Program to discuss Amish lifestyle

The Amish in Wisconsin will be the topic of a talk sponsored by the Grafton Historical Society at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

Wisconsin has 68 Amish settlements and the fourth largest Amish population in the country.

The program will discuss the lifestyle of the Amish and the ways in which they come face-to-face with society outside their community.

The talk will be given by Mark Louden, a professor of Germanic linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is a Mennonite and speaker of Pennsylvania Dutch, the first language of most Amish and Plain people.

He serves as an interpreter and cultural liaison for Plain people in health care and the legal system. The program will be held at the Rose-Harms American Legion Hall, 1540 13th Ave.

There will be refreshments and a cash bar available.

There is no fee but a $5 donation is suggested.