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Title
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Berger, Franklin C.
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Re v. F. C. Barger 1
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Minister's Reco·a·d-.Michigan Conference
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This information i~ bl!ing gathered for historical pu rpos11s
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··18-61 .
1-Name }~):~~-~-+J~___Q_~~~~_g~ ;r_!______________ (a)
Date, place of birth_Lima.....Ind .~~.sep.t.~~6.;-lif.~-------
of death ---------- -----------·(c)
Place of burial-------------------------------------------------------------------·
2-Father's name ___Q~-~~:t!J?.-P.: .. ~-~-rg_E}_r~!....(a)
Birth, date, place --~~J-~DE~D-~-~~-1{-TJ-~:n:Y.!........................
3~ Mother's name -~~-::.~._~~~-~~~~~---------------(a)
Birth, date, place
(b)
If deceased, date
·----------------------------------------------------------···
Yf father or mother w~r~ prominent give infu'rmation on •epa rate ~httt
4-Brothers__ LeYi~Abnar~nani.e~,.J.aaeJ)hJ.J.ohn~Abllfl.I!...and..Edw:a.r.d.•.......................................
5-Sisters Emma,Mary,Elizabeth• ·
---------- .. -- .. -.................. .. ---- .. -................... -.. ----------- .......... --- .. --- .. -- -- -·-.... ---- .. -- .. -------------- ..... ------------·----------- .. ------ .... -....... -----------------·
Names and places of
rtsidenc~,
if livin,. will be appreciated
6-Marriage, date, place -~~~-~;~-~-~~-<?.~-~-~-~-~-E~-~-~~-~}§_~~-~------------------···-------···-··-·····--·················-------·-·
(a) Wife's maiden name, birth, place Nettie Angevine •
If there were
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sub~-~~~~;-~~;;i~g·;;;-pi;~~~-gi·;;·i~i~~~~~;i-;;;;;"Lyciia-·Fafa"t~Ey<iia···sTg-ri~
7:--Children, names, date and place of birth. vocation, names of married daughters
(a)
Residenee
·
... -- .. -.. ---- .... -- .................................. -........................ -.... -.... .... ...... .. ............ ...... .. ....
.. -............. -........ --- ...... -- ........ -- -------------------------- --·---- .... ----- ........ .
(h) .. ____ ..... _... ___ ... ________ ____________ . _______ __ ____________ _____ Residence. _________ . _____________ ... _____ ---------------------------·---------------(c) . ---------- .. ---- ........ -- ............... ............................. .... -- .. --- - - - - ...... - ...... - ..... Residence ---- ...... ! ........ - ------- .. -- .... --- - - .............. ------- --------------------· ..... -- ........ -~-~
(d)"
•
.--·----- .... -- ................... _... ------ .... . . ...............................................
-.. -.. --- .. ----. ResiQenee
(e} .. ----------------------------------- ____________________ __ ____ . ___ . Rcsidencr .. ___ ___ __________________________________ ..... _____ ____ .. __ ----- -· - ---- -~(f) ·--------- ___________ ___ ____ ______ _________ ____ _____ ______ __ ____ .. __.Residence
H chil<lr~n have :ltt:\ined promintnce, plea•e give iuforn.a tion and any ot~er information of interest
8-Education-11chools attended. Give names and locations
Rural
(a)
schools·----~-~~~-~~~-~~--------------------·
(b)
(c) College ..!~~~-::~.i?.~~-~-----·····---·-······ ······· · (d)
(c) Seminary
.-------------------------- -------· .. --- .. ----- -· (f)
(g) Correspondence courses The Evar.gelica.l
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High schools --~-~~-~:':'-~-~~-~--~---------·--··············---------·
University _______ __________ _____ ______ .. _____ ··------.................... .
