1921–2005

Introduction

Born: June 18, 1921, Mor­den, Ma­ni­to­ba, Ca­na­da.

Died: March 1, 2005, Ma­ni­to­ba, Ca­na­da.

Buried: Wheel­er Ce­me­te­ry, Spring­field, Ma­ni­to­ba, Ca­na­da.

Biography

Esther was the daugh­ter of Men­non­ite min­is­ter Mi­chael Klaas­sen and Ka­the­ri­na Dal­ke, and wife of Men­no I. Ber­gen.

She at­tend­ed the Men­non­ite Col­lege In­sti­tute, Gret­na, Ma­ni­to­ba, and the Nor­mal School and Men­non­ite Breth­ren Bi­ble College, Win­ni­peg.

She taught in the Ma­ni­to­ba pub­lic school sys­tem for four years, taught mu­sic at the Men­non­ite Breth­ren Bi­ble Col­lege, and served as Dean and Re­gis­trar at the Ca­na­di­an Men­non­ite Bi­ble Col­lege.

She al­so worked as a mis­sion­ary in Mex­ico with her hus­band (1956–68).

She trans­lat­ed some 150 hymns, and com­posed se­ver­al hymn tunes.

Sources

Translations

  1. All My Sins Have Been For­giv­en
  2. Blessed Are the Per­se­cut­ed

Help Needed

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ber­gen (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),