| The Berning Family of LaMoure Co, North Dakota
 August Berning and Christina Busch were married at Kieler, Wisconsin, November 13, 1906. Shortly thereafter they moved to Berlin ND to begin farming on property adjacent to the farm of their sister and brother, Rosa and Ferdinand Busch. August Berning Jr.  August Berning Jr was Bernings 6th child. He is pictured here, probably in the 1930s, in the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Later he joined the Marines, and ended WWII as a Captain, seeing much action in the Pacific Theatre Christine with Daughters  Pictured is Christina Berning with four of her daughters, probably in the 1930s. From left: Christina, Irene, Lillian, Ruby and Cecilia. Melvin, Elmer and Art  Bernings youngest, Melvin, at left, with classmates Elmer Quinlan and cousin Art Busch, probably about the time of their high school graduation in 1945 (they were the entire class!). The photograph seems to be beside St. John's Catholic Church in Berlin. Sr Agnes  The 11th Berning child, Agnes, became Sister Mary Katherine, with the Sister Servants of Christ the King in Edgeley. She devoted the rest of her life to work as a Nun. 
After the wedding of August Berning Jr and Betty Cisinski, September 10, 1946, probably at St. John's Church in Berlin ND. Their parents, August and Christina Berning and Thomas and Kathryn Cisinski are also in the photograph, which was probably taken at the Cisinski farm near Berlin.  Wedding festivities were normally not expensive affairs in the 1940s, and likely the parents of the bride, in this case, had everybody over to the house for a good country dinner. Quite likely the visitors brought a dish of something to share - an early potluck. This photo is quite unusual in that it shows a fairly large 'slice' of the rural community of which the new couple were a part. August and Rose Berning Molitor  Rose with her father August Berning, likely after Rose's marriage to George Molitor in November, 1941. Rose and George had two children. Their marriage was heavily impacted by WWII, and George was killed in action over Italy April 4, 1945. Cecilia Thimmesch  Cecilia Berning Thimmesch was, to our knowledge, the only National Champion to come out of either the Busch or the Berning families. She was an outstanding markswoman in a time before women were common in the sport. August and Christine  This composite photo of August and Christine Berning is undated, but the photos probably come from sometime in the 1930s or 40s. Harvest Scene  While this harvest time photo is undated, it can be guessed that it was taken sometime in the later 1930s, during one of the first years there was enough rain to actually have a crop of wheat. Family members are pictured by a binder - a machine used to cut and 'bind' grain into bundles. From left: Melvin, Christina, Agnes, Anita and August. Berning Girls 1965  This photo of the Berning women was probably taken at about the time of their brothers funeral in the summer of 1965. From left: Lillian, Anita, Agnes (Sr. Mary Katherine), rose, Irene, Cecilia, Rufina, Ruby and Hyacinth. Doubtless their kid brother, Melvin, was there as well, but this was a sisters' picture! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