D(:~rees
h(:ld
... ------ ... -.. --·--------------------- ----------------.... ---- ... Oorr,e epondence Oouree .won the let
.ni· - -1-oma.··-in-· · nlgg· ~---- - --- --- -- -- ---- - --- ---"'-·--·--- - ----------·-- --- : - ~-- ---- -- - -- --·--- - -- - -- --
.c.-chrlstJan exp< rwnce and tram1ng P
(a) Conversion, when, wherf', under whosE' labors
zd
·
.North
Jlestern Oolle-ge ,1883,Dec ·~~-·
-·---.At
--------- -----· ------- -----------------------. --· ------------------ ... -.---(b) Heligious training .J.!?-...f!'!.. fJ~.El... .O.lW.i.~t.!.~n.. .bome...and ..Lima.. EYIJ.ngalic.aJ.. .. Church-•.
.(c) United with church, when, where Naperville ,December ,1S83 •
-----........ . -.. . -.. . . . . ......................... ------.. . . ---------.. --.. --.. ..... ...... --............................. --.!" ·-------·---·-·-·--(d) Offices held in local church- •.•......
None··-•............ .... ·: .. ·:::.• : ·· •.•. - · · . . .•..•••... • •.•. . .• . -.-. -.- ..: •. •..••.••••• • • ••_. •.•• · r• I
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to-Ministry
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(a)
Vocation before entering the ministry___~-~?.~~-- -~~---:.~-~-~~~ --~-~--~---~~~--~~~!'...~.~-I;l!~-~ ~!?--~~
(b)
Call to ministry, when, where experiene(·--~-~~-?-~---~~~_l?:~~-?:--~---~~-~~-~-~~-<:1: ...~~~ ...!...lE~I?-~----·
+...
......PF-.~-~~!J:~.Q-~-~~R~...I?J?.C?.~~---~~---l:l!~---~~-c:l: .. ~~~-~---~_y_--~~~;l;-~-~---~~---g_l:~g___ ~-~~P.Qn$1~Hl!...,
Uae ailoition;{J ~heet of .paper if n~ceasary
(c) Recommenqed by Congr(•gation -~~~~-~-~~-~;~~~-~-?-~!-~-~-~..pastor____ ~.Q~--~~_Y.g~-~-~---·---------·-·
(d)
Licensed, whell'~ where, Conference ..Li.cen.a.ed ..a:t. .. I.onia,.ftdlrlgan.Apr..i.l.·..3*J.SSG.--b-y
(e)
Or~~:~~t~: Deacon!........!~~.'!. ............... Elder~-- --~§§_~-- -- - --- --- ········
(f)
Credentials, from
Itinerancy__ J . ~~-~-----------~~-~ube
Dt•nomination, to·-··-·---·-·····------------------·······---------ALo Conference
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11-Pastoratcs held, when, where
Monroe Circu_1 t ,1885-86 •Jackson 18~6~-~-~§-~-~~-~r~--- -·
Circuit :s89-1992~~gR&g~Rfit~g~~!t~S~:gii~~~~~·
......... _.................... __________ ________ U?...... ·------------ -------· ·----------·
Elkhart let~IInn~d1ina:na Oonference,l919-1923·Hunt1ngburg,Ind.,l9271932·Urba.na, ndiana,1932-
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12- 0ffices held in Conference __P-;r_E?_~_!.Mi.ch.'!St.a:-t~ ...S.l,lll.day...S.c hool. .. Asso.c iati.on-> ~904-l-90 - 6.
(a) P. E.
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or D. S.,
Also other denomul:lt :ous, 1! a uy /'()
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at .,J.:90d~~l-99 5- ..F~in-t-- - D-i-s t- .. l 9.0.5 -.l 908-· ----------------Also dlstrll't> sen ·e
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(datcs) __ Gd..B.a.pi.ds.
