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Coming home

Annual celebration at Berg Church in Fearing Twp.

BRECKIN WELLS The Marietta Times Caroline Crisafulli, 50, of Columbus enjoys the traditional German food at the 31st Annual Berg Church Homecoming in Fearing Township on Sunday.

FEARING TOWNSHIP — Aromas of traditional German food filled the air as locals came together to discuss and learn more about their common German heritage.

Sunday marked the 31st annual Berg Church Homecoming in Fearing Township.

Barbara Gearhart Matt, 80, of Missouri, said the celebration has always been a tradition of the Berg Church.

“When Berg Church was first in operation, this was a social thing for them to do after their church service,” said Matt. “They would come together, eat good food, and learn from one another.”

Matt’s father, Ralph E. Gearhart, was a former mayor of Marietta.

With a passion for German history and the local area, Matt has dedicated her time to translating old German records from Washington County. Though she now lives in St. Louis, Matt does not forget the history her hometown of Marietta provides to German history.

Even though Sunday’s weather wasn’t what the crowd hoped for, Donna Berg Betts, 83, of Fearing Township wasn’t going to let the weather rain on her parade.

Betts has been proactive in making sure the tradition of Berg Church never dies.

“People keep saying I’m the driving force behind all this, but I’d like to look as myself more as the spark plug,” said Betts.

Betts has deep family ties to the church and has spent eight years caring for the old cemetery.

“I have been instilled forever in trying to restore and preserve the community,” she said. “That has been my motivation and driving force to keep this whole thing going.”

According to Betts, the original Berg church was built in 1846 and also served as a schoolhouse.

After the congregation outgrew the church, they transported to a new building in 1872.

Heinrich and Erika Becker served as the homecoming’s special guests, traveling all the way from Altenkirchen, Germany.

The Beckers have been making visits to the local area for several years and always enjoy the comfortability and hospitality they receive from the moment they arrive till the time they depart.

“It’s matter of feeling, I have feeling for them,” said Heinrich. “Once in while I believe they feel for me too.”

The Beckers  have traced several lines of immigrants from Altenkirchen and many of them have ended up in Marietta.

“People in Germany have remained in contact with people who have left and come here,” said Matt. “It’s almost like a sister city situation. They love to come here,  and it’s comfortable for them.”

Steve Weber, 71, of Lowell, has several relatives buried in the Berg Church Cemetery and even remembers visiting the church as a child.

“I think it’s important to find out where you came from and see how it’s evolved,” said Weber.

Jann Kuehn Adams, local German historian and author of “Images in America: German Marietta and Washington County,” came to the annual celebration for the first time this year.

Adams said she has always realized the importance of her German background and the effect its had on Marietta.

“Marietta and Washington County is German,” said Adams. “Even though the English pioneers founded the city, the Germans built the city.”

Adams’ great-grandfather was one of the three original German immigrants who started the first Marietta brewery.

Don Hart, 72, of Lowell serves as the pastor at the Highland Ridge Community Church in Lowell and has been visiting the church homecoming celebration for a little over 10 years.

Hart shared that his great-grandfather came to America from Germany.

Through his German background he has found a passion for learning and appreciating his family history.

“Your heritage and where you came from and your beginnings means a lot,” said Hart. “People should remember where they came from and why you’re here and how you’re here.”

***

About the church:

¯Early German settlers build Berg Church as a center for community worship.

¯In 1864, with land from Peter Berg, they chose to build a log structure church and cemetery in the highlands near their farms.

¯The first minister was Rev. Theodore Schreiner.

¯The congregation built a new church in 1872 due to an increasing church attendance.

¯Several years later, nearby land was purchased from Daniel Biehl for a new structure in 1955.

¯The church has had several names including First Great Evangelical Reformed Church, St. Peter’s Church and First German Protestant Evangelical Church.

Source:Images of America: German Marietta and Washington County

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