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BELGIANS IN AMERICA:    Biographies of Belgian settlers  

BEROGAN John :  John Berogan, who is engaged in general farming on section 15. Blairsburg township, is a son of John and Elizabeth Berogan. The father spent his entire life in his native country-Belgium-and the mother, after the death of her husband, emigrated to America, settling in Kane county. Illinois, near Aurora. She lived for many years thereafter and spent her last days in the home of our subject, who was one of her four children. Only two of this number are now living, the younger being Peter, of Pawpaw, Illinois.

John Berogan was only nine years of age at the time of his fathers death and as the family was left in straightened financial circumstances he began to earn his own living and from that time has had nothing which he has not himself made by his own labor. He was sixteen years of age when he came with his mother and the family to the United States. He worked out by the month in various parts of Illinois for eighteen years, and at the time of the Civil war was found among the loyal defenders of the Union cause, enlisting May 9, 1861, at Sycamore. Illinois, as a member of the Thirteenth Illinois Infantry. He served for three years under Captain Smith and Colonel B. F. Wyman, the company being organized at Sycamore, the regiment at Dixon, Illinois. He was then sent to Rolla. Missouri, and was in active duty until honorably discharged June 19, 1864. at Springfield. Illinois. The principal battles in which he participated were Wilson's Creek. Pea Ridge, Red River, Arkansas Post. Chickasaw Bayou, Vicksburg, Grand Gulf and Jackson. and was all through the siege of Vicksburg from the 18th of May to July 4, when the city capitulated. On the 7th of July. 1863. he was in the battle of Jackson and later took part in the engagements at Brandon, Tuscurnbia. Lookout Mountain. Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge. Ringgold and many skirmishes. On the 1st of March, 1865. he re-enlisted as a veteran in Hancock's corps and after serving for one year was again honorably discharged March 1, 1866. Among his war relics which lie prizes very highly is a gun which was given hint by the government.

When the country no longer needed his aid Mr. Berogan returned to De Kalb county, Illinois, where he worked by the month on a farm for a year. He was then married, May 5. 1867, to Elizabeth Gate, who was born in Lee county Illinois, February 19, 1851, and is a daughter of John and Maria Gale. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Berogan have been born five children: Nettie, the wife of Louis Bickford of Cass township; by whom she has two sons. Gale and Carl: William; who married Alice Sell and has one child.
George. who married Elsa Perry and has three children. Fern, John and a baby. the second having been named for our subject; Lester, who rents his father's farm; and Nellie. the wife of Thomas Dindsdale.

After his marriage our subject began farming on his own account in De Kalb countv, Illinois, and there remained until his removal to this county in 1884. at which time he settled on a farm near Webster City. In 1891 he came to his present farm, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of well improved land, comprising the northwest quarter of section 15, Blairsburg township. Since 1892 he has rented the land but still makes the house his home. He is one of the highly respected citizens of Hamilton county. His career seems quite wonderful when we think that at the age of nine years he was left fatherless and has made all that he now possesses by dint of perseverance and diligence. He dealt largely in stock lit addition to the cultivation of the soil, but is now living practically retired. He belongs to the Grand Army Post. of Webster City, also to the Odd Fellows Lodge there and in his political views is a Republican, while his sons have followed in his footsteps in this regard.

Source : A Biographical record of Hamilton County, Iowa; New York: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1902, 645  pgs.