John P. Bergmann was born in Perry County, Mo, in 1850, and is a son of John Bergmann, a native of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, born in 1827, and who, when eight years of age, came with his father, George Bergmann, to the United States.

John Bergmann married Sophia Pohnber, who was born in the Kingdom of Bavaria, in 1826 and came to the United States in 1849; and to them were born six children, viz.: John P., George Gottlieb, Sophia (wife of Ferdinand Winerich), Frederick and Eva (wife of George Gerstmacker).

John Bergmann settled in Perry County one and one-half miles northeast of Perryville, and began to accumulate property. He was a blacksmith, at which trade he worked in connection with his farming interests, and by working hard and practicing strict economy, he became the owner of 900 acres of land. He died in 1873.

His son, John P., grew to manhood on the home farm, remaining with his parents until he was twenty-seven years of age. He was married in 1877 to Mary Muench, by whom he has four children: Minnie, Louis, Hulda, and Stella. Mrs. Bergmann is the daughter of John P. Muench and was born in Perry County, Mo., in 1856.

The same year of his marriage Mr. Bergmann settled on his present arm of 112 acres one and one-half miles north of Perryville, on which he has since made valuable improvements. He is an enterprising and successful farmer, He and family are communicants of the Lutheran Church.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.