Elmer Henry Julian William Berg married Marguerite Mary Nixon, daughter of Edward George Nixon and Anna Mary Catherine Humes, on March 13, 1922 at the courthouse in Greenville, Bond County, Illinois; in a Civil ceremony. Marge and Elmer were remarried on March 13, 1941 at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Kirkwood, Missouri in a Ceremony performed by Father Alphonse E. Westhoff, the best man was Joseph Schmid, and the maid of honor was Edna Genevieve Nixon.
Elmer Henry Julian William Berg
Elmer Henry Julian William Berg was born on March 8, 1902 at Des Peres, St. Louis County, Missouri. He was baptized on April 20, 1902 at Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, by Reverend P. G. Heckel the sponsors were Katherine F. Berg, Heinrich Julius Adolph Schoettle and Margaret Katherine Dorothea Schoettle; performed by P. G. Heckel, Ev. Lutheran Pastor.
He was enumerated with Henry Andrew Berg (Sr.) on the 1910 U.S. Census at Bonhomme Township, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, Elmer was shown as an eight-year-old white male born in Missouri and had attended school during the year. He lived with his parents, Lydia and Henry, circa 1911 in Weingarten, St. Genevieve County, Missouri; the family moved there because of a lack of jobs in St. Louis, living there only a short time before returning to the St. Louis area. Father Kotty, Bennie Nagers & Mother, Yaegers, Hogenmillers, and the Yonks were close neighbors; Felix Donze owned the grocery store, the postmaster was named Hoganmiller.
He was confirmed on June 4, 1915 at Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kirkwood. He received his First Communion on June 4, 1916 at Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church. He lived with his parents, Lydia and Henry, in 1920 at 135 East Monroe Avenue, Kirkwood, Missouri. He was enumerated with Henry Andrew Berg (Sr.) on the January 3, 1920 U.S. Census at Bonhomme Township, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, Elmer was an 18 year old white male born in Missouri. He was an automobile repairman and had not attended school during the year. He was a mechanic at Wielandy-Reller in 1922.
He lived with his parents, Lydia and Henry, in January, 1924 at 135 East Monroe Avenue, Kirkwood, Missouri. He and Marguerite Mary Nixon lived from 1926 to 1946 at 712 North Geyer Road, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. His Social Security Number was 487-38-4835. He was a plastering contractor from 1938 to 1941. He was the owner of Elmer Berg Construction, Incorporated at Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, in 1946. He was a member of the St. Louis County 49ers Dance Club circa 1950 at St. Louis County, Missouri. He lived in 1953 at 922 W. Essex Avenue, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. He retired from Berg Plastering & Construction in 1957. He and Marguerite Mary Nixon lived in 1979 at 922 W. Essex Avenue, Kirkwood. He lived in 1983 at Clayton House Retirement Home, Chesterfield, St. Louis County, Missouri. He died on September 4, 1984 at St. John's Mercy Medical Center, Creve Couer, St. Louis County, Missouri, at age 82 the cause of his death was acute myocardial infarction. His funeral service was held on September 7, 1984 at Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was buried on September 7, 1984 at St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Kirkwood, Missouri, in section 3, lot 6, grave 1.
Elmer and Marge lived across from Keysor School at 712 N. Geyer Road. During the Depression years, they moved out of the house so Lydia, Elmer's mother could move in with the rest of the family and rent her house on Harrison Avenue in Kirkwood for some income to support her family. They moved to the town of Lyon, Missouri in Washington County where they ran the phone exchange and a general store and furnished eggs to places in St Louis such as the Chase Hotel.
While they lived in Lyon, their daughter Gerry was sick and had part of one lung removed at a hospital in Washington, Missouri. They moved back to Kirkwood just prior to Jane's birth in 1934.