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(b) D elegate to Gen. Conf., (dates)____~.e:t~l1.Bf9-9~-!.,_l_9_Q3,!.l1i).wauk_e_e..t ~90.7.~ Los __.Angel_
e_a.J _____
(c) Otlwr offi ces held name, date
1915 ~~, #a. •., l919 . netr oi t 1922 •Lost
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-- ----becauee- --of-~g~---o:r- ·-conf'Br ence·•·-·wr:tJ.tams~------· -·
port 1926 ·
--- ·-- -------------------------------------- -------·--.: ------------------· ______ __ ______ ____ __ __ _,
13-Literary productions, books writtt•n _:J;'!;l_J;l) __ XQU.U<"i...PE.O..P.LE~-S~_ALLIAN_QE....MANUAL.~~-QSP.~l......~--(a)Pamphlets and other productions Melodies • Lea.f'lete too numerous to mentiol'\
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. . .. . . - - - . - ••• • •• - - - . - . - -\-- · - · · .......... - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - · ~ - - -- - - - - - - -- , .. .. .......... ~ ... . . . . ; r • • - ... · · - - - - - - - - -
::=~:~::~~:~;;;;.~;;;;
:;;;6~~;§\!;~ti~~ii~i;;i~~;~~~:-~~;~~~-f:.;:':·-~umrer
~rmons preach~-~--------------~-~------------------:
(a)
of miles t raveled ___ _______ _______ _______ ,. __ ____ , _________(15)
{c)
Conversions ----------------(d) Baptisms_________________(e)
(g)
Members received into t he chur.ch,_~ - -- ----------- -----------------
__ ___ __
Weddings___________________(f)
Funerals
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16-Salary, highest amount rec~ived, .$.~~_9._Q _~Q_Q ______ _Year ... JJ~2.Q.. _____ lowest _jt1At\·.~9_Q _____}'ear_)._f?..§J?:::!~§.6.
17-Fraternal relatio~-~ .. _Ng,n~ ___'Qy.t__ .thE;L.C.hur. c.b~ _tb.~-- _the...L..Qrd!'....... _---------______ -----------·--.. __... __ .....
1&--Interesting experiences___________ ________ ___ ___ ___ _________ _______________ -----------___ _______ ____________ ___ ____ _____ ___ _________________ ___________ _
··-·---- ----------------------------·----------- -------.. __ _.___ ------------------------ ·-- -· .. -------------.---- .......... ---- -· ---·--------------------- ___ _______ ______~__
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19-Remarks·-----------___ _____·--- __ __ _______'__: ________ __ ____ _----·---- ________ ___ ________ _____________ _______ ___ ____ __________ __------,---·-______ __ _______
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20.:.....T his biank was fillet! out, date --~}.?~~~---~~-~-~~-~~lace,
B whom
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F·O ·Berger.
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Note:We are desirous of securin g for t he Hist-orical files of t he Michigan Conference complete and detailed
information concerning all ministers who have served and are now serving in t he Conference. The aoove outline
~s intended to assist in securing such information in more or less uniform ·o utlines.' ~Ve urge t he addi tion on a
separat e sheet, of such other important and interesting information as can riot be conveniently plar.ed on . this blank.
In t he case of men now living, the informat-ion can, of course, be only up to date. Photographs of living and
der.rasecl ministers, diaries, letters and documents of historical intt>rest are earnestly solicited. Your co-operation
in behalf of t he Conference Historical work will be greatly appreciated . ;Kindly return t he blank to t he Confere'noe Histori-an, W. H. Wat.son, Kalamazoo, Michig~n.· '
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Fr anklin
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Ber ger
Pradiding e lder--1901- 0B.
Fr .1n1"-lin ~ . Bm·g er was the first pr esiding elder t.hnt it was the writer • s good fort.u.•~ tv wJllt .
1he o c casion na a a ~· unday Scr.Dol p-l ctlic, fvr the S:rrith Creek C0 !1gregR tion, at !:'ratt 1s L:l!re in lil.<id·.·Jj n county. J.t ~~as also the quarterly meat bg
weeK:-~.:nd on the Jladwin Ci rcuit .
The pa stor , Rf'v. 'J. ~uxton, had br ought t he pres i d.i.J.6 elder .. ith r.i."l to he picnic .
1'/o::d ;JGr c u.l.~ted thoug:1 our picnic group that t he prl?.si di!'lg elder \l!ould b e "~res ent .
In du€ t · r:te, in the aftarnoon, tho "great man" prPf:lented h~"'.Self to our c o':lpany.
