About the Warkentin family
Bernhard Warkentin, the son of a Mennonite miller, was born on June 19, 1847 in Crimea, Ukraine (Russia). He came to the United States in 1871 and, after traveling across several locations, he settled in Summerfield, Illinois.
He was seeking possible colonization sites for other Mennonites. In 1873, he came to Kansas and settled in Halstead where he built the first grist mill in the county. In August 1875, he married Wilhelmina (Mina) Eisenmeyer of Summerfield, Illinois, the daughter of a miller. Together they would have two children, daughter Edna and son Carl.
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The family moved into their Newton home at 211 E. 1st Street in 1887, where Bernhard and Wilhelmina lived the remainder of their lives. Bernhard died of an accidental gunshot wound in 1908, and Wilhelmina died in the home in 1932.
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Read more about the journey that took Bernhard Warkentin from his birthplace in the Ukraine across large portions of America and into Canada before settling in Halstead, Kansas. Click here
Read more about the journey that took Bernhard Warkentin from his birthplace in the Ukraine across large portions of America and into Canada before settling in Halstead, Kansas. Click here
The Warkentin family lived first in Halstead before building their home in Newton at 211 E. 1st. St. Click here
Bernhard Warkentin was known as a miller. In addition to that business, he also served as a leader in banking and insurance, among other industries. He was also a founder of Bethel College and engaged in philanthropy in the community before his tragic death in 1908. Click here