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Note: Bernard was the youngest son of Bernard and Mary Cordes, his father was already 52 years old when he was born. When he spoke of his childhood it was with great fondness for his family, their farm and the church and school in Aleppo. He spoke of how his sisters called him "Little Benny" and made over him. He farmed his parent's farm and helped his brother Joe at his farm as well. In 1942, two years after his marriage and at age 34 he and his wife and infant daughter moved to Colorado in search of a place to farm. Many people from Aleppo had already moved to the Roggen area because land was cheap. Because of the war, there were jobs to be had there, helping to farm in place of the young men who went to war. (He was not drafted because of a heart murmur, the result of Rheumatic Fever as a child.) They settled first near Kiowa and then bought their farm in Roggen, just a half mile from Sacred Heart Church, in 1945.
Ben and Dorothy farmed as dryland wheat farmers there until 1982, when they retired to Greeley. The farm is still rented out. Ben died in 1987 as a result of heart damage from scarlet fever he suffered when he was a child. He was a hardworking, thrifty farmer, loving father to his children, and loved to travel. He had a great interest in many things, including religion, politics, history, and never stopped reading and learning. He was known for his sense of humor and loved a good story.
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