By Clinton Martin
David Luthy would not have sought the spotlight. He would not have wanted to be called “famous.” Yet, in some ways, he was very well-known. Those who knew him respected him enough to allow his humble outlook on life to shine through, without putting him on a pedestal. Still, he was undeniably one of the foremost Amish historians and publishers.
Born in 1941, he passed away in October of 2025. A good long life, well-lived, but in actuality a rather unusual life story. David Luthy was born in Illinois to Catholic parents. He grew up in a typical Catholic home, and went to Notre Dame, graduating with a master’s degree.
Only a few years after graduating, he encountered the Amish community for the first time, during a trip through Northern Indiana. He certainly wasn’t the first “English” (non-Amish) person to express a desire to join “from the outside” and he certainly won’t be the last. But he was unique in that he did join and stay. You don’t have to be born into the Amish community to become a member, but it is extremely rare for someone who grows up “English” to join, and even rarer still for them to stay.
Luthy was baptized into the Amish church on September 18th, 1966, in LaGrange, Indiana. He was 24 at the time of his baptism. His first vocation in the Amish community was as a school teacher. In this role, he interacted with the local school supply vendor, which he eventually joined as an employee. Today, this organization is known as Pathway Publishers. Luthy wrote many of the primary readers are still in use in many Amish schools nationwide. Over a million copies of these books have been sold over the years, mainly to Amish schools, but also to some Home School Groups.
In addition to his work with Pathway Publishers, he was also the founder and primary steward of the Heritage Historical Library, and an editor to “Family Life,” a widely read and circulated publication primarily among the Amish, Mennonites, and other Plain Sect households.
His book, “The Amish in America: Settlements That Failed 1840-1960” is considered one of the best dealing with the subject of church migration, Amish church-planting, so to speak, and about why some Amish populations do fizzle out.
And thus, we honor the life and legacy of David Luthy, an “English” man who converted to Old Order Amish, and thrived in the community there, creating a written legacy that we can all enjoy and ponder.