A Barr City Cowgirl: Annabelle Bergman
- Robin Kring
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
by Guest Brighton History Detective, Elizabeth Moroney
Annabelle Bergman
1915 - 1987
Adopted as an Infant
Annabelle was born on January 22, 1915 in Denver. Her name was Annabelle Marian Babcock and both of her biological parents were killed in an accident when she was a few months old. Annabelle was adopted by Andrew and Augusta Bergman and her name became Annabelle Irene Bergman when she was adopted.
Her first home with the Bergmans was in Wheatridge, CO. She had two older brothers who attended Wheatridge High School. Her oldest brother, Walter married and lived in the Golden, CO area. Her other brother, Ralph, still lived at home with the family and she like to run errands for him. He would buy her things, and so did her Mom and Dad. They bought her things like a horse, roller skates, a china tea set and doll with a bisque head.
Moving to the Barr City Farm
In 1917, when Annabelle was two years old, her parents bought 640 acres of dry farmland 2.5 miles east of Brighton. Her father and brother farmed the land and raised potatoes, corn and wheat.
Her best friend was a little girl named Ellen Shaw and she lived one mile west of the Bergman farm. (I’m pretty certain that was the stone house.) They liked to ride their horses together and felt like cowgirls! The went to grade school together and rode in a green bus (International Harvester) to school. It would often get stuck in the deep snow in the winter. In the summer, they would sometimes get a special treat and went to Lakeside Amusement Park or to a carnival in Brighton.
Trip to Sweden to Meet Her New Relatives
When Annabelle was 9 years old, her parents took on a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. Both of her parents were born in Sweden. They traveled there by ship and it took three weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She remembers that her mother bought home linens and silverware they purchased in Sweden. Ralph stayed at home during the trip and took care of the farm. The family trip took place in the summer when there was much to do on the farm. They arrived back on the farm in September.
Trips to the Creamery and Piano Lessons
The next year, Annabelle’s parents bought a piano and she started taking piano lessons from a woman named Elsie Smith. She took lessons until she was 17 years old. Each morning Annabelle and her mother other took a horse and buggy to sell the milk to the Old Creamery on North Main. After they delivered the milk, her mother took Annabelle to her music lessons.
Moving into the Town of Brighton
In 1927 or 1928, her parents moved to new home on Second Avenue in Brighton. Her parents were getting older and they turned the farm over to her brother, Ralph. Annabelle’s mother had arthritis and it was becoming difficult for her to do everyday tasks. Annabelle helped her mother as much as she could.
The following year, Ralph married Nell Lawless. Ralph and Nell had two sons and one died as a baby. Ralph later served in WW II. One of Ralph’s sons, Robert, was very involved in the Brighton and Adams County communities.
Brighton's Bergman Park Named for Robert "Bob" Bergman
The land that is currently Bergman Park in Brighton was donated to the city by Robert Bergman and the park is named after him. Nell was also very active in the community, especially the Democratic Party.
Making Berry Boxes
Annabelle remembers that as the years went by, they added a few acres of strawberries and raspberries and some cherry and plum trees to the farm. They sold the berries in Brighton and also in Denver. Her father would leave at 3:30 a.m. to drive to markets to sell his berries and Annabelle often went with him. She remembered that she and her father made wooden boxes to transport and sell the berries.
Meeting William at the Dance
When Annabelle was 17 years old, she went to Wallace’s Barn Dance just south of Fort Lupton. Hamburgers were six for quarter and a bottle of soda pop cost a nickel. Dance tickets cost a quarter. At the dance she met the young man, William Taylor, she would soon go steady with and later marry when she was 19 years old.
Annabelle's Children
Her daughter, Wilma, was born a year later. She had two more children and later divorced her husband. Annabelle remarried in 1967. She continued to live in Brighton and eventually had many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A Tragic Loss to the Family
Tragically, daughter Shirley committed suicide at age 15. She went into the bathroom at the family home and shot herself with her father’s shotgun. She died before her father could get her to the nearest doctor who was 7 miles away. The newspaper report stated that she had been depressed because her father would not let her marry for 16 year old boyfriend.
Read More About the Bergman Family
Robin Kring aka The Yesteryear Detctive (also known as The Brighton History Detective) has captured the additional stories and photos of Andrew and Augusta Bergman family in her book A Stroll through Elmwood: Brighton's Stories Told in Stone, available at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQXYK655.
