Wehrly, Bertha M. Neff
1897-2001
Bertha M. was born in Milford, Indiana on May 23, 1897 to Jacob and Chloe Neff. After graduating from Milford high school in 1915, she studied music at Manchester College for two years, and completed her bachelor’s degree at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. While in college, she taught a few piano students, and after her return to Milford, she became a well-known piano teacher, giving lessons to many students until she was in her 80’s. For a couple generations of the Milford community, nearly everyone who studied piano took lessons from Bertha. She was a member of Bethel Church of the Brethren in Milford, called “Dunkards” by the community.
On November 1, 1931 she married Pearle Wehrly, who became blind soon after. In his later years, Pearle also became bedfast, and Bertha cared for him at home. While working outside in the garden or flowerbeds, she would keep up a running conversation with him through an open window about what she was doing and seeing. She had a powerful voice that carried well. Pearle passed away in 1970, and soon after, a young couple from the Apostolic Christian Church started milking cows in the Wehrly’s barn. They often overheard her talking out loud as she worked in her flowerbeds. At some point, she said to them, “You may be wondering about me, if I’m an old lady losing my mind, talking aloud to myself.” She went on to explain that she had been lonely after her husband’s death, but was comforted to realize that she could talk out loud to the Lord like she used to talk to her husband.
While working on revising the hymnbooks of the Apostolic Christian Church, Brother Henry Beer asked Bertha to compose music for some hymns. In addition to the two tunes in Zion’s Harp, Bertha also composed #134, “There Will Be Peace”, in Hymns of Zion. She passed away on September 28, 2001 at the age of 104.
Bertha M. was born in Milford, Indiana on May 23, 1897 to Jacob and Chloe Neff. After graduating from Milford high school in 1915, she studied music at Manchester College for two years, and completed her bachelor’s degree at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. While in college, she taught a few piano students, and after her return to Milford, she became a well-known piano teacher, giving lessons to many students until she was in her 80’s. For a couple generations of the Milford community, nearly everyone who studied piano took lessons from Bertha. She was a member of Bethel Church of the Brethren in Milford, called “Dunkards” by the community.
On November 1, 1931 she married Pearle Wehrly, who became blind soon after. In his later years, Pearle also became bedfast, and Bertha cared for him at home. While working outside in the garden or flowerbeds, she would keep up a running conversation with him through an open window about what she was doing and seeing. She had a powerful voice that carried well. Pearle passed away in 1970, and soon after, a young couple from the Apostolic Christian Church started milking cows in the Wehrly’s barn. They often overheard her talking out loud as she worked in her flowerbeds. At some point, she said to them, “You may be wondering about me, if I’m an old lady losing my mind, talking aloud to myself.” She went on to explain that she had been lonely after her husband’s death, but was comforted to realize that she could talk out loud to the Lord like she used to talk to her husband.
While working on revising the hymnbooks of the Apostolic Christian Church, Brother Henry Beer asked Bertha to compose music for some hymns. In addition to the two tunes in Zion’s Harp, Bertha also composed #134, “There Will Be Peace”, in Hymns of Zion. She passed away on September 28, 2001 at the age of 104.