A good Amish man. A conservative farmer. Very much a man of faith.
But with a twist….

From Our Goody Heritage: 

”Noah was born in Ohio in 1831. He married Fannie Mast of Holmes County, and they became parents of six children. In 1875 they moved to Johnson County, Iowa and bought a 160-acre farm.

As a small boy Noah had sick headaches 2 or 3 times a week along with severe cramps which sometimes made him loose consciousness. While he was never a well man, he could usually do the work of an average farmer. In March 1876, after being ill for several days, one evening he talked at some length while being asleep. His wife, alarmed, called a few neighbors. The matter was kept quiet, however, and when Mrs. Troyer told him of his talking he would not believe her. These attacks continued for about two years becoming more severe with cramping and bloating of the stomach accompanied with convulsions. In 1878 he became sick at the Amish Church and talked at some length. After this, the fact that he preached in a sleeping or unconscious state became generally known. His sermons varied in length from 1 – 3 hours. Although he was only German speaking by birth, he sometimes preached in English first and later in German. In the very last years of his life, he did not speak so often and the throngs of listeners dwindled.  On March 2, 1886, he was accidently killed.  He had gone to shoot a chicken to provide for dinner for a gang of carpenters.  For some reason the musket misfired and exploded and the firing pin went into his brain. His sermons are recorded in the Daily Republican.”

Reminisces of Noah Troyer Trance Preacher
Speaks for three hours while in trance at Joseph Mast home in 1879
 
Perhaps a few readers of their news remember when Noah Troyer preached at the home of Joseph Mast on 11/9/’1879. A large crowd gathered to hear him because his fame as an unusual preacher had spread far and wide. His procedure in the services of that evening were very much like it had been previously. He lay down on a lounge and after some time apparently passed into a trance. After a period of time his friends helped him to his feet. He then prayed a powerful prayer in the English language and another in the German tongue. Then his friends again helped him to his feet and he began his discourse. During the first part of his sermon, he spoke in English but at last he changed to German and continued his exhortations in that language for some time. Finally he fell upon his knees and offered a closing prayer. When he had finished they placed him on the lounge and the people left. In the middle of his sermon, he mentioned the fact that he had spoken for an hour and a half but that he had hardly made a beginning of what he had to tell yet that evening and therefore he would speak again as long never before did he feel such power for speaking. His discourse lasted three hours that night During this entire time, he was apparently sleeping or unconscious. Troyer, from childhood, was troubled with severe attacks of headaches and cramps … often suffering so much that he would become unconscious. In March of 1876, after being ill for several days, he began talking while asleep. After several weeks his attacks left him but in about a year they returned and became more severe continually until in April of 1873 he had them almost every night. During the year he became sick at an Amish meeting and talked at some length. After that it became generally known that he talked at length in his sleep and hundreds of people came from a distance to hear him. He continued his preaching until some time in 1881 when he was relieved of his physical affliction. In March 1882 his attacks returned and he again delivered sermon in an unconscious condition. Sometimes after this, at his home in Johnson County, Iowa , he lost his life in an accident. On another occasion, Troyer delivered a sermon at the Eicher church. He was not awakened after the sermon but slept in the church all night. Benjamin Eicher and Sebastian Gerig spent the night with him.

(Written/copied by Pam Gassman and uploaded to FamiySearch by Nicole Cicerone)