Celebrating 20 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Celebrating 20 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
On Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 10 a.m., St. John United Church of Christ on Algonquin Road in Palatine will dedicate a new Civil War Memorial in the church yard, honoring three local men who gave their lives to preserve our nation and our freedoms. The public will gather to honor these brave young men who served our nation 161 years ago. Their lives and service will be reverently commemorated.
The congregation of St. John United Church of Christ was organized in 1846. In a time before many other churches existed, St. John’s German Evangelical Church attracted members from the surrounding communities such as Barrington, Schaumburg, and Hanover and Ela Townships. The church funeral register includes the deaths of three young men from the congregation who each died during their service in the Civil War and were never able to return home. All three were buried in different national cemeteries in the South but will now be recognized close to their homes.
Louis Bergman of Palatine, enlisted in the Illinois 113th Volunteer Infantry, Company E on August 11, 1862, at the Methodist Church in Palatine. Louis was taken prisoner at Brices Cross Roads, Mississippi, and held at Andersonville Prison. He was later moved to and died in the Rebel Prison, Camp Lawton, at Millen, Georgia on October 29, 1864, at age 22. He was buried in South Carolina. His family continues to be prominent in Palatine, and his story has been continuously remembered since his death at both St. John Church and the Village of Palatine.
Gustavus Heinrich Schaefer of Barrington, enlisted in the 6th Missouri Volunteer Infantry for three years on May 9, 1861, at St. Louis, Missouri, 24 days after the start of the war. He died from wounds received in the Battle of Resaca in Georgia on May 13, 1864. The story of Gustavus and his parents had rarely been discussed locally since 1883, but new research allows their story to come to life. Gustavus’s service with the 6th chronicles the first three years of the war leading up to the Atlanta Campaign in 1864 and his tragic death at Resaca. His parents’ role in 1860’s Barrington is the topic for discussion in his recently opened pension file.
Karl Ludwig Lange of Barrington, enlisted in the Illinois 134th Volunteer Infantry, Company G, on May 13, 1864, at Barrington for 100 days of service. The 134th guarded railroad assets at Columbus, Kentucky, where Karl died July 10, 1864. He was 15 years old. The story of Karl, his service and his family in Barrington, had been completely forgotten until now. New research helps illustrate Karl’s life and death for the first time, since his death was recorded in the published diary of one of his contemporaries from the 134th.
The dedication is presented by St. John UCC, The Daughter Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865, and The Sons Union Veterans of the Civil War. This is a free event, all are welcome. The Dedication Ceremony will feature a Color Guard, Pledge of Allegiance, Welcome by Pastor Sandy Kolar, and a church bell will ring for each soldier. Taps will be played by Mary Arvidson followed by an artillery salute with canon and rifles. The “Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln will be presented along with remembrances by attendees.
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James Frost is a local history researcher who focuses on St. John’s history and cemetery restoration. Visit the church’s online at stjohnuccpalatine.org.
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