Brance was a nickname—while growing up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the son of an Amish minister, he was known as Remembrance Brenneman. The eldest of seven children, his name came from the family Bible, which his father alone could handle. Amos Brenneman would take up the worn, leather-bound volume, sit in the sole chair by the fireplace, and wait for the family to gather around before opening the book to read the Scriptures aloud. It was the only time Brance ever saw gentleness in his father’s weathered hands, or heard kindness in his hard voice.
Theirs was a harsh life, eked from the land. Brance learned early on to keep to himself—his father didn’t condone idle chatter or gossip. He was a stern man, unsmiling, as strong as an oak tree and as unyielding. In his eyes, the children
