Greetings, together with a conversational review of your Ancestry. May 1976."

      Your mother Dorothy Hull Bergman, formerly Dorothy Elizabeth Hull was born in Chicago, Ill. , September 15, 1900. She was an orphan and raised by Elmer and Elizabeth White Hull, living in Onargo, Ill., a farming Community about 100 miles south of Chicago.

      The Hulls had no children of their own; but helped or raised one or two other children, however Dorothy was the only one they adopted. They raised Dorothy since her earliest memory, legally adopting her July 7, 1911 at the age of 10. The Hulls were religious and members of The Seventh Day Adventist Church.

      Elmer was a successful merchant operating a grocery store, and I believe once exported a ship load of horses to England or vice versa. He also owned a farm. I believe he was portly, jolly, and wore "mutton chop" whiskers. He was a Mason.

      Elizabeth was a kindly sensitive lady who wrote poems, was active in the community and interested in helping others locally and in Chicago and some orphanage.

      Dorothy had a happy childhood and told me about her pony, riding with her Dad's delivery-man in a horse-drawn wagon when she could manage, the pot bellied stove, cracker barrel and wheel size cheese, etc. typical of groceries in those days, sneaking some candy for her and friends, and what must have been most important to Elmer and her, during church reaching in his coat pocket for mints where he had purposely placed them.

      The Hulls, whom I never knew, were both deceased before Dorothy was of age. They are buried in a lovely cemetery in northeast Ornaga. Elizabeth White, Mrs. Hulls Mother, is also buried there. The lot is not too difficult to find since it has the only Black Monument there, at this writing, and standing beside it is an Angel of White stone.

      Dorothy Graduated in a College Prep. Course at the Grand Prairie Seminary in Onarga in 1918 - it was affiliated with Northwestern University. That fall she attended a Womens College in Nashville, Tenn., one year, returned to Onarga and entered the University of Illinois in Urbana 1919. Shortly thereafter, by mutual understanding, Clyde and Enola Terwilliger be came her foster parents, with whom she lived together with their children Ruth, and Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority Sister (now Mrs. Guy Blakey, Fresno, Calif.) Margaret (now Mrs. K.D. Vandervort, Albuquerque N.M. and Dick, also in Albuquerque. Dot had a Legal Guardian which didn't turn out too well so they got an Attorney to free her from him. This Family was affectionately known by your Ma and I as Dad and Mom T and sisters and brother, and were a wonderfully good influence and help for her and did the best they could with me. At this point I entered the picture for better or most likely worse. Mom T most likely saved my life when I had acute appendicitis while in College. Dad T died at age 63 and Mom T lived to age 93 - both are buried in Champaign, Ill.

      We both graduated in the spring of 1925. Dot with a B.S. in Education, and I recall her winning a Gold Coin for her thesis in Consolidated School Systems. Me with a B.S. in Business Administration.. I got a job with Halsey Stuart & Co. selling bonds and we were married Nov. 28 , 1925 and set up housekeeping in St. Louis, Mo. where we lived until Dec. 1927, moving to Kansas City in a snowstorm with Jack age 8 months. We moved to Tulsa in the fall of 1928, built a home May 1929 and I'm still there, Dot having passed on July 22, 1974 1 year and 4 month s short of our Golden Wedding Anniversary. Dot is at rest in a crypt at Rose Hill Mausoleum, Yale & Admiral Tulsa, where I will join her later. We were both active members of Boston Ave. Methodist Church since 1930. Dot was active in A.O.Pi Alumni, Eastern Star, Garden Club, Sewing Club and logged many hours volunteer work for Red Cross and several other civic groups.

      Your Father was born --hey! thats me - have to be cautious -- September 24, 190l in Du Quoi n, Ill. I don't know where the Gale came from, but the McKinley from the president who was assassinated that year and my Mother thought he was such a good man it might help me - - alas ! Fathers name was Christian Michael Bergmann. He was a very successful merchant for over 30 years operating a Dry Goods, Ladies Ready-to-Wear & Shoe Store in Du Quoin. The German abbreviation for Christian was "Christ" (pronounced with short i) which his friends called him. As I grew older I became "young Christ"; but my contemporaries shortened it to Chris - which is how you get Chris from Gale.