To t.h : o~~riter, a t t hat morr.cnt., he wa s the eig hth ·on<ier of the world . Ther e he
::n,uo<J) a ·;~:t ' s man , s l ightly a bove medium heig ht, ~sturdy physique, ~q:.mre
s houlders , jutting ja· ·, :.pcrkling eye a nd dar k complexion. What a man l And he
sp•:Mv, i n td.s staccato style of address, r emi nding u s t hat , " Al l ~ork a nd no pl ay
mak~s J .•cl.- : rlull boy", i"ln~ hri..efly co!lllnentiP,~ on other appr opri at e m'ltt ers. To a
f arm ooy, s1.1Ch as I, the product of the timber land , he ~as so;,ethtror t o beh•..,ld.
The pictuce r ef'us es to f aciE> . As t,he yP.at'S pa~s ed I ·-'las -+:.o kno·.v hi m wel l and to b e
a ::.ooc Lnted ·::.i.th him in numerous i mpcwtant pr ojects of tho church.
Fran~<_:_in ~· ;..erger w:1a born at L:lm:a , lndiana , ~eptembel' 16 , 1861, the s on of Christian
~n d M<J.ry u.)rder and ono o~ a fa'llily of ten childr en. Born and reared o!'l the f~r:n ,
he ~rar! ua tod f r orn t he rural schools of his 110/Iil? CfJctwanity; ::.ttendod high school at
Lima (no ~ Ho·.•e ) a n d spent the year of 1883-84 at :~orth Central College . At t h-.
college h e ~m s conv ti3rt ed Decomber 23, 1B83 and unit ed wit h the church at Naperville
ic'Ledi a tely . ln going to c:ollege he had planned a bus i ne ss course and l ooked forward
to a busi ness car eer . Lut hi e conversion experience brought i nto f ocus a lo~ dormant
call to the Christ i an mi..1.i stry. He responded to the renewed call, cha ng ed hi ~ plans
and el'ltE:>red t h0 ministr:>r 1 al'J. a ct t hat, was t he occas ion of no future regrets. he
loved the miniatr7 and ga,re hi s all t o i t .
He wa s licensed by the Uichisa n Conference, as a minist er on probation, in l d95. He
we:;. r : e el v:~d into the itint:-ran.cy in 1886, was ordained as a deacon in 1887 ar:d as an
elder in 1S89. He s erve d the following pa storat es in the Mi chil;an Confercnco,-Monroe
Circuit , 188 5-86; Jackson, 11396-89; Park Ci rcuit , 1869-92; llortroe Circuit, 1892-95;
Buchana n, lSiS-99; St . Joseph 1899~1901 . In 1901 he was clectod presiding elder and
appoi~ted to the Grand H~pids Listrict where he served four years . Ln 1905 ho nas
re-elected to the office and stationed on the Flint Di strict where he served until
1903.
At the General ~onference in 1907 he v1as electod as the first General '· ecret 1ry of
Tht.: Yc;ung ~· oople ' s Al.l:tance a nd the !Junday School s i.n the i!.vangel ical ~hurch . He
enter ed upon t ho duties of the office i n April 1909. In this office he s erved,
t r -'3VC"tllng thr-oughout t he denomination, unt,il Novm ber l t) 9 ''lhen he f ail ed of reelection a nd r o t,urned to tl: e pastorate. In the a pri.ng of 1920 he transfer red his
c r edential s from t he .Jdchigan Conference to the Indiana Conferenc e . In this Conf erence he served :J.kh:lrt Firat Church, 1919-23; Huntingbur g, 1927-32.; Urbana ,
1932-- . rk 3ervcd i.)S (! pr cs:i.ding cider in Indiana l:onreronco fro.n 1923 to 19 ~7 .
Ho oor-.-cd <n.her churctws in L."ld:la r.a until thA time of his retirement but we do not
hav ~ hie r ~cord be30nd 193: .
