DODGE COUNTY, Wis. — John Hostetler, an Amish man, died after he was struck by an SUV on Sept.10, leaving his family behind.
TMJ4 News spoke with the organizer of a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his widow and children.
It’s been nearly three weeks after the big loss. Somehow, life goes on in this small Amish community in Dodge County.
Loved ones say John leaves behind his wife and five children. Deputies said his horse-pulled buggy was rear-ended along County Highway J in Lowell Township on the morning of Sept. 10.
We don’t have a photo of John to show as posing for photography is against Amish customs.
"It’s been really hard, because she has five kids, and with him having worked three jobs, money is really tight,” said GoFundMe organizer Anne Weber-Schulz.
Despite the Amish’s lack of connection to the greater world, Anne Weber-Schulz, a wholesale trader of Amish goods who often worked with John, is helping raise support for his family.
“I would buy his old products and sell them among the people here in Shorewood," she recalled.
John owned and operated Hidden View Grocery, a general store in Reeseville. He also worked off the Amish site for more money. His goal was to establish the store to work full-time alongside his wife.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said many circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation. He said the horse is alive and being cared for by its owner.
