Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/757

 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOUEI 661 them were born five children, three of whom were born in Germany and of whom the sub- ject of this sketch was the second in oi-der of birth. In 1849 the Bei-gmann family immi- grated to the United States and settlement was made immediately in Cape Girardeau county, Missouri, where for the ensuing few .years the father was engaged in agricultural operations. Dr. Bergmanu removed to this city in 1851 and here he was engaged in the practice of his profession until the time of his demise, in 1862. The mother was sum- moned to the life eternal at an advanced age. To the public and private schools of Cape Girardeau William C. Bergmann is indebted for his preliminary educational training. When eighteen years of age he left school and engaged in the portrait business, con- tinuing to be identified with that line of en- terprise for a period of three years. At the time of the inception of the Civil war he tendered his services as a soldier in the Home Guards, serving in that capacit.y for a pe- riod of three months. In 1863 he enlisted in the Eighth Provisional Regiment of the Mis- souri Militia, in which he was first sergeant for six months. As a Union soldier he saw some hard fighting and after the close of the war, when he had received his honorable dis- charge, he returned to Cape Girardeau, where he engaged in the general merchandise business. In this connection he had been ex- ceedingly prosperous and his present large, well-equipped establishment is recognized as one of the finest of its kind in the entire city. A large and representative trade is con- trolled and the business is now largely in the hands of Mr. Bergmann 's sons, W. F. and A. W. Bergmann. In the year 1868 Mr. Bergmann was united in marriage to IMiss Mary C. Eggimann, whose birtli occurred iu this county and who is a daughter of B. Eggimann, and to them have been born nine children. While not a politician, strictly speaking, Mr. Bergmann gives a stanch allegiance to the principles and policies for which the Re- publican party stands sponsor. He is always ready to do all in his power to advance the best interests of the community in which he resides and while he has never manifested aught of ambition for the honors or emolu- ments of public office of any description he was honored by his fellowcitizens, in 1900, with election to the office of city treasurer. He was the popular and highly efficient in- cumbent of that position for a period of nine .years and during all that time discharged the duties connected therewith with all of honor and distinction. He is deeply and sin- cerely interested in educational affairs and for eleven years was a member of the board of education. In their religious belief the Bergmanns are devout and valued members of the Lutheran church and they are popular and proDiinent factors in connection with the best social activities of the community. Thrifty and industrious, Mr. Bergmann is eminently well deserving of the admirable success it has been his to achieve and it is with plea.sure that a history of his life and career is here inserted. David W. Breid is one of the representative attorneys of this part of Missouri and is a member of the Franklin Realty Company of Union. He is a native of the state and was born near- Fulton, Callaway county, Febru- ary 1, 1873. Nicholas Breid, his father, was a farmer, and was born iu Trier, Prussia, in 1830. Like many another of his countrymen he hearkened to the call of Opportunity from the shores of the New World and arrived in this country shortly before the Civil war. He located in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, and entei-ed the volunteer army of" the United States, spending two of the dread years of the great conflict between the states "in Sher- man's army, battling with the forces of the Confederacy. Soon after the war he brought his family to Missouri and engaged in farm- ing in the vicinity of Fulton, where he was gathered to his fathers in 1892. He married Susan Cleck, a daughter of David Clock, of Juniata county, Pennsylvania, and the sur- viving children of their family of twelve are as follows : Isaac R. ; Charles ; Mary, wife of John R. Level ; Dr. Jacob, who is in the government service at Washington, D. C. ; William; David W., immediate subject of this record; Samuel; Martha, now Mrs. Pease; and Helena, wife of Gooch Bartley. All save David W. and Dr. Jacob are residents of Callaway county, Missouri. Irr. Breid spent nearly the first thirty years of his life upon the farm of liis liii-th. He acquired his education in Avalon College, Trenton, ]rissouri, after completing the cur- riculum of the coimtry school, and then spent several winters as a teacher in the rural schools near his home. In 1902 he left the farm and took a position with the meat in-