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RUSSELL BERGER'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY - Part 1

Childhood

Words and phrases in italics were in parentheses in the original.
Otherwise, the text is intended to faithfully reflect the original.

It might interest some people to know something about me. Certainly it is not my intention to brag about anything. Some day I Intend to make a will. Maybe some impertinent data is necessary.  Since everybody enters this world by being born, it mignt interest someone about my background. To be born you must have parents. Now we are getting down to facts!

My father was born in Lykens, Penna. Aug. 23, 1877  His father was born in Berks County Penna. about Jan 6, 1844. May we mention here, my father's name is Wilson Berger. His father's name was William Henry Berger. Now to mention my father's mother: Her name was: Harriet Templin. Place of birth not known to me.

Next, my mother was Jenny Heiser. She was born about 1882. I think she was born in Shamokin  Pa. Her father's name was Daniel E Heiser. Date of birth and place not known. Also her mother's maiden name and time and place not known by me. So far so good.

Now a little history of my grandparents as I gathered over the years. Grandpa Berger was a cigar maker, was wounded in the Civil War at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, was a laborer on the Reading R.R. Also he was janitor of the Shamokin High School, for 28 years and retired when past 70 years.

Grandpa Heiser was a baker and later a coal miner until retirement. My Dad was a breaker boy, in other words, picked slate. Then he was oiler boy on the incline at Cameron Colliery. Then he came to Pittsburgh in 1901 and became a brakeman on the B&O.R.R. in the Glenwood yards. After a few experiences close to death he hired out as Conductor with the Pitts  Railways. He kept this job for 42 years, retiring in 1946.

My name is Russell Leroy Berger. Born in Shamokln Sept.23, 1899. Before I was grown to manhood, I was to have many experiences. Dad said I wasn't very healthy. He mentions that a doctor was attending me or my mother over a period of years. I was supposed to have had an illness called brain fever, and a lot of other things. Since both grandparents lived in Sha.mokin, I was shunted to and fro, when it was necessary.

I had a sister called Helen. She died when about 1 1/2 years. She is buried in South Side Cemetery. In April 1903 my mother died while we were living on Eldora place, in Beltzhoover, right by  McKinley park. She is buried in Shamokin Cemetery. I'm very sorry I don't remember my mother. Dad says she was so good and missed her so much, he didn't care to live.

But things happen to people, whether we want them to or not. While I was in Shamokin with my Grandparents things began to happen. Dad was selling books in the neighborhood. This may sound absurd, but it's true. Dad called on a neighbor just in the rear of where my mother died. Their name was Hagan. They lived on Estella Street. They had a daughter Margaret. Nobody knows her exact age at that time. But Dad was about 26 at the time. I didn't mention it before, but Dad played the piano. He was too poor to own one, soo  Hagan's had a piano, daughter Margaret was lonely, so according to Dad, he was ordered out of the house. (I don't know how long this was going on.) But according to his story, daughter Margaret became very indignant when her father told Dad to leave. She is supposed to have said, and I quote, If he leaves, I will go with him unquote. That is how I got my first Step-mother. I don't even know when they got married. All I know is: Grandpa Berger took me by train to Lewistown Jct. there I met Dad. I hadn't seen him for a year or so. He brought me to Pitts. to meet my new mother. I was 4 1/4 years old. (about) Well, my new mother wore glasses, that impressed me first. I found out afterwords, my mother wore glasses. I also found out later that we lived on Curtain Ave. between Warrington & Climax St. But time blurrs the memory. It seems we moved only a block or so away, to Industry St. It was later described to me as a cottage. All I can remember was that the toilet was in the back yard. Oh yes, there was grapes. It seems we moved away from there in late September, (I guess it was 1905) because Dad picked a wash basket full of grapes. We moved in with the Hagan's. Back to Eldora place, just three doors away from where my mother died!

This was a new house, we had the second floor. (two rooms) I slept in the attic. My step-mother's sister, Mary also slept there. (no heat) The toilet was in the basement, and very dark. The house only had a very black sink in the kitchen with cold water. We kept a wooden bucket upstairs filled with water. Of course the lighting and heating was gas. In very cold weather the kitchen door turned white and swelled up so bad they used a chair under the door knob to keep it closed.

The Hagans' were nice people. Mr. Hagan's Name was Cormick Peter Hagan. He was born in Ireland. He was a White Wing working as a street & sewer cleaner for the city at $2.00 per day. In his day he was a steel worker. Their Son Charles got married before we moved in this new house, because their son was born April 1,1906. Sylvester was his name. Things are getting more complicated now.

