Henry Bergman (b. May 10, 1871, d. December 20, 1947)
Henry Bergman was born May 10, 1871 in Alsace-Lorraine, and died December 20, 1947 in Homestead, OK. He married Emma Rose Trachsler on November 10, 1909 in Burlington, OK, daughter of Edward Trachsler and Barbara Schwengeler.
Notes for Henry Bergman: Homes and Family of Henry Bergman
Henry Bergman was born May 10, 1871 in Alsace Lorraine, Germany. Incidentally, that was the same date the "Peace of Frankfort" was made giving Alsace Lorraine back to Germany. Henry always claimed Germany as his native country.
His mother died when he was fourteen so his older sisters kept the family together. When Henry was seventeen years old, he was to go for training in the German army. His family, knowing that they were not financially able to supply him with food while in the army, persuaded him to come to America with a family emigrating here.
In 1888 he came across the ocean and settled at Harper, Kansas. In order to escape from his native country the story ha been told that he concealed himself under the full skirt of one of the women until he was in France. A few years later when his father died the law searched the home for him.
An uncle of his, Jacob Bergman, who came to Harper, Kansas when Alsace Larraine belonged to France, always proclaimed France as his native country. Many disputes arose between the two. Nevertheless, Jacob Bergman paid for his nephew's ticket to America. Much hard and boring work was involved to repay the money.
The uncle took advantage of Henry, and finally one of the members of the Apostolic Christian Church of Harper informed the uncle that Henry had worked long enough to repay his debt, and he was to begin paying Henry wages. He was given a horse for part of his pay.
In 1893 when the Cherokee Outlet was to be opened. Henry left Harper, Kansas with a few dollars and came near Homestead to make the run on his horse. Not having been a "Sooner" he had not chosen any certain place, but he liked a spot he found with lots of trees. He staked his claim near Deep Creek in the southern part of Major County, only one and a half miles from what is now the Blaine County line.
His first home was a dugout along the bank of Deep Creek. He soon discovered, however, that the bank was too low and when heavy rains came, the creek rose, and he was forced to move out.He then built a sod house in the flat field a few rods north of Deep Creek and just south of where the present house is located.
Henry always wanted something better, and in a few years he built a small frame house, which was covered inside with wainscoting. To this small house was added a lean-to used as a kitchen. Here he prepared many meals and often said it would have been so easy to cook if he had some of the items we could buy off the shelves in the store.
In 1903, he built a four-room house, two rooms downstairs and two upstairs. This was built so he could rent his farm and have a place for his renter to live. Several different families lived in it.
Henry was a bachelor for many years, and during this time he rented his place. He worked for farmers near Driftwood, Oklahoma. With the money he earned, he made improvements on his place. He was never a person for accumulating a lot of land. He also liked to travel and made trips to various parts of the United States.
His close friends were in Burlington, Oklahoma, where he met Emma Trachsler who was living with her brother Rudolf and his family there. Emma had immigrated from Veltheim, Switzerland and came to Burlington after working for a time in Peoria, Illinois.
On November 10, 1909, Henry married Emma. After their marriage, they came to live in the four-room house Henry had previously built. Four of their daughters, Freda, Lena, Lydia, and Emma, were born in this house.
Henry farmed his own land, and they encountered many difficult years along with the good. The fieldwork was done with horses and small plows. It took many long hours to cultivate the land.
An addition was made to the house in 1918. The new size could now accommodate the birth of two more daughters, Henrietta and Ruth.
More About Henry Bergman: Burial: Unknown, Homestead Cemetery, Homestead, OK.
More About Henry Bergman and Emma Rose Trachsler: Marriage: November 10, 1909, Burlington, OK.
Children of Henry Bergman and Emma Rose Trachsler are:
Frieda Caroline Bergman, b. August 13, 1910, Homestead, OK, d. May 19, 1987, Oklahoma City, OK.
Lena Barbara Bergman, b. March 09, 1912, Homestead, OK, d. January 21, 2001, Okeene, OK.
+Lydia Mary Bergman, b. December 16, 1913, Homestead, OK, d. September 18, 1990, Oklahoma City, OK.
+Emma Rose Bergman, b. September 17, 1915, Homestead, OK, d. February 05, 2000, Okeene, OK.
Henry Bergman (b. May 10, 1871, d. December 20, 1947)
Notes for Henry Bergman: