154 year old Spinning Wheel Displayed

Photo by Mike Brothers
Bernadine Yoder displays the spinning wheel made by E.J Miller in 1864 and found in the attic of the Moses Yoder home. The oldest home in the Amish community is on display at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center near Arthur. Inset photo shows spinning wheel parts that will also be on display June 2.

•May 9, 2018•

By Shag Wooley
for the News Progress

As the spinning wheel turns the history of Illinois Amish Heritage is revealed in a Sheep to Clothing event Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There is no charge for the event, but donations will be accepted at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center on Route 133, east of Arthur.

The fascinating process behind spinning wool fibers into thread will be demonstrated live that day as the Amish family histories revealed in the patchwork of the quilts.

A spinning wheel made by E.J. Miller in 1864, traveled from Somerset Co., Pa. with the founding three families of the Amish settlement in the Arthur area.

It was recovered from the attic of he Moses Yoder home and will be on display during the Sheep to Clothing event.

That spinning wheel spent many years in the attic of the oldest home in the community, the Moses Yoder home, and will be on display.

“It’s a wonder it’s together at all,” Ervin Yoder, grandson of Moses said. “When we were kids, we used to play with it all the time.”

Ervin’s father Abraham was one of nine children in the Moses Yoder family and his wife Bernadine has joined Wilmer Otto, Brian Karrick, Troye Kauffman, Beth Elgelbrecht Wiggans, Karen Miller, Myrna Madigan, Merle Gingerich and Marie Kuhns to make the spinning event possible at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.