I am getting close to the school age. Religion has never been a problem before. My new mother was catholic. She belonged to the L.C.B.A. a catholic organization. Dad and I were German Reformed. I was baptized in St. Johns Reformed Church in Shamokin. (Incidently I was born on church property on Grant St.) Academy Hill Shamokin. My Mother was United Brethern. So the Hagan's being Catholic complicated things a little. In Sept. 1906, my step-mother asked a girl next door (she was Catholic too) to take me to Beltzhoover School to enroll. I mean the Old Beltzhoover School. It was a frame building with pot belly stoves, but they burnt only gas with bricks inside. Their toilets were also in the yard.

All I can remember about my first days in school was: my teacher spelled my name wrong. I felt so alone because I was on my own. I didn' t know anyone. It was really an experience. This was Sept. 1906.

About Feb.1907 Dad rushed off to Shamokin to visit a brother, John. He was dieing of T.B. When we got back, my step-mother had a baby. What a Calamity! I was highly indignant! Such a thing doesn't happen! But it did. Elizabeth was her name. I have her picture. She was a beautiful child. Elizabeth died when she was about 20 months old. My step-mother never got over her greif. Her health started to decline. She passed away in November 1909. Dad and I became very close.

In early February 1910, Dad & I visited a Motorman by the name of Ott Cline. They (he & his wife) invited a woman who worked next door in a tavern over to meet Dad. That started another romance that went like lightening and swept yours truly in with it. April 1910 I had another step-mother. This time we moved to Paul Ave. (Now called West Climax) with a basement kitchen.

To begin with, this new step-mother's name was Margaret Kirsch. In situations like this, you wonder where to start.

Here was a brand new family made up of strangers. Dad and I didn't know her relations. She didn't know ours. But we managed to get acquainted, but fast! The first couple weeks was alright. But since Dad worked seven days a week, and very much in love, there was much that went on that was very disconcerting to me. Little by little I was introduced to household duties such as washing dishes, and getting my breakfast and getting off to school, without her getting up. This at 10 years of age! Well anyway it didn't kill me. I resented the way she did it to me. In the fall of 1910 her sister Caroline came to live with us while she finished school. I was glad; I thought she would share the chores, but not always.

During the winter, Dad bought a lot in Brookline and started to build a new home. We moved in may 1911. This was my first change in school. I was in fifth grade. Well, things began to happen. With only streetcars for transportation we were isolated, literally. Going anywhere was a long tedeous experience. First off the school was a mile away, and I didn't get to go to that one very long. I was transferred to the West Liberty school, which was another mile away. But when your step-mother yells at you to get up in the morning, and you get your own breakfast, make your own lunch, clean the bird cage, feed the chickens and change to your school clothes, you don't usually get to school on time. This all happened after I had that long vacation? From May to September. She had a baby in August! If I was wont to pour out my heart, I could point out incidents galore!

Well, summer of 1912 came: What a break! Grandpa & Grandma Berger came to visit in June. The brain started working. If they would consider me as their guest for awhile? I would be eternally grateful. Well, it worked. Dad was convinced. I needed a change in climate, and the Grandparents took on another boarder. I had my vacation and started to Shamokin St  school. Of all the luck! There was a school one block away, and I had to walk a mile to another. I was in seventh grade and there was no room for seventh grade at old Academy school.
 

Russell (right) with
his Grampa Berger
(William Henry Berger)

Grandpa Berger was a Janitor of Shamokin High school. That was another fact I failed to heed, but it could have been worse I guess. Since I was indepted to them I had to earn my keep as the saying goes. But the boys insisted on playing after school, including the Supt. own boy. But I was supposed to be at the High school as soon as the rooms were vacant. That presented another problem. Grandpa soon fixed that. He went to the Supt. Mr. Howerth and obtained a special privilege for me. I was to leave school everyday, ten minutes before school let out! The teacher could not detain me what so ever. Well, you know what that means: I was a freak; a teacher's pet, etc. But I stuck it out that term. Next year I would be in eighth grade one block from home next door to the High school. This would be perfect.

The summer vacation of 1913 came. We took a train to Womelsdorf. Maybe only a few people have heard of that place. It is South of Reading Pa. It is an orphan home of the Reformed Church of Eastern Pa. What a place! All I can remember is the crowds; Then of course the Sunday School picnic out at Edgewood park.

That summer Grandpa went to Gettysburg, 50th anniversary of that great battle because he was veteran of the Civil war. September 1913. I started in eighth grade at the Old Academy School. That lasted about six weeks. The old school was to be torn down to make a new High school. We had to go to Washington school over on Sunbury St. All I can say is: I wore out a lot of shoe leather going to school.

January 1914. There is a date to remember. But let us go over this again. I only mentioned living with the Bergers, working after school as janitor, but I didn't mention the Heiser's. After all they are my Grandparents too. From June 1912 to Jan. 1914 nineteen months of the best days of my, shall I say school days? The Heisers were a different kind of people. Rather poor, but stable, maybe that isn't the word for it. Comparing them with the Berger's is a task I don't wish to discuss. It is something the Berger's don't know anything about. I'm not ashamed to be associated or related with the Heiser's. They belong to God's best people.
 


   

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