April 11, 1953
Father Bernard Garmann
Father Garmann was born on June 7, 1866 in Halverde, Westphalia, Germany, where he also attended elementary school. He moved to the United States as a young man and attended St. Joseph’s College, Covington, LA and St. Meinrad’s Seminary, St. Meinrad, IN. His ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Wichita was at St. Mary’s Church, New Albany, IN on May 15, 1909. After a brief time as assistant at the Pro-Cathedral, chaplain of the Dominican Sisters at Great Bend, and as assistant at St. Mary’s Parish in Newton, Fr. Garmann was made pastor of St. Louis Parish, Waterloo and St. Rose Parish, Mt. Vernon. He remained in this assignment until his retirement on July 10, 1942. While at Waterloo he baptized Eugene Gerber and predicted that he would someday be a priest (he did become a priest and also a future bishop of the diocese). Father Garmann died at the age of 86 on April 11, 1953 at St. Francis Hospital, Wichita, where he had lived in retirement for eleven years. Bishop Carroll celebrated his funeral at St. Louis Church, Waterloo, on April 14, 1953. Father Garmann was buried in the St. Louis Parish Cemetery, Waterloo, Kansas.