The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-03-02
mrs BORGMANN
aged PIONEER
ANSWERS CALL
Continued from Page One

born in Stearns county, Mrs. F. E..
Minette of this city. They remember
her in the fields, in the Kitchen
everywhere she might aid her hus-
band and her growing children. They
remember her home as one from
which no wanderer or visitor was ever
turned away, whose board was always
ample and open to all and whose
shelter was always extended. 1t was
in this home that the first Catholic
services in this region were held
long before the church was establish
ed in Sank Centre. Services were con-
Quoted at that time by wandering
priests in these remote regions there
being weeks and sometimes months
between their visits, but best remem-
bered among them as a visitor to the
Bergman home and administrator of
the sacraments was Father Pierz
whose name is perpetuated in memory
by the town of Pierre in Morrison
county. It was in this home that she
reared her large and splendid family
and where all but the two eldest
children were born.
They remember her for hundreds of
little philanthrophies of which they
actually know and hundreds more of
which they can only suspect. And as
she had been the quiet, transformations
philanthropist when the old farm was
her home, so she continued during the
twenty years she lived in the city
and many little Gift" was given
with the beneficiary not knowing from
whence it came. -
But the old pioneers dwell fondest
on their recollection of her own won
derful personality. She was the es-
scene in connection of gentleness,
goodness, kindness, LONELINESS,
motherinless-fairi in her judgments,
stern in her arrangements, complete in
her forgiveness and with mercy to-
ward all. All who knew her wonder
at her wonderfulness.
The pioneers recount in the trying
days of the Sioux outbreak in 1862,
when the Borgmann's were then liv-
ing in Lake George, how the young
mother bravely received from half
breed courier riding through the coun-
try to alarm the scattered white Set
tiers the tidings of the Indian out
break; how she assisted her husband
to hitch and provision an OK team and
wagon, grasped her two children
I (Mrs. F. E. 'Minette and Mrs. Peter
Ehr, ITO her, and set off for the wild
night drive across the country to- st.
Cloud and safetysf Again, during the
Sioux Chippewa war they remember
her as quietly enduring in her home
twenty savages on the warpath and
watched the redskins slaughter and
devour the cattle which then repre-
sented large part of the Borgmann
fortune. It is small wonder that the
old friends remember her best and
grieve the most because of her pas
sing. "> -
Antonette Schurmann was born
April Is, 1885, in Reclinhausen, Ger
many. At the age of 10 years she
came to America with her parents
who settled near Gutenberg, Iowa. Al
the age of twenty, on Oct. A, 1855
she was united in marriage to Ferdi.
nand Bergman. Two years later, in
1857, the couple came to Minnesota
and settled at Lake George. A sister
Mrs. Mary Telling, had previously 10.
Gated at Lake George. There the
Borgmann's remained until the Sioux
outbreak when they were compelled tt
flee with their two children. ~
After the redskins were. subduet
the family returned to Lake George
but in 1865 they purchased the home.
stead right and moved onto the farm
IN miles south of this city which re-
manned their home until they moved
into Sank Centre about 20 years age
! but which still remains in the family
being now the home of Henry Borg
mann, son. In those days they had
as their nearest neighbors the Steph-
en- Barnards, Fred Barnards, the
Davis, the David Pangburns and Viii.
liam Pangburns. 1t was on this farm
that Ferdinand Borgmann, aided by
his wife, by thriftiness and hard work
laid the foundation for the building up
of the present large Borgmann hold.
ings. Often Mrs Borgmann was alone
while her husband freighted to Fort
Abercrombie to acquire ready money
1t was also on this farm that ten
of the twelve children were born and
where all were reared. Five of the
children died in infancy or youth. The
seven surviving are Mrs. F. E. Min
cite, Mrs. Peter Ehr, Mrs. Peter Gas
pard, Ferdinand J. Borgmann, Henry
G. Bergman, Mrs. Henry Theirs and
George R. Borgmann. All of the
children live in Sank Centre except
Mrs. Ehr, who resides in Minot, N. D..
and who was not present at the death
of her mother but attended the funer-
al. All the children are married and
there are 81 grandchildren and 19
great-grandchildren living to mourn
The elder Borgmanns celebrated their
golden wedding anniversary ten years