Much of the history of the village of Berne in Adams County revolves around the name and activities of Christ A. Neuenschwander. Mr. Neuenschwander has lived in that old Mennonite community of Adams County for over half a century, has been prominent in the church, moral activities, and civic life, and has also supplied some of the enterprise for the business. He is one of the founders of the Bank of Berne, incorporated in 1891. He was one of the first board of directors, sin 1893 was made vice president, and since October, 1906, has been president of the institution.

Mr. Neuenschwander had been a member of the Berne community about five years when, in 1871, the tracks of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway were constructed through Adams County. In August of that year the first town lot was sold, the purchaser being T. P. Harris, who erected a frame building 20 x 45 feet, part of which was used for a general store and part for a residence. At that time Mr. Neuenschwander was employed as a cheese maker at a factory about a mile from Berne. He remembers when the first train ran over the railroad, consisting of one freight car and one passenger car, drawn by a locomotive burning wood as fuel. He personally knew both the conductor and engineer.

In 1872 Mr. Neuenschwander moved to the village, and with others established a general store on the present site of the People’s State Bank. This store flourished and developed a large trade throughout the country. In 1880 Mr. Neuenschwander bought a farm of eighty acres south of the village limits, put on most of the improvements and by the purchase of an additional forty acres developed a good farm in that community. To this he gave much of his time and energies until December, 1915, when he retired to his present home in the village of Berne. In 1904 Mr. Neuenschwander became a stockholder in the local electric light plant and since 1905 has been one of its directors.

Like many other pioneer families of this part of Adams County, Mr. Neuenschwander is a native of Switzerland. He was born in Canton Berne on the ridge of the Jura Mountains August 21m 1849. He has an authentic record of six generations of the family history in the old country. These various families, including his grandfather, spent all their lives in Switzerland. They early became identified with the Mennonite Church. Mr. Neuenschwander is a son of Abraham and Catherine (Zurfluh) Neuenschwander. Hew as the oldest of their children and the only one still living when, in 1852, the little family embarked on a small sailing vessel at Havre, France, with about fifty other Swiss colonists. For forty-three days they were driving across the ocean waves and finally landed at New York, going on to Wayne County, Ohio. They left Switzerland March 4, 1852, and were two months and two days in reaching Ohio. In Wayne County the Neuenschwanders lived for only a few months, and they went to Riley Township of Putnam County, Ohio. On a farm there the mother died in 1865 at the age of thirty-eight. In 1866 Abraham Neuenschwander brought his children to Adams County locating on a farm in Monroe Township. Here he spent the remainder of his long career and died in January, 1904, when nearly seventy-four years of age. As a citizen he began voting as a democrat but later became a republican.

Christ A Neuenschwander married a neighbor girl in Adams Count, Miss Anna Stauffer. She was born in Monroe Township of Adams County in 1855, a daughter of Christian and Verena (Habegger) Stauffer. Her father was born in Alsace and her mother in Switzerland. Both had been married before and, as widow and widower, they were married in Adams County. After their marriage they settled on a 160 acre farm which they cleared up, and the father died in Monroe townships in January, 1892 when nearly ninety years of age. His widow survived him some time and was seventy-four when she passed away. Both were birthright members of the Mennonite Church. Mrs. Neuenschwander was one of twins and of a family of six children, all now married and having children of their own.

Mr. and Mrs. Neuenschwander were married in the fall of 1875. Most of their children are now in independent activities and have homes of their own. Their names are: Ella, Menno, Elmer, Wesley, Leon, Meta, Selma and Edna. All are active members of the Mennonite Church. Mrs. Neuenschwander has been a deacon of the church for twenty years, and since December, 1877, has served as secretary of the Sunday School. In matters of politics he is independent.