How and Why Hochstetlers are Different

I have often wondered what kind of characters my ancestors were. Now I am wondering how their strengths and peculiarities are found in us their descendants, even in me. It is not easy to know a lot about them as they were not writers nor expressive intentionally. They only did their thing in their time, and that is how we have to search out what kind of persons they were. It is therefore a rather subjective matter to glean from their activities and at point meager writings just “who” they were. It seems off hand that they did not uncritically follow others, but did their thing, for better or worse. It could be guessed that they were not highly popular for their individuality, nor genius in their public relations.

Our Immigrant ancestor Jacob left his home in perhaps South Germany in 1738 with his wife and 2 small children. He was only twenty six as he left family and homeland to cross the Atlantic Ocean, hardly expecting ever to return again to family left behind. What courage and confidence he had in making such a life changing decision! We don’t know much about the situation he was leaving, but he was among the first of his faith and family to venture into the “new world.” likely partly because of local hostility to Anabaptist faith. It was only a year after the first of his group had ventured out. He took the chance and his descendants have been affected no doubt by his venturing spirit into the unknown, away from the security of the known..

About 19 years after the above journey, the family was attacked by local “Indians” who murdered two family members and took captive the father and two sons. Legend has it that they could have defended themselves with arms, but refused, standing up for their faith of non violence, contrary to what many would have done then and what would be considered foolish today by many. When the captive son Joseph was with the Indians, he adapted to their way of life and had ambivalent feelings about coming back to his people when he had the opportunity.

We see in these examples character that stood up without regard to conventional thinking and assumptions. They did what they felt was good and right, no doubt going beyond their fears and doubts and the likely attempts of others of less courage and conviction to persuade them otherwise.

It could be assumed then, that the descendants of these pioneering ancestor would continue in this disciplined individualism in faith and life. It may appear that many of the present day family are also free to be themselves and not subject to conventional assumptions. We see this in the way our family in the past two generations has gone global, both in geography and ethnic intermarriage. There are now prospects of DNA from six continents and persons having lived in various countries and in many states away from their parents. They feel unbounded by family to the land of their birth.

Yet paradoxically, the Hochstetler family is still one family and keeps in close contact, using both travel and social media to relate, often on a daily basis. There is a basis of family awareness from the time of being children and maturation, aware of the close family and the broader family. This is also based on a strong religious foundation that is share almost universally. We have a cultural, biological, and religious foundation for remaining unified in a binding way while remaining free to make individual decisions of life.

It seem then that we are not culturally bound to local conventions of life, but free to move about in our own way within the limits of the values of the larger family. We do not take for granted that the way we have always lived, or where, is the way we have to, yet within the parameters of faith and family values.

It is also true that we are free to choose religious affiliations within the limits of our basic faith. We are not denominationally bound, but adhere to a basic faith handed down to us. Our families are geared to pass on faith values, again allowing for “disciplined individualism”. We are free to make decisions and not tied to tradition ultimately in the specific fellowship of our faith. We do not take for granted the specific shape of the working our of our faith on cultural matters unrelated to our basic faith.

It is likely our families along with our faith that makes us unique or at least peculiar among many peoples. There is a balance between structure and freedom, with responsibility at the core. This is in the context of our faith. Our families are not perfect in the process of growing up, but core values of faith responsibility are paramount. There is the confidence that as we follow our parents we will be doing the right thing.