Joseph Albert Bernard

BERNARD GRATTON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/18/2010 at 22:40:08

Woodbury County History 1984

Joseph Albert Bernard
By Leone Bernard

Joseph Albert Bernard was born in Chambly, Quebeck, Canada, November 23, 1841, the son of Alexis Bernard, whose paternal ancestry is documented for five generations to 1665 in Canada to Michel Brouillet. Michel’s oldest son was Bernard. His descendants were known as Brouillet dit Bernard for three generations. By this time so many cousins had the same name and surname that the Brouillet was dropped, creating this branch of Bernard’s, all descendants of Alexis (March 13, 1799-August 11, 1886).

Though born and reared as a farmer’s son, Joseph was apprenticed at age fifteen to a carpenter. At seventeen he came to the US to pursue his trade. He worked at Hartford, Connecticut, for five years. In 1863, during the Civil War, he came to Chicago. In 1866, he married Martha Gratton, who was born and reared in Montreal. September 29, 1869, their first son, Henry, was born. After the Chicago fire in 1872, having worked there as a carpenter for nine years, the family moved to Jefferson, South Dakota, to join his brother and other relatives in farming. Two sons, John (February 4, 1872) and Horace (May 24, 1873) and two daughters, Martha (March 17, 1875) and Margaret (February 1, 1877) were born in Jefferson.

In 1879, he lost his crop in a disastrous flood. Their baby, Maggie, was very ill of the ague. Joseph came to the hills of Woodbury County, Wolf Creek Township, and bought 40 acres of wild prairie, (November 16, 1879).

The family prospered, bought more land and built a better home. This later burned in the dead of winter when their only refuge was a cave-like dug-out. With the spring, Joseph built another home, a small part of which still stands. Another son, James (December 15, 1881) and another daughter, Rose-Anna (September 27, 1883) were born. In October of 1885, son Horace, age twelve, died of what was said to be a busted appendix.

Catholic priests brought the consolations of their religion to the pioneer homes where their Catholic neighbors gathered for the celebration of the Mass and reception of the sacraments. In 1882, Joseph used his building skills and with the combined efforts of neighboring Catholics built the church at Lucky Valley, five miles west of Anthon. This church was moved to Anthon in 1890.

School for the pioneer farm boy was ‘the winter’-a long walk to the nearest school. Daughters might be privileged to finish the spring term. In later years Joseph was to send his youngest children to St Joseph’s Catholic School at Salix to be instructed for their First Communion and, he ardently hoped, to learn to speak French. Girls boarded at the school; boys with family friends. That school stands today in Salix.

The mother, Martha Gratton Bernard, died in 1889, leaving young children. With the help of the older children, Joseph reared his family and prospered. Buying more land, and raising more hogs, cattle, sheep and horses, he drove carloads of stock to town to ship to Chicago. With this prosperity his sons married and started their families on their own adjoining farms.

Marriages and children born to each family near Anthon form 1895 to 1917 were:
Henry to Honora Cragin-Anthon, February 5, 1894; Martha, Joseph, Earl, Cleo, Ralph, Rosella; Martha ‘Mattie’ to Peter LeDou-Jefferson, South Dakota, February 3, 1896; Marie and Eva; Margaret ‘Maggie’ to Charles Coyle-Anthon, February 23, 1903; Marjorie, Vincent, Loretta, Charles;
John to Alice Gadbois in Sioux City, May 30, 1904; Cecile, Thomas, Esther, Rose Marie, Alphonse, Annette and John, born at Milbank, South Dakota, died in 1924.

James’ family story is under the separate story of James Napoleon Bernard.

Rose-Anna was known as Sister Vincent de Paul, a Benedictine Sister in Sioux City, a contemporary of Mother Gertrude whose guidance founded St Vincent’s Hospital in Sioux City. Rose-Anna died in 1907.

In 1909, Joseph with his daughter, Sophia, moved to Anthon, leaving his son, James on the home farm. A much loved and loving grandfather, his was a second home to Henry’s children after their mother’s death at about this time.

Once again his experience was called upon with the building of the present St Joseph’s Church as the one moved to Anthon in 1890 was no longer adequate for the thriving parish. A collection of $30,000 within a weeks’ time was possible in those years which we now call, ‘the golden age’ of farming. The cornerstone was laid in June, 1911. In January, the first Mass was said in it. On February 14, 1912, the first marriage was that of James Bernard and Josephine Umhoefer.

A beautiful stained glass window in memory of his wife and son, Horace, bears Joseph’s name. He died September 13, 1918. A great granddaughter, 37, a new student of family history, finds in its beauty a new symbol of dedication truly befitting those stout-hearted souls, of great faith.