Washita Co., OK - Rev John Flaming & the Bergthal Mennonite Church ****************************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Harvey D. Flaming USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ****************************************************************** Rev John Flaming and the Bergthal Mennonite Church John Flaming found the Lord Jesus as his personal savior and was baptized in 1880 in the Hoffnungsau Church near Inman, Kansas by Rev Dichrich Gaeddert. When in 1895, a crashing tree threw him to the ground and for two hours he was thought to be dead, a solemn promise made to his God made him a willing tool in the hands of God. As Sunday school president and also as a teacher he began his work in the vineyard of God. He served the Bergthal Church near Corn, Oklahoma for 38 years, 6 years as Sunday school president and teacher, 34 years as minister, 32 years as the Church Leader (Pastor) and 22 years as Elder. As was customary in the early years, minister worked with out pay and John Flaming’s years of service at the Bergthal Church were all without pay. On June 15, 1899 he was elected as a Minister by the Church and ordained on April 16, 1902. November 1901 he was elected as the Leader (Pastor) of Bergthal Church. On February 10, 1911 he was elected as Elder by the Church and ordained on May 14, 1911. On December 30, 1931 he resigned from part of his work because of his wife‘s ill health. On November 5, 1933 after 22 years as an Elder he resigned as an Elder of the Church. In 1926, after 25 years as the Church Pastor the Church gave him a new car to show their gratitude for his faithful service. The Bergthal Mennonite Congregation was organized in 1894 and August 1901 Benjamin Ratzlaff donated one and one half acres of land for the Church. The Church building was completed in November 1901. The Church remained active until 1974 when its members joined with the Corn Mennonite Brethren Church in Corn. The cemetery is located across the road to the south and though the Church is no longer active this Cemetery is well kept. Emil Hinz donated the land for the cemetery in November 1901. The first people buried there were Peter and Aganetha (Flaming) Nachtigal , November 1901, and the last relative buried there was Eva (Dick) Flaming in 1992. Grandparents, Rev John and Mary (Maria) Flaming, are buried at the front of the Cemetery. This Church & Cemetery are located 2 miles west & 3 miles North of Corn, Oklahoma ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: In the Cemetery Index the spelling Burthold is wrong. Proper spelling is Bergthal. I am Harvey D. Flaming born in 1934 and the Grandson of Rev John Flaming. As a young man I attended that Church. I do have more history on that church. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------