Re-forming the Household: Gendered Patterns of Remarriage and Family Formation across Two Amish Communities
Abstract
Most remarriages in mainstream U.S. society occur after divorce; however, remarriages in the Amish community happen only after a spouse's death. Although Amish remarriages are understudied, existing research suggests important patterns related to procreation and spousal support. This study examines remarriage patterns in two Amish communities, focusing on gender differences in the likelihood of remarriage, the formation of blended families, the average time to remarry, and remarriage patterns among families with school-aged children at home. Using data from the Daviess-Martin County Amish directory and the Minnesota Amish directory, we find that men are more likely than women to remarry, and that younger individuals are more likely to remarry than older ones. However, the differences that emerge between the communities suggest that marriages for family formation may be more common among Minnesota families. The remarriage patterns in these two communities reflect broader U.S. gender trends but also emphasize family formation and companionship marriages as central to remarriage among Amish widows and widowers. Although the overall number of remarriages after spousal death is relatively small, the current findings highlight the need for additional research on how affiliation might affect Amish remarriage patterns more broadly.
Keywords: marriage, family, Amish, Indiana, Minnesota
How to Cite:
Stein, R. E., Clark, L. & Perrone, C., (2026) “Re-forming the Household: Gendered Patterns of Remarriage and Family Formation across Two Amish Communities”, The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities 6(2), 37-53. doi: https://doi.org/10.18061/jpac.6950
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