Bergen, Martha Harms (1904-1970)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1970 Jan 29 p. 8

Birth date: 1904 Apr 4

text of obituary:

. . .

• Funeral services for Mrs. Martha Bergen, 65, wife of Rev. J. W. Bergen of Hillsboro, were held Wednesday forenoon at the Trinity Mennonite Church in Hillsboro. She died Sunday at Hillsboro. Mrs. Bergen was the former Martha Harms of Whitewater. Besides her husband she leaves sons Alvin, missionary in Ethiopia, Gerald, missionary in Brazil, and Edgar of Brooklyn, N. Y.; and one daughter, Mrs. Joe Walter, missionary in Colombia. Mrs. Bergen was the sister of Adolph, Sam, and Alvin Harms, Mrs. Irwin Penner and Mrs. Willard Claassen, all of Newton.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1970 Mar 19 p. 11

text of obituary:

MRS. J. W. BERGEN

Mrs. J. W. Bergen, nee Martha Harms, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Harms, was born on April 4, 1904 at Whitewater, Kan. At the age of 15 she accepted the Lord Jesus as her personal Saviour and on May 15, 1921 was baptized and joined the Grace Hill Mennonite Church near Whitewater.

Her desire was to go into some definite Christian work. In 1923 she enrolled in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and was graduated in 1926. It was there that she met Jacob W. Bergen. She was married to him on Nov. 5, 1926.

To this union were born three sons and one daughter: Alvin, who married Helen Vogt, presently serving as missionaries in Ethiopia; Gerald, who married Amy Winsinger, missionaries on furlough from Brazil; Janette, who married Joe Walter, missionaries home from South America; and Edgar, who married Linda Levine, serving in social work in New York.

Her husband was ordained to the ministry in 1928. She together with him carried on an active work in the Western District Mennonite Conference for 42 years. They served the following churches: Ransom, Kan., Hanston, Kan., Texline, Texas, Shafter, Calif., Goltry, Okla., Colby, Kan., and the Friedenstal Mennonite Church near Tampa, Kan.

She together with her husband in the beginning of their life’s journey took Matthew 18:19 as their motto. God has made good this promise throughout their ministry, to whom be all the honor and praise.

Throughout all the difficulties of life, she proved herself to be a wife and mother of strong faith in the Lord. Her confidence was firmly fixed in the promises of God’s Word in behalf of her children as well as the work within the church. Among other thing she set before her family the example of complete dependent upon the value of intercessory prayer. She was deeply concerned that her children be brought up in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

During the last ten years she had severe headaches and related complications. She began to fail within the last year and a half. On Oct. 10, 1969 she became a bed patient and remained so until the Lord took her home on Jan. 25, 1970, at the age of 65 years, nine months, and 21 days.

She leaves to mourn, her husband, three sons, one daughter, three daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, 12 grandchildren, six brothers, six sisters, and many relatives and friends.