J C Bernhardt Family: March 2010

Friday, March 26, 2010

Some in Luther League Picture Identified!

My dad received a small folder with several pictures, including this one, and a finely written note from St. Paul’s when he was overseas in WWII. That would have been in 1944 or so. Is that how your copy of this picture was stored? When I found it a couple of years ago I looked at the picture with a magnifying glass and identified several people. I don’t recognize the woman on the far left but the woman between her and your mother is Annie Lee Webb. She’s the one who wrote the note to my dad. On the other side of your mother is Rachel Fesperman and the woman sitting on the lower step next to her is Oleba Sebastian. I think the young man farthest back is Sidney Ray Bernhardt, but his face is not as clear as theirs. He would have been 17 or so at the time. I believe the woman sitting farthest back just in front of the men may be Rebecca Sloop, Rachel’s older sister.

Glenna Sears

Friday, March 12, 2010

Priscilla Diann Bernhardt Burkett 1941 - 2010

Burkett, Priscilla Diann Bernhardt

CONCORD - Priscilla Diann Bernhardt Burkett, 68, formerly of 704 S. Deal St., Landis, passed away March 9, 2010, at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast.
Born June 1, 1941, in Rowan County to the late William C. Bernhardt and Bertie Inez Drake, she attended Rowan County schools and retired from Pillowtex as a warper tender. She was of the Lutheran faith.
Mrs. Burkett dedicated her life to helping family and friends and would go to extremes to help others. She enjoyed her family and her cats.

She was also preceded in death by her husbands, Roy Burkett and Donald F. Hunter.

Survivors include a daughter, Teresa Burkett and fiance Willie Hancock; two brothers, Bill Bernhardt (Cathy) of Panama City, Fla., and Gary Bernhardt (Carol) of Murphy; a sister, Brenda B. Lowder (Johnny) of Kannapolis; three grandchildren, Alisha M. Taylor, Katie Burkett and Isaiah Burkett; a number of nieces and nephews; and her loving cat, Lady.

Diann was the daughter of William Crawford Bernhardt and Bertie Inez Drake, Crawford was the son of Ira Leo and Maggie Parks Bernhardt, Leo was the son of JC and Martha Jane Bernhardt.

Diann, 704 S. Deal St., Landis, NC 28088.
Memorials: May be made to American Lung Association, P.O. Box 27985, Raleigh NC 27611

John Crawford Bernhardt

John Crawford Bernhardt (Johu Crofford,) the youngest son of John Christian Bernhardt II and Sarah Elizabeth Lentz was born Oct 3, 1835 in Cabarrus Co., NC. The German Lutheran family attended Bethel Bear Creek Church in Stanley Co. JC joined the Confederate Army and served in the Nineth Regiment Calvary, Company H.
JC married Laura Elizabeth Davis on Sept. 30, 1865 and operated a grist mill near St. Peter's Lutheran Church south of Salisbury, NC. In 1873 the family moved to Marion, NC where JC operated a general store. The family returned to Rowan Co., in 1874 and purchased property on Grants Creek where they were active in Grace Lutheran Church. JC and Laura had 10 children; John Adolphus, George Michael, Cora Lee, Mary Augustus, Sarah Elizabeth, William Mathias, Ernest Theophilus, Joseph Clarence, and twin, and Jacob Alphonso. Laura died of pneaumonia on March 22, 1882 and is buried at Grace Lutheran Church.
On Dec 6, 1883 John Crawford was married to Martha Jane Brown. The family moved to the St. Paul's Lutheran Church area of Rowan Co. in 1889. The family home in which they lived still stands and is owned and occupied by their descendants. Martha Jane and JC had 5 children; Annie Laura, Joline, Paul Crawford, Ida Pearl and Ira Leo. JC served as County Surveyor and Justice of the Peace. He died Oct 30, 1912. Martha Jane died Nov 10, 1929; both are buried at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Salisbury, NC.
Descendants of the 15 children of JC Bernhardt will hold their 60th Family Reunion on the first Sunday in August of 2010.