Max Berwin

Max was born in 1873 in St. Louis, Missouri to Sam and Dora. In the 1900 Federal Census taken on June 2, 1900 he lived with his parents and brother and sister at 1520 Washington Street. He was single and worked as a clerk in a dry goods store.

His mother was from a line of Jewish residents of early St.Louis while his father was a wounded Jewish Civil War veteran from Bomst/Babimost in Poland. She had been married previously to L. Schwarzkopf of B'nai El and had children with him.

Max Berwin and Sadie Marx were married in St. Louis on January 3, 1905 by Rev. W. Mecing (Messing). In 1911 he was a driver and lived at 2118 Biddle. He was a watchman at O’Fallon Park and the Baden St. Louis City Waterworks.

In 1930 he lived on East Warne with his wife and two children. He owned his house, worth $3000. He was a laborer.

In 1940 he lived on East Warne in St. Louis and he was a laborer in the City Waterworks. He only had a third grade education. His children lived there, and his son and wife and children also lived there for many years.

Buried in United Hebrew Cemetery next to his wife Sadie.

Dan has some personal recollections of Grandfather Max. Max would take a trolley from the city out to the suburb Kirkwood, get off at the last stop and walk a few blocks to the home of his daughter Julia, son in law Walter and grandchild Dan. Usually he would stay all day, rake some leaves, have lunch with his daughter, play Monopoly with Dan, have a cigar with Walter.

Max was a calm and composed person, with some good skills in playing games, and physical strength to do small chores around the house. He lived in a single room rental downtown after the house of his son Nate and daughter in law Ellen got too crowded with their children. He and his pals from the rooming house would help each other out in various small businesses like selling newspapers, distributing flyers, etc. I saw him once or twice on the street at Christmas time selling newspapers.