      His Fathers name was Valentine and his Mothers Catherine, I believe. I think they were born in this country and their parents in Germany. They lived in Longtown, Mo. near Perryville, which is just across the Mississippi from Chester, Ill., below St. Louis. Grandfather Valentine had a lumber or mill and cabinet shop. He died at age 49 and is buried in the Longtown Cemetery. Their family consisted of about 4 girls and 4 boys. Grandmother Catherine later married a German from the "Old Country" named Sonnenberg and they moved to Chester, Ill. where both are buried. I knew my Grandmother and Step-Grandfather rather well making many trips to Chester with my folks. They were retired then and always kindly and gentle. Most of my Uncles and Aunts lived in and around Chester, Steelville, Sparta, and Wine Hill in Illinois and Perryville, Mo. My Uncles were Carpenters, Farmers, Blacksmith, a Bartender and one had a Furniture Store and Funeral Parlor in Chester named Welge, whose son Paul still carries on. You still worried about the extra "n" in Bergman? All but my Father used this old and probably correct spelling - Dad just left one off because he thought it was superflous I guess.

      My Mothers name was Mary Louise Weinberg, a given name I always loved. She was rather pretty and spunky. They were married June 1, 1893 and lived in Du Quoin thereafter beyond their Golden Wedding Anniversary. I had no brothers but one Sister, Judith Harriet Elsie Bergman , who never married and lived in Du Quoin, St. Louis and Tulsa 1897 - 1971. Dad 1871 - 1945 . Mother 1867 - 1950. All are buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Du Quoin. All were Methodists.

      Mothers parents came from Germany. Grandfather Charles Weinberg was born in 1825 in Mecklenburg, Germany, son of Frederick, a tailor. He was in school until age 14, then became a Shepard until age 26. Mecklenburg is in an area south of the Baltic Sea in Northern Germany; and at the beginning of the Christian Era was inhabited by Teutonic Tribes - later divided into 2 Grand Duchies - Schwerin & Strelitz. Then in 1971 these became States of the German Empire and after the German Revolution of 1918 were part of the Republic of Germany. Following World War II this was in the Soviet Occupation Zone and most likely still is. This area was part of the North German Plain - low rolling hills - lakes - all draining into the Baltic Sea. It was largely Agricultural, livestock, dairy farming, with crops of rye, oats, potatoes & fodder. Largest City in the Baltic Port of Rostock, with Wismar as former Capitol of Mecklenburg Schwerin. The people were mostly Protestant and spoke Low German - - pardon this out of place comment - my Father spoke both Low and High German.

      My Grandmother Elizabeth Trescher was born 1834 in Hesse-Cassel Germany in the former Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau located between the Rhine and Wesar Rivers. Wissbaden was Capital of Hesse.

      Grandfather Charles Weinberg came to New York about 1852, spent 1 year in Buffalo and then went to Maryland where he worked in the coal mines. He met Elizabeth Trescher there and t hey were married in 1854. Soon they moved to St. Johns, Ill - 1 mile North of Du Quoin where my mother and older children were born. With his saving he bought and operated the "Old Union Mine". They later moved to Du Quoin where he retired from mining in 1889 and invested in Real Estate and was quite successful. He was a Republican, member of the IOOF Lodge and he and the family were members of the Lutheran Church. They had 7 children - 4 girls Lena, Anna , Mary & Kate, and 3 boys John, Charles and Philip. Most of them lived into their 70's and 80's and are buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Du Quoin. I had many Cousins in Du Quoin, Frostberg, Maryland and Jeannette, Pa.

      I remember my Mother telling me of the songs her Father would sing to his flock of sheep and how good he was to his family. My Father was one of the early owners of an Automobile in Du Quoin, the first of many being a 4 Cylinder Overland passenger car - no doors in front - collapsible top; with side curtains - carbide generator on running board for head lamps and coal oil side lamps - also home made license plates. I also remember my parents went to the St . Louis Worlds Fair and in about 1915 took us all to the one in San Francisco, all by train ; however we also traveled through Yellowstone Park in a Stage Coach.

      My first job in Dads store (about age 5) was dusting the drawer handles for 5 cents next was taking his supper to the store on Saturday because that was too busy a day to come home - and store was open as long as there were any customers, often until mid-night. Later I worked there after school and Saturdays even through college vacations. Du Quoin was a coal mining town and a little rough in spots. I enjoyed nearly every minute of my childhood, school period and working in the store, which was no chore to me - it just seemed the natural thing to do.

      Well, that's about it "Kids" - so a Journalist I'm not - sorry some parts seem out of proportion to others - unintentional however - I just happened to have more information about some people and places than others - - and occasionally got carried away --- you know how it is. This has been a labor of love and I leave you with
                     LOVE,

                                 Dad.

Gale McKinley Bergman (1901-1992)