Viola (Beile) S Bergner

(1) Viola Steinlauf was born to Louis and Minka Steinlauf in 1891 in Austria/Galicia (her Yiddish name was Beile). In June 1892, Viola immigrated to the U.S. (NYC) with her mother, and sisters Grace, Nellie, and Lena. Viola’s father and her other sisters Fannie, Tinnie, and Rose immigrated to NYC in1885; her oldest sister, Ruth, immigrated in 1888; her only brother, Harry, immigrated to NYC in 1892) [source: NYC immigration records]

(2) Minka died on February 2, 1893, and was buried at Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn. Louis put many of the kids in group homes/orphanages. Louis died in 1908. [source: death records, gravestones, family lore]

(3) In 1910, Viola Steinlauf (age 19) was living in a group home in Oklahoma City. [source: 1910 federal census]

(4) On October 29, 1919, Viola (age 28) married John Velde Bergner (age 29) in Chicago. John’s father (Peter Bergner) owned Bergner’s, a chain of department stores based in Peoria, Illinois. [source: Viola & John's marriage certificate]

(5) On December 1, 1926, Peter Bergner died. John took over the business. [source: various internet sources]

(6) In 1930, Viola and John Bergner were living in Peoria, together with their 2 adopted daughters Mary W. Bergner (age 6) and Ellen Bergner (age 8). They had a 32-year-old maid named Margaret Wilson and a 27-year-old chaffeur named John L. Fraizer. [source: 1930 federal census]

(7) On April 12, 1938, John Bergner jumped to his death off a bridge in Henry, IL. A Swiss company bought the company. [source: Chicago Tribune]

(8) On June 22, 1949, at 7 pm, Viola Bergner’s car swerved off U.S. 101, a rural highway, 3 ½ miles west of Camarillo, CA . Her car hit a tree. Viola (age 57) was killed instantly, suffering multiple skull fractures from her impact against her car. Mary Hagler (presumably her daughter) was the informant on the death certificate. Viola’s body was sent back to Peoria, IL for burial. At the time of her death, Viola had been residing at 626 So. Beechwood Dr., Burbank, CA. [source: Viola’s death certificate]

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 26 2019, 0:28:48 UTC