FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Nancy Brown, public relations coordinator
Dynamic Resource Group
Telephone: (260) 589-4000 ext. 365
E-mail: Nancy_Brown@DRGnetwork.com
Lehmans view clock tower as a tie to Berne’s heritage
BERNE, Ind.—Jerome Lehman, former resident of Berne, and his wife, Barbara, see the
construction of the Muensterberg Plaza and Clock Tower as being an important element in
linking Berne with its Swiss heritage. The couple met with Floyd Liechty, steering committee
member who serves on the Berne alumni division for the project, to present a sizeable donation
toward the construction of the clock tower.
“The clock tower is a way to bring the heritage of Bern, Switzerland to Berne, Indiana,”
said Lehman. “It’s all about paying respect to our ancestors who left their home country and
endured hardship to come here and establish Berne. I think it’s a great idea for the town.”
Lehman grew up on a farm along the Wabash River bottoms about a mile north of
Highway 218. He graduated from Berne French High School and then moved away to establish a
career in electronics, but he held to the values of his upbringing in Berne.
“My ancestors came to America from Switzerland in the early 1800s,” he said. “They
weren’t among the very first to settle in Berne, but once they came, they loved the Swiss
community and established strong family ties there.”
William H. Lehman, Jerome’s grandfather, recorded the history of the Lehman family.
His account says that during the late 17th century in Switzerland, Mennonites were not allowed to
buy or own land. They were only allowed to rent, and were forced to provide for their families
on what remained after they had paid the extremely high rent.
When the Lehman’s came to America in 1819, they settled in Wayne County, Ohio,
where Abraham Lehman was born in 1846. In 1870, Abraham, called Lehmann Abe, attended
Wadsworth Mennonite School and then moved to Berne to teach. He met Maryann Sprunger,
daughter of Abraham J. Sprunger. The couple married in 1871 and moved back to Ohio. Then, in
-more-
LEHMANS VIEW CLOCK TOWER AS A TIE TO BERNE’S HERITAGE
March 17, 2006—Page 2 of 2
1880, they returned to Berne to spend the remainder of their lives in the Swiss Mennonite
community.
The account says: “In December 1880, Abraham moved to Berne. He bought 23 acres of
land and went into partnership with his brother-in-law, who had built the first grist mill in
Berne—which was destroyed by fire later.”
Abraham Lehman died in 1889 of typhoid fever, but his son, William, and his other
children, continued to live in Berne. William said, “Mother was left with 10 children to provide
for, and the future looked dark for her. But I can say today that through God’s grace and the help
of Christian neighbors, we grew up to be strong men and women.”
The history of his family’s Swiss heritage and their pilgrimage to Berne is what prompted
Jerome Lehman to underwrite the Settler’s Statue for the Muensterberg Plaza and Clock Tower.
“It’s all about our Swiss heritage,” he said, “and the clock tower is part of our heritage.”
As Keith Reinhard, honorary chairman for the project said, “The vision to create the
Muensterberg Clock Tower and Plaza was inspired by the recognition that ‘what you learn in
Berne’ is not only worth celebrating, it’s worth preserving in a way that uniquely reflects our
Swiss heritage.”
The Muensterberg Plaza and Clock Tower project is being funded entirely by private
donations, with about half of the total estimated cost already pledged. Individuals who are
interested in learning more about the project, or who would like to make a pledge, can visit the
Web site at www.berneclocktower.org, or call (260) 589-3139.