About Us
Kutzeschteddel is an independent project created by Kirby Sibiski. Kirby is the grandson of Leroy Brown. Leroy grew up on a farm in Dryville where his first language was PA Dutch. He eventually became a regular performer at the Kutztown Folk Festival.
His wife and second-daughter Shawn ran Jackie and Daughter Flower Shop on Main Street for 35 years.
His third-daughter, Shannon, married Skip Sibiski. They had Kirby and Beckham Sibiski, who grew up in Kutztown and played for the school’s soccer team. They spent lots of time with their grandparents, who took them to eat once a week and attended all the boys’ games.
Through Leroy’s mother Verna (Schade) Brown, the family traces roots to several ancestors who moved here from the Rhine-Palatinate area of what is now Germany.
Today, Leroy’s descendants can’t speak PA Dutch and in 2025 the Folk Festival was cancelled. But does this make them any less PA Dutch?
This website argues that they are still PA Dutch, even if they don’t wear plain white t-shirts, blue jeans, and red suspenders (though they can if they choose to).
By understanding our history, we can begin to piece together what it means to be PA Dutch today.
We propose that PA Dutch culture is not simply a collection of symbols (hex signs, horse and buggies, etc.), or a nostalgic longing for a way of living frozen in time.
Rather, PA Dutch heritage is a way seeing embedded in our ancestors’ stories, art, and love.
Video Source: Kutztown University Research Commons, Jackie Zabel, 2010