But the 1864 one-horse sleigh that came from his wife, Rosalie’s, great-grandparents Wilhelmina Kriege and John Kramer had been through a tornado. Rosalie’s cousin wanted him to restore it.
Unger asked around and found Amish craftsmen at Woodland Coach LLC in Millersburg. They have been in business for 30 years.
Rosalie Unger said it was a treat going into Amish Country, making her think back to her Grandma Kramer, who hitched up horses.
“It is so cute,” said Rosalie, talking about the sleigh. “I can just see my grandparents driving it.”
The sleighs originally came from Germany, but this one was made in Albany, N.Y., and was handed down through the years.
The beautiful Brewster green and maroon sleigh has eagles carved into the front of the dashboard.
The sleigh is painted with its original colors, all free-handed. The maroon mohair seat has a flap to store things. The mohair came from Belgium.
“All these shafts were broken in several pieces,” said Jay. “The tornadoes did the damage.”
He had to put in new runners, paint it and upholster it. The cost was dear to get it restored, and now they don’t know what they are going to do with it.
Jay and Rosalie Unger have lived on the Kramer Bailey homestead since they bought the farm in 1993.
The 1898 Kramer Bailey farm has been farmed 111 years by the same name and family.
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