Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-05-31
Rev. Jerome C. Bergman.

REV. JEROME G. BERGMAN.
While | recognize that the setting
out of his life-work is a task be-
yond me, yet an acquaintance of
fifty years warrants my attempt at
tribute to his memory.
| first met him in 1856, as a pupil
at the Arcadia Seminary, and
even then to my boyish eyes he
was an old man. Not that his
step was feeble or his voice un-
certain, for his stalwart frame and
rugged countenance showed the
full vigor of manhood; but the
grizzled hair and care-furrowed
brow betokened a life of labor and
purpose. We looked up
on him with reverence and some
what of awe, yet he was genial and
kindly: possessed at times of a
quiet humor which attracted us
but lessened not our deep respect.
He was a strict disciplinarian but
not a martinez, and of the host
who sat at his feet during all the
years OF the Arcadia High School,
not one went forth from its portals
into the great world beyond but
bore with him a love for the
master. For myself, | cannot re-
call the scenes and events of those
days of old with unperturbed feel
ing-the once loved comrades and
the voices stilled forever-and al
ways foremost in the vanished
ranks stands the form of him who
at last has joined the ever increas-
ing majority. He has cast from
him the grievous burden of ex-
treme old age, and is now pos
sessed of all the blessings there
are to recompense the ills of earth
and to reward the need of duty
done. He now knows the truth of
the faith that sustained him
through life and led him ever On
ward and upward. His body that
reposes in Che quiet, greenwood
cemetery at Caledonia, is not the
j. G. Bergman that we have
known; it is not the man who
wrought for good for more than
four-score years, but only Natures
refuse. The mysterious spark that
illumined the dull clay is not
Quenched, nor can it be, so long as
the example and preeepts Of him
it animated dwell in the minds OF
men. | speak OF it in its earthly
sense: and in this sense it must
assuage the grief OF those who
mourn because the eye sees not
the late familiar form, and be-
cause the accents of the well-loved
voice are hushed to the ear forever.
The following brief sketch OF the
subject of this memorial, written
by one more fully conyersant than
with his whole life and work, !
copy from the Pennington Times.
"Father Bergman was born neal
Beardstown, Ky, February %,
1910, being a descendant Of an old
English family which for many
years found a home in Virginia.
moving thence to Ohio county.
Kentucky. Before he was grown
he came to Missouri, connected
himself with the Methodist Church
and 1928, in his nineteenth year
received license to preach. He
was appointed as an itineran1
preacher to the st. Francois and
Saline circuit. Some idea of the
extent of the Missouri Conference
in those early days may be gained
from the statement that his seconc
appointment, received at Potosi il
!, 1929, took him to Hot Springs anc
Mount Prairie circuit, most O.
which lay in Southern Arkansas.
In the fall of 1888, the conference
which met at Cain Hill, Ark.
assigned him to missionary work
among the Indians, at which time
: the various Indian tribes inhabit'
: ed all the vast region west OF Mis-
souri,; Kansas, Nebraska, and the
; great plains beyond had scarcely
l ever been penetrated by the whites
Mr.. Berryman's appointment, al
stated in a memorandum by him
self, was to the Kickapoos, but hi!
:, labors extended to the Shawnees
Pawnees and other tribes, situated
| in the neighborhood of For
Leavenworth, on the Missouri
:. Here he remained eight years, a
the end of which time he was ap'
pointed superintendent of a manua
l training school, which the Method
S list Church desired to establish, il
the hope of civilizing the Indians
: The school was located about three
l miles from the present town O
: Westport, Mo. The attendance
! was large, from 200 to 300 at every
r session. Long afterwards, whel
!. on a visit to Indian Territory, Mr.
. Bergman met grown Indian mel
and women who had been pupil
+ in his school. His experience
a while at the mission would fill
q volume; and it was there that on
OF the greatest sorrows of his lif
overlook him. His faithful wife
t who was Just recovering from a.
: illness, was taking a horsebacl
ride, and when passing an India,
? camp a pack of savage dogs ra.
out and frightened her pony S
Q that it ran away and threw her of
: striking her head against a fenc
stake. She was carried uncon
scious to the mission and died il
about three weeks.
: "This terrible accident and tn
4 necessity of giving his motherles
1 children a better training tina.
they could receive on the missio
: determined Mr.. Bergman to re
turn to Missouri, and in 1S47, a
his own request, he was transferre