(3 July 1845-1932). A prominent leader of the Ontario Mennonites (Mennonite Church), David Bergey was born on 3 July 1845 in Preston, Waterloo County, ON, the fifth child of Jacob Bergey and Elizabeth Eby, who were of Swiss-German descent. He married Louisa Bowman, daughter of Moses Bowman. Of their seven children, their son Gilbert became secretary of the Ontario Mennonite Conference, following his father's service in the same capacity for a quarter of a century.

Bergey received his education in the public school in Mannheim, the high school in Kitchener, and the normal school in Toronto. In early life he was received as a member of the Mennonite congregation near Mannheim known as Latschar, where he attended until in 1885. He moved to farms west of New Dundee and became deacon of the Blenheim congregation in December 1889. His place of residence was usually on a farm either in Waterloo Township or Wilmot Township. He lived in the town of Waterloo for several years.

He was a gifted man and contributed to the community in various ways. Besides being a schoolteacher, he was a charter member of the Rural Telephone Company; he served on the board of the Mennonite Aid Union; he was the district member for the conference on the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board; he was instrumental in organizing Sunday schools at Latschar, at Blenheim, and probably in the rural areas south; he served on the local public school board, in the young people's meeting organization of the church, and as superintendent of the Sunday school. He was also a life member of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 279. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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