Breaking Free: Lovina Hershberger’s Journey from Amish Tradition to Independence
Lovina Hershberger made a life-altering decision on a snowy April night in 2021, just 10 days after her 18th birthday. The day was anything but ordinary, and she had planned her escape carefully, ensuring minimal disruption for her family. Days before, she oiled the hinges of their doors to silence her departure, knowing her actions would deeply sadden her parents and siblings. She chose that particular Monday—right after their biweekly church service—because it allowed her family nearly two weeks to process her absence before having to face the community again.
Earlier that day, Lovina and her mother had taken their horse and buggy on a rare trip to town to purchase supplies, a break from their usual routine. That night, she finalized her plans. She left a short note apologizing to her parents and assuring them she was safe, packed her most treasured belongings in a suitcase, and left her room bare for her 11 younger siblings.
Lovina descended the staircase barefoot around 11:30 p.m., trying to avoid the creaks that might wake her parents. Even when the family dogs barked, she managed to calm them down before they could alert anyone. As she left the driveway, she knew her decision would be devastating to her family, who were part of the Swartzentruber Amish, one of the strictest Amish sects. In their world, leaving the community was akin to mourning a death, and Lovina didn’t want her parents to endure that grief alongside the judgment of their neighbors right after a church gathering.
Lovina’s departure was motivated in part by her father’s control. For three years, she had worked as a teacher for Amish children, a role she loved deeply. Teaching had been her one passion within the confines of her lifestyle. However, her father decided she could no longer teach after the school term ended in 2021, citing the low pay. Instead, he planned for her to work full-time at his sawmill, a future Lovina could not accept. This ultimatum forced her to rethink her life, her faith, and the traditions she had always accepted without question.
Until then, she had envisioned a life following the community’s expectations—adhering to strict church rules, wearing modest clothing, and raising a large family. But the thought of losing her independence and dreams pushed her to leave, even though it felt wrong at the time.
On the night she left, Lovina walked four miles to the home of a logger who had worked for her father for years. She knew him well and remembered that his semi-truck, equipped with a sleeper cab, was usually unlocked. Too nervous to knock on the door at 1:30 a.m., she slipped into the sleeper cab and rested there for the night. By morning, she moved to a shed behind his house. When the logger discovered her, he understood why she was there and contacted her parents.
That night marked the start of a new chapter for Lovina—a journey away from the life she had always known, into an uncertain but self-determined future.
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