Narrative Summary
Interview with Jacqueline Lapp by Nick Newman
Jacqueline Lapp was born in Dover, Delaware in the 1950’s. She grew up being a
Methodist, but after a short period in college studying pre-med she married her husband who
made her switch to the Catholic Religion. While married to her husband they had 13 children.
Jacqueline’s husband soon became questionable with the Catholic faith and searched for a new
religion to follow. After lots of research they found the Amish community. They liked the Amish
community because of the structure it had with its religious community. The church style in the
Amish community was one of segregation and male dominance. Women and men could not sit
together and women had to be submissive of the men. Even early on children were taught how to
act in the community. Young boys would go out in the Amish life and learn how to do carpentry
and girls would stay in the house and learn to cook. One thing that struck me as odd is that
Amish community will never call the authorities. No matter what the even was, either from an
inside or outside member, there would be no police involved.
Life in the Amish community seemed all well until Jacqueline’s husband decided to get a
divorce, which started the troubles for Jacqueline. After her husband left, the men of the Amish
community where able to tell her what to do. The Amish men believed that if you were divorced
or widowed that you needed a man to tell you what to do. The men would treat her like she was
much lower than them. So Jacqueline left the community. It has been almost 3 years ago now
since this has happened and she finds herself without a label of a religious group. She defines
herself as non-denominational. She loves God and all those who follow the Lord, but says she
will never classify herself as a religion, because the Amish experience ruined it for her.
Her biggest struggles leaving the Amish community is having 3 of her children staying in
Missouri State University
Spring 2014
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women
2
the Amish community. The problem with her children staying in the Amish community is that
when you leave the Amish community you cannot associate with them again. Her children have
to make special accommodations for her to visit. When visiting Jacqueline cannot sit at the same
table as them, or hand them anything. She says that it’s hard now since her 11 grandchildren are
also a part of this community and she cannot give them any gifts. All her Amish friends shunned
her, and only one person still writes her. All her family still in the Amish community still tries to
encourage her to rejoin the lifestyle.
The best thing that has come from her leaving the Amish is that she now feels closer to
God. She says that she had to rely on God for support a lot more now that she is out of the Amish
life. Along with coming closer to God, her children has been her biggest joy. Her children that
came out of the Amish lifestyle with her are all flourishing in their education. Many of them
have sought higher education in colleges such as OTC.
Since her life in the Amish community Jacqueline has become a member of the Christian
Community in Springfield where she crochet’s clothes for the homeless. Jacqueline is writing a
fictional book on her life in the Amish community which I am looking forward to reading when
it is completed. Jacqueline’s advice wanted to tell young women who are looking for religion is
to find a support system and research all you can. Her quote was, “don’t make the mistakes I
did”. Although the Amish changed her life either for better or worse she ended the interview by
saying that nobody should hate the Amish. The Amish are just like everyone else. There are good
and there are bad in the world and the Amish are no exception. Jacqueline Lapp is an
extraordinary women who has been through three religions, a divorce, persecution, and yet
through it all she still loves God and continues on her journey of life with optimism.
Missouri State University
Spring 2014
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women