Taken from the preface of The Jenische Stones by Gregg Hammond
This story is near to my heart in many ways. Both sides of my family immigrated to Indiana in the early 1800s. The characters in this book are loosely based upon folks I have encountered throughout my life, including relatives I have known or been told of. Some of the surnames, including Beck, Mooney, and Kunkle, were derived from my lineage. One great-grandfather on the Tillett side of my family, for instance, immigrated to America in the 1840s. He became an early pioneer in our county, working as a canal boat captain and a circuit judge. He also assisted runaways in escaping from Southern states’ slavery.
On my mother’s side, my family drew its spiritual foundation from German Baptist Brethren and Dunkard Brethren roots. I would often sit and listen to my grandmother tell her family tales of Indiana farm life during the 1800s and 1900s—my uncle's secondhand war exploits, our ancestors' underground railway station, and visits from passing "Gypsies." Through her, too, I learned that in past times the Anabaptist faithful, from "peace churches," often fell prey to ridicule and discrimination. In one case, in 1918, a drafted conscientious objector (CO) from Indiana was sentenced to hard labor at Fort Leavenworth for his war resistance. Another CO who refused to wear an army uniform died while at Fort Leavenworth after being subjected to physical abuse.
Though not a German Baptist myself, I was raised in a Brethren tradition. I watched this interweaving of faith while I came of age in my small Indiana farm community, richly influenced by the simple and dutiful Schwarzenau Brethren practice. This book has taken ideation and example from those who stood firm in their beliefs and guided Indiana spirituality for the generations that have followed.
My Irish paternal grandma's rich yarns contrasted starkly with my German Brethren side. She spoke of ghosts, spirits, and episodic Ouija board sessions. Those images also stuck in my mind. To me, they didn’t seem in conflict with faith; rather, they seemed another side of the same coin.
Visiting Germany, I became fascinated by the Bronze Age Neolithic stone circles, especially one hidden in the forest near the village of Boitin. I initially believed such ancient monuments had been used only for astrology observations or burial rituals. However, later, I discovered there were also many legends surrounding these circles. They allegedly bore witness to passageways and portals into other worlds. Spirits, both good and bad, purportedly accessed these stone rings to travel from one dimension to another.
I've often wondered if these tales were based on observation or possibly even real physical interactions. At any rate, I found the folklore intriguing enough to add another level of inspiration and imagination to this story. Thus, my travels and both branches of my early family influences have nourished this written journey.
My great grandparents, Susan (Tillett) Kunkle and Stewart Kunkle, with their children
Susan and Stewart Kunkle (right) with a friend (left)
My other grandparents, Greta (aka Kathryn) and Oscar Beck, with their children in 1921
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