David Bergey

Title: David Bergey fonds

Dates of creation: [185-] -1967

Physical description: 3.3 m of textual records

Biographical sketch: David Bergey (1845-1932) lived all his life in Ontario. He was born near Preston and grew up on his father's farm near Mannheim. In 1872 he married Louisa Bowman. They had seven children.

Bergey attended Normal School (teacher's college) in Toronto and taught in the following Waterloo County schools from 1866-1890: Pinehill, Manheim, Williamsburg, New Dundee and Waterloo Central. From 1876-1890 he served on the Board of Examiners of Public School teachers for Waterloo County. He was elected to the board of trustees of the New Dundee Public School in 1900.

Bergey purchased a farm West of New Dundee in 1885. He was ordained deacon of Blenheim Mennonite Church in 1889, in which capacity he served until 1921. Previous to his ordination he had been active in the work of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario, which was known until 1909 as the Mennonite Conference of Canada. He assisted in organizing a Sabbath School at Latschar's Mennonite meetinghouse in 1874 and at Blenheim Mennonite meetinghouse in 1885. After his ordination he gave leadership to the formation of a Waterloo County Meeting of Mennonite Sunday Schools, which was the forerunner of the Sunday School Conference and then the Christian Nurture Conference. In 1894 he moderated the annual meeting of the Mennonite Conference in Canada. In 1901 he was appointed District Member of the Mennonite Evangelism and Benevolent Board of America, forerunner of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. From 1906-1921 he served as Secretary of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. He promoted systematic financial giving by church members to support those ministers in need of assistance and to pay ministers' travelling expenses.

Bergey was a charter member of the New Dundee Rural Telephone Company in 1908 and was patrons' auditor for the New Dundee Cooperative Creamery accounts for about ten years. He served the community as conveyancer, executor and legal advisor. He was a life member of the Upper Canada Bible Society and president of the New Dundee Branch of the Society. He was also active in the temperance movement.

Custodial history: Donated to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by Lorna Bergey and others at undetermined dates.

Scope and content: Books dealing primarily with education, religion and music, miscellaneous personal papers, an executor's book and diaries.

Notes: Original archival description by Sam Steiner.
Photographs of the family are described in the Mennonite Archival Image Database.

File list:

Series 1: Books

1. Leitfaden zur deutschen Sprache oder kurz gefasstes Lehrbuch der deutschen Sprache in Fragen und Antworten / Otto Klotz.- Preston, Ontario : Otto Klotz.- 1867
2. Church and Sunday School Hymnal / J.D. Brunk, ed.- Scottdale, Pennsylvania : Mennonite Publishing House.- 1902
3. Das Neue Testament unsers herrn und heilandes Jesu Christi : The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.- New York.- 1852
4. Jessie Dyson. A Tale for the Young / John A. Walker.- London, England.- ca. 1892.- Presented to Gilbert Bergey by the Mennonite Sunday School at Latchar's on 18 December 1892
5. Das Anklopfen des heilandes vor der Th철des Menschen / Johannes Go߮er.- c1854.- Presented to David Bergey Jr. by the Mennonite Sunday School at Manheim on 30 January 1855
6. Dicks' Complete Edition of Shakspere's Works : With Thirty-Seven Illustrations, and a Memoir / John Dick, ed.- London, England : American Bible Society.- c1867.- Purchased by David Bergey in August 1867
7. The Normal Music Course : First Reader / John W. Tufts and H.E. Holt.- Toronto : Canada Publishing Company.- 1883
8. Dr. Joh. Christ. Aug. Heyse's deutsche Schulgrammatik oder kurzgefasstes Lehrbuch der deutschen Sprache mit Beispielen und ܢungsaufgaben / Dr. K.W.L. Heyse.- Hannover, Germany : Hahn'sche Hof=Buchhandlung.- 1868
9. Beirly's Song Triumph : A Practical, Well-Graded Work for the use of Singing Classes, Conventions, Societies and Song Festivals / Alfred Beirly.- s.l. : Alfred Beirly.- c1890
10. Gossner's Schatzk䳴chen / Johannes Gossner.-s.l. : s.n.- c1850.- Contains Bible meditations for each day of the year and devotional songs.- Owned by Jacob Bergey

Series 2: Miscellaneous papers

1. Biographical and genealogical papers relating to David Bergey and his family.- c1940-1967
2. Certificate of life membership in Upper Canada Bible Society.- 1931
3. Shantz Reunion Invitation.- 1912
4. Social Cards.- c1915
5. Legal papers including probate records for Isaac Bricker and Daniel Geiger and land transaction records.- 1862-1927
6. Correspondence, 1897

Series 3: Bound manuscripts

1. Executor's Book for Joseph Hallman Estate / David Bergey.- 1896-1924
2. The Canadian Pocket Diary for 1866.- Toronto : Brown Bros.- c1866.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1866 in this book
3. Diary : 1881 / David Bergey.- 1881
4. Canadian Scribbling Diary 1900.- s.l. : s.n. c1900.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1900 in this book
5. Canadian Scribbling Diary 1901.- s.l. : s.n. c1901.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1901 in this book
6. Canadian Scribbling Diary for 1906.- Toronto : The Brown Brothers.- c1906.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1906 in this book
7. Canadian Scribbling Diary 1909.- s.l. : s.n. c1909.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1909 in this book
8. Dominion Scribbling Diary for 1911.- Toronto : Copp, Clark.- c1911.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1911 in this book
9. The Canadian Scribbling Diary 1913.- s.l. : s.n. c1913.- David Bergey kept a diary for the year 1913 in this book
10. The Canadian Pocket Diary 1923.- Toronto : Brown Brothers.-1923.- David Bergey kept his diary for the year 1923 in this book
11. The Canadian Pocket Diary 1924.- Toronto : Brown Brothers.-1924.- David Bergey kept his diary for the year 1924 in this book

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