Amen Group

The AMEN's Group is a group of men who meet every Wednesday night from 7:00 to 8:30 at Schowalter Villa Retirement Community in Hesston, Kansas.  The group of is comprised of five retired men. These men are Bill Mason, Willard Nitszche, Wayne Swartzendruber, and Morris Brown. It is led by psychologist John Simmering and Dwight E. Roth, Hesston College professor.

We talk about any subject. One of our many interests is in the area nature. For example, Dwight is in the process of making a leaf-house. Leaves from oak, pear, elm, and maple trees are in this. Note pictures of the leaf house that follow: Construction of the leaf house is about 80 percent completed. It is about six feet high. The floor space is about 40 square feet. The floor has about 3 feet of leaves. I hope to put a round, clear skylight on the roof to let in the sun for heat and to watch the stars by night. Notice the pumpkins, the cross and small statue in the left part of the photo. Closer shots of these items are seen after this one.

 
 

Here we see a close-up view of the pumpkins, apples, and a cross.

 
 

The small statue was made by Hesston College student J.D. Mininger in 1994. It suggests the multi-faceted aspects of life including sadness seen in the white tears.

 

This is the interior of the leaf house.  You can't see much but it should give you an idea what this is like.

 

Here is a close-up of a very small fairy village. Notice there are bird houses, a little house, and some fruit.

 

Note the wreath made of leaves from the Ornamental Pear tree. This is inside the door of the leafhouse.

 
 
 

Here is group member, Morris Brown.

 
 

Below is group leader John Simmering along with Willard Nitzsche, and Morris Brown.