Amanda Graber's Memories of Alan Hochstetler

We used to rent the Maust Farm from the Hochstetlers from 1973 - 1989. Alan was a great fixer of many things.  He would come to Indiana for summer vacation for three weeks and would spend a great share of his time working on the Farm.   (What a vacation!)  One summer he painted the metal house roof a bright red.  My husband, David, started telling people that we lived at the Red Roof Inn on C.R. 52.  Let me tell you that was the best place to live and I loved it.  I was devastated when we had to leave as a result of David's battle with MS and not being able to take care of it.  

    Alan always spoke Pennsylvania Dutch when he was there working which made it nice for the children and they loved when he was there.  They would ask, "Is Alan coming today?"  I'm sure that there were days that his patience was tried.  My son, Fred, loved tools of any kind so this was just up his alley.  I had told Alan he had permission to make them mind or send them in if they got in his way.  Well, Fred just couldn't resist that toolbox and all the stuff just waiting to be explored with even a stern warning from Alan.  So Alan had to deal him with a punishment to bring order back to his toolbox. 

    Alan fixed  picket fences, loose barn siding and even tore down the old straw shed which was falling down.  One summer he said that it was time to put new shingles on the little house that was attached to the end of the breezeway.  No one had lived in it for years, but it was a nice little place.  Well, as he was shingling, he was talking to Beth, my daughter, and all of a sudden she couldn't see him any longer and was very concerned.  So she called out, "Mun, Mun, vo bischt du?  Ich con net dich sana!"  (Man, man, where are you?  I can't see you!")   We still tease her about that to this day. 

 
    After Alan got married I didn't see him as much but we didn't lose touch.  He made sure when he came to Indiana to visit his family that he would stop at the Martin's Hardware Store where I worked for a visit.  He was a blessing to so many people and had so much talent that he used for God's glory.

   Amanda Graber