Mennonite group getting start in area

The Mennonite group which recently purchased land north of Fredericktown is working to establish its community as more families make the transition to join in the future.

David Mazelin, one of the Mennonites who has moved to the area, said many of those coming to the area have traveled from Scottsville, Kent.

“We moved here from Kentucky, most of us,” Mazelin said. “There’s a few families that are coming from western Missouri.”

Mazelin said they chose the area because of its relative proximity to the communities in western Missouri and Scottsville.

“We have a group that we work with in western Missouri, and we’re getting full there in Scottsville so we decided to check in between the two settlements and this is what we found,” Mazelin said.

Mazelin said the Mennonites have found the area to be similar to the one they left in Kentucky, except there seems to be more wind. Making the transition even easier, Mazelin said the people of St. Francois and Madison Counties have been very welcoming so far.

Currently, there are four families who have made the move to the area, but there will eventually be 20 to 25 families living on the 900 acres the group purchased just off Route OO.

“It’s going to take a few years,” Mazelin said. “There’s going to be eight families coming in this winter.”

What land isn’t used for housing will be used to raise produce, much of which will be available for local sale.

“We’ll put up a stand down here by the road,” Mazelin said. “And we might sell some other things, too.”

The group is currently working on constructing houses and preparing for the arrival of other families.

Mazelin said the traffic in Farmington causes some difficulty in comparison to travelling in Fredericktown, but the group is doing business in both towns.

A home is nearing completion on the property owned by the Mennonite group which recently came to this area.