves.

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION

Transportation for Mennonites may include one-horse carriages, bicycles, cars, and trucks.

Those who belong to the Weaverland conference drive cars that are black with some chrome to church and other social gatherings. “You’ll see all black cars because that was the original color,” Owen says. Owen adds that they are allowed to drive work vehicles that are other colors, but they cannot be red or another bold color.

“One of the reasons that we use the horse-and-buggy is that we believe that it helps keep our families and communities closer and more tightknit,” Bill says.

He adds, “We don’t believe the car is evil, but we feel the overall use of a car brings a lifestyle not conducive to living a simple Godly life.” Having said that, Bill does accept a ride by car from a coworker to his bookkeeping job at Diesel Track Service, as the store is located eight miles from his home.

As opposed to the Amish, who do not condone bicycles as a type of transportation, many Mennonites—both adults and children—travel by riding bicycles.

Josiah Hoover, who is unrelated to Owen and belongs to the Groffdale conference, owns World of Wheels in Versailles, a bicycle sales and service shop that has been operated by his family since 1974. Half of Josiah’s business is from Mennonites, and the rest is from non-Mennonites who are interested in bicycle recreation.

After completing eighth grade, Josiah started working at World of Wheels full time and decided to buy the business at the age of 20 in 2020. “I’m the only full-time bicycle shop in the area,” he says. “Customers come from as far as Jefferson City and Columbia.”

MENNONITE EDUCATION

Most Mennonites in the area attend a private country school until they complete the eighth grade. After eighth grade, students typically complete their GED (General Educational Development), which is the equivalent to graduating from high school.

In 1972, the US Supreme Court ruled in Wisconsin vs. Yoder that Mennonites and related groups are exempt from states’ mandatory education laws, citing the fact that the eighth grade education provided by the Mennonites is usually comparable or superior to the education provided by most public high schools.

“We believe the rest of their education should be completed at home,” Owen says. After completing school, boys might start working full time in the family business or on the farm, and girls might begin by helping a mother with a new baby or doing housework. However, some women take full-time positions outside of the home.

THE MENNONITE SHOPS

Owen’s 16-year-old daughter, Colleen, works full time at Hoover’s Bulk Food Store, which Owen and his wife, Carolyn, have owned for 17 years. The store offers jellies, spices, locally grown produce, baked goods, and more. “Today, I’m the head cook,” Colleen says as she bustles about the store’s kitchen. Depending on the day, Colleen can be found baking pies or loaves of bread or making other sweet treats, including pans filled with Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.

• Sixteen-year-old Colleen Hoover works as a full time baker in her parents’ business, Hoover’s Bulk Food Store. • Diana West • Hoover’s Bulk Food Store sells freshly baked bread.
• Andrea Kaneko

Not many Mennonite women operate their own businesses. However, Edna Zimmerman, a member of the Groffdale conference, says the community doesn’t mind that she owns Stamper’s Delight, a scrapbook supply store. She bought it three years ago and works out of a building on the property where her family lives. She says, “I’m married, and it is important to have the business close by so I can keep up with my household duties.” The 45-year-old mother of seven children, aged five to 20, says, “I was a stamper for 20 years before.”

Similarly, Anna Lois Weaver started Creative Resources in the basement of her home in 2013. A flashing sign in her front yard advertises her African violets, dried flower arrangements, arts and crafts books, storybooks, wall art, and supplies. She accepts credit cards, which is not always
the case with Mennonite-operated businesses. Anna belongs to the Eastern Conference, a conservative church that allows her to drive a dark-colored car. She wears a dress with a small print pattern and elbow-length sleeves, but no collar or cuffs, and a white prayer head covering over her hair, which is pulled back under the covering.

In addition to these businesses, many other Mennonite business owners have worked hard to make a living in the small town of Versailles. Some, like Brian Martin, owner of Gathering Grounds Coffee Co., moved to Versailles to pursue their dreams while making a positive difference.

Brian, a member of the Jefferson City conference, recognized an opportunity in the community “to provide a welcoming coffee experience.”

Brian sees the positive impact of the traditional Mennonite work ethic on his business. “We were raised to give our best in everything we do,” he says. But his mission for Gathering Grounds goes beyond that. His vision was born from his love for God and his desire to share this with the community. His business model for the coffee shop has always been “to create an experience where guests can feel the love of Jesus, where we can give exceptional customer service, and people can leave revived and inspired through coffee and relationships.” Young women working at the shop can be seen wearing traditional white prayer coverings on their heads, reflecting their commitment to both faith and modesty.

Another notable gathering spot for locals and people on their way to nearby Lake of the Ozarks is the KenMar Cafe. Wendell Schmidt, a regular there, comes in one to three times a week. “It’s like family,” he says. “I can catch up on local news, and the food is good.”

The cafe is located in a 700-square-foot two-bedroom ranch-style home.

Margaret Nolt, co-owner and member of the Weaverland conference, explains the name KenMar, “It’s a combination of my husband’s name, Kenny, and my name.” She prepares breakfast and lunch four days a week—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday—using farm-fresh food. “We make everything here except the ice cream,” she says.

Fabric and sewing supply stores are essential to have in Mennonite communities, as women typically make their families’ clothing. One fabric store, Excelsior Fabrics, has a wide selection of materials. The walls are lined with a rainbow of patterned bolts of fabric—there are hundreds of colors and designs to choose from. Batting is sold by the yard on three-foot-wide rolls and is sorted by loft (thickness). The shop also sells women’s and girls’ sunbonnets, hand-knitted winter hats, head coverings, and men’s straw hats in their natural shade—a golden yellow—or in black.

Another Mennonite-owned business is L & R Clocks and Repair, a clock servicing shop. Lee Roy Zimmerman, owner of L & R Clocks, is a third-generation clock repairman. Lee Roy works eight- hour days, six days a week, repairing clocks and is booked four months ahead.

As customers enter, the sounds of bonging, cuckoos, and ticking timepieces add to the ambience of the shop’s showroom. Lee Roy offers an assortment of new and antique clocks, including kitchen clocks that are more than 100 years old, cuckoo clocks, grandfather clocks, and mantel clocks. Two calendar clocks show the date in addition to time. One of the calendar clocks is a perpetual clock that automatically moves forward to tell the date and knows which months have 31 days and even when leap year occurs. “That’s a neat old clock,” Lee Roy says.

THE COMMUNITY’S HEART

Menno Simons, the founder of the Mennonite denomination, continually aimed to create a harmonious community focused on faith, humility, and peace. “We who were formerly no people at all, and who knew of no peace, are now called to be a church of peace. True Christians do not know vengeance. They are the children of peace. Their hearts overflow with peace. Their mouths speak peace, and they walk in the way of peace,” Menno once said.

Versailles Mennonite community member Bill Idlewine sums up the Mennonite experience, affirming the values that Menno upheld; “It has been a blessed journey and, in simple terms, you can say that I like the Mennonite lifestyle. There is a peace that comes with the quiet life and of being a part of a tight, extended family.”

Read about 13 Mennonite shops in Missouri here.

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This article was originally printed in the May 2025 issue of Missouri Life.