Hew~~:: honored by election ~s a delegate to the Gener al Confer~nco five t imes ,1903, 1907, 1 915, 1919, 1926 . H~ wn s honorod ~ith the office of President of the
W.chigan · tnto '-' Um.1ay J chvol Ae::ociati on in 190l..-05 . He a ttenrtcd the '~orld Sw1day
!>cnool ~ onvontions ct Jerueelcm in 1904 and a t l uri ch, D ·orit~~erln nd in 1913. He was
th~..: author of Lhc 11 You."l{; People ' s Allianco l&inual 11 and numerous pamphlets .
He was
t he associ&te cor.1pller of "0oopc1 .:olodi es'~ a J undtly ~ c hool H,y mnal of the Ghuroh.
He wse unit ed in ll'l.arriage with itl.:;s Nettie Angevine of Lealie, Jichi gan , ..>ept.e \ber
13, 1838. lleltdeath occurred just aft.er the turn of the centuryo Later he narried
Uisa Lydiaj Faist of Hersey 1 .i.ichiga11. Late in life he was joined in mar r iage wlth
!fER
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Duri;lo !:i. r .llrrl.:Jtry i n t.h13 Jichiga tJ onfercnct~ h.:; c t ood Ur1Dtlf. her able t mi!1laters .
He 1:as pc. sccssed of a rich st;lrltual heri t age :lnd a Jt.ti sfylng :e~m:tBm· C hr le ~ ian
exp~rl ence . i1e w?.s or:o of the. ebla pas t,or-evangcliot.s of tile Conference and he l d
so,.tc 1rer y successful revivc.l:; on hi s f i el d s . He was f avo1·ed w.:. t h an i mposi ng per sonality, e generous t ouc h of eloquence and a good s peaking voice. He spoke l-.:i.t h a
pr onounc ed stacca t o st yl e but wlt h unusual powe r . Congr egationo looked forw:..rd
t.o i1is c.:..·tning at qu~ rterly mc~ti ng tine with gr eat attticlpation. Thoy o.:x.pected a
spiritu.:d l irrf a nu war e not dis appoint ed .
He pusssd t v his r eward i n 1947 a nd was buried at Fort \tayae, l ndi en.; • .; inca his
l ater ninbtry !! nd cieath occurr~d .i.n lndiana the .J.i ci'.lge.n his torian coes n ot h·.ve,
i.'lt<Jcdi atc!.y at htmd , i mportant. det:Jils relat ing to this period oil hi s life. At t he
height 01' hi::; minis t ry he wa::; recog nize d as one of the denominations importa nt
le:dero.
W. H. \•atson,
Conforenc e Historia n.
REV. F. C. BERGER
Pastor Grace Eva11-gelical Church
Urbana, Indiana.
April 16 ,
1934 .
Rev•W•H•Vlateon,
Kalamazoo,Mich·,
My dear Brother:! response to your letter,! wi~l send you such information
as I have of a few o~ the men indicated on your liet,Rev·P·Schwille moved to Lima· (now Howe,Indiana) from Erie county,Pa. ,
in the year 1859- 60,where he lived on a farm.Died Christman 1894·
G·Fleiecher came to Lima somewhere in the seventies where he owned
and operated a grist mill for a number of yeare.Both of the above
sustained the relation of local elders.
p.wiest moved to Lima in 1867 where he lived and died.Aleo a local
elder• A·Nicoli also lived at Lima.Died at Waehtenaw.
My father bought hie homestead from Jacob Heise at Lima,Ind·I do
not think that he ever was active in the ministry.
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All of the above attended the church of my boyhood·If desired
perhepe the present paetor,Rev.G·E·~lopfenetein,R·R·,Howe,Indiena,
can gather more detailed information as he is serving the old home
church·
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Rev·E·H·Heee and Rev.s.copley moved from Michigan to Spokane,
Waeh·I thibk both of them died in Oalifornia.
and died
Rev.J.Meok moved to Naperville where he livedAat the home
of hie dau@Pter,Mre·S·L·Umbach·
H·F·Baylis left the Michigan Qonference at .ite session at
Elkton going to! the Saptist churoh·I have no further trace of him•
Berger, Franklin C.