In late September, six Bergey siblings who all graduated from Hesston Academy or Hesston College gathered in Hesston for a reunion. Pictured front row from left: Grace (Bergey) ’43 Brenneman (Souderton, Pa.), John Bergey ’48 (Hesston) and Lois (Bergey) Ac48 Swartzendruber (Kalona, Iowa). Back row from left: Eunice (Bergey) ’51 Hess (Lititz, Pa.), Ted ’57 and Shirley Bergey (Lexington, Mass.) and Chester ’48 and Virginia Bergey (Redlands, Calif.). A seventh sibling, Richard Bergey ’53, passed away in 2016.

Living in Pennsylvania, traveling to Kansas for high school or college was an adventure for the Bergey siblings, but the oldest, Grace, led the way and enjoyed her experience so much, she encouraged her brothers and sisters to follow.

As part of their reunion weekend, the siblings enjoyed a tour of campus and seeing the many ways it has transformed over the decades. They also noted Hesston College’s impact on each of their lives, pointing to the friendships they formed and the things they learned about themselves and life as important pieces of their journeys. Some met their spouses at Hesston, and combined, more than 20 of the Bergey siblings’ children and grandchildren are also Hesston alumni.

The reunion ended up being a particularly special time together as one of the siblings, John Bergey, passed away just two months later on November 27.