The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-04-20
old PONDER IS
CALLED BY Death
FERDINAND BORGMANN Sue
CUMBS TO PHYSICAL OLSEN.
LIBERATION DUE TO AGE
FUNERAL LARGELY ATTENDED
OLD COMRADES OF EARLY DAYS
BRAVE INCLEMENT Wealth
Err TO ATTEND SERVICES

Despite threatening heavens, chill
winds and frequent splashes of cold
rain, unmindful and unthinking of the
battle of elements that might bring
requiem to them through exposure, an
inspiring and impressive procession
of old Sank Centre pioneers wended
way to St. Paul's church Wednes-
day morning. They were silver-hair-
ed and halt, bent and bowed, looking
on life through dimmed lenses, these
processionaries, but even in the ad-
vanced autumn of their lives they
needed not the elemental rigors that
they might pay last respects to their
old compadre-Ferdinand Bergman,
Sr. Their old comrade of Indian and
pioneer times was being disposed to
his last rest and they wanted to give
personal adieux to the beloved
friend who had been one of them a
half century ago when Sank Centre
marked the Minnesota frontier.
Not only came these silver-haired
pioneers, but their children and grand
children. The great St. Paul's church
was crowded. 1t was beautiful trib-
ute to the memory of the deceased
this gathered galaxy of old friends
attesting more emphatically than
the venerable old gentleman was held
by all who knew him. And if more
manifestation was required to dem
onstrate this esteem it was presented
in the great wealth of, floral offerings
which covered and surrounded the
casket as it rested on its bier before
the altar. At its head reposed a
sheaf of ripe wheat, the compliment
of Mrs. R. A. White, symbolic of
"ripe old age"
Rev. FIR. Art, assisted by St. Pa.l's
choir, sang Missa Pro DeFunctis, re-
QUEEN mass for the dead. Then Father
ART, in sermon, speaking both in
German and English, beautifully
painted the usefulness and goodness
to which the deceased had given his
long life and the splendid and active
part he had played in the development
and uplift of this entire region.
A long cortege followed the remains
to their last resting place in St. Paul's
cemetery where they were placed be-
side those of his wife, who went to
her last resting place seven weeks
ago. A short service was conducted
at the graveside by Father Art.
Seven old pioneers escorted the re-
mains as honorary pail bearers, John
Thielen, cross bearer, Joseph Capser,
David Pangburn, Anton Miller, Albert
I Dahlem, Anton Boteman and R. A.
White. The active pail bearers were
l}six grandsons, Carl and Al Minette,
Louis Borgmann and Everett, Alex
and Fred Lux, the same young men
who bore their grandmother to the
grave a few weeks before.
Ferdinand Borgmann died Monday
morning at 8 o'clock from gradual
physical disintegration due to old age
Had he lived until May "a he would
have been 81 years old. During his
long life he had scarcely known a sick
day, being roughened and toughened
by the hardships of his early man
hood, but shortly before the holidays
Nature asserted itself and the veneer
able patriarch took to his bed, weak
cned and failing. He never rose from
it. He bore up cheerfully despite the
restraint of feebleness until his wife
died He then declared he had no fur
Their desire to live, that his desire was
to join his wife in the Beyond, and he
failed slowly and steadily. For sever
al days before the tie on life was
snapped the end had been looked for
by the six of the seven living children
gathered at the bedside.
The deceased was horn in West
phalia, Germany, May "a, 1925, and
came to the United States when 81
years of age. He was the only MEM
Der of his family to emigrate here.
He had served four years in the Ger
man army and saw service under
arms during the revolution of 1848-49.
On coming to this country he first
located at Toledo, Ohio, where he
worked one year in a sawmilE Toledo
was then a little village and Mr..
Borgmann could have taken sup a
homestead on the outskirts of the
town but he considered it an inter