Elmer was a president of the Kirkwood Lions Club, a member of Kirkwood Park Board, and a charter member of Clayton Elks Club. Elmer lived the last year of his life at Clayton House retirement home in Chesterfield, Missouri. Elmer wrote his biography for the Kirkwood Lion's Club magazine:
My birth on March 8, 1902 marked the start of the fourth generation of Bergs in Kirkwood. On March 13th of 1922 I married Marguerite Nixon; we now have five children and fifteen grandchildren.
At the age of eleven started my first job: caddying on weekends at the Algonquin Country Club. My second job was dishing out ice cream cones for Richard Coulter in the same building where Ackerman's Gift Shop is presently located. George Lehman had an electric shop in the rear of the same building and I also kept his stock in order and swept up in the shop. After that I went to work in an ice cream and sandwich shop for caddies and members children in the basement of the Algonquin Country Club. This in turn led to making golf clubs in the club pro shop with Willy Kidd. From the Algonquin pro shop I went to the Sunset Hills Country Club pro shop to work where I soon became a steady caddy for August A. Busch, Sr. The last part time job I had while still in school was with William G. Anth Grocery where I took and delivered grocery orders. This work was done after school; the store was then located where the Osage Tavern now is on Kirkwood Road. ($4.00 a week) 5 Days.
After finishing my schooling I was in business with my father for a while. This business was the "Berg's Express"; in addition we made horseradish and pork sausage at home.
At this point I temporarily worked out of the Kirkwood area, working first for the St. Louis Paper Box Company and then for Brown Shoe Company. But Kirkwood called me back and I shifted into what I call the mechanical phase of my career at Kraus Motor then located where the Model Department Store is now. After Kraus Motor in Kirkwood I went to Kraus Motor in Webster Groves. Then back to Kirkwood with Bieger Auto Repair, which was, locate where the Jefferson Tavern now is. Next I worked at Phillips dodge in Webster, then back again to Kirkwood with Kirkwood Motors, at that time in a building on the site presently occupied by Multack's new building. After that I merely crossed the street to work at Jake's Buick (Model Department Store is there now). Shepard Motor Repair, at the spot where the Kirkwood Chamber of Commerce office is now, was my next employment. Following that I was with Reller Motors in Webster Groves and Montaque Nash in Webster Groves.
At this time I started working in the field that was to lead into my livelihood. Lathing in partnership with George Robertson led me to lath contracting on my own. At the same time I went into plastering with George Kuhn. Just prior to the depression I did plastering work with George Robertson, Sr. I also had over three hundred and fifty coin-operated machines (peanut, dice, gum, and pin ball) located around St. Louis proper.
With the onset of the depression I bought a general store in Lyon, Missouri. Here I learned to deal with the farmers: buying their eggs, their crops in the fields, and straw piles. The eggs were put in cold storage for later sale. I also furnished a partner in Eureka with pigs, which he fattened for selling.
In 1934 I sold the store and returned to Kirkwood where I wheeled concrete for six dollars a day. On the side I did patch plastering on my own. The patch-plastering sideline led to plaster contracting, which in turn led to the establishment of my own plastering business. As the business built up I branched out into home building and buying real estate.
Since about 1952 Elmer Berg Jr., has run the plastering business. In April of 1964 I gave the business to him. Now, I manage property, fish and hunt.
Marguerite Mary (Marge) Nixon was born on February 1, 1904 at St. Louis, Missouri. She was baptized on February 13, 1904 at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, St. Louis, Missouri. She lived with Edward George Nixon in 1910 at 4117 Green Lea Place, St. Louis, Missouri.
She was enumerated with Edward George Nixon, as "Mary M. Nixon", on the April 23, 1910 U.S. Census at Green Lea Place, St. Louis, Missouri, Marguerite was a six-year-old white female born in Missouri and had attended school during the year. She moved in 1915 from St. Louis to St. James, Phelps County, Missouri.
She and Elmer lived from 1926 to 1946 at 712 North Geyer Road, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri.
She was a member of the St. Louis County 49ers Dance Club circa 1950 at St. Louis County, Missouri. She was a member of the Kirkwood Lady Lions; she held the post of President circa 1950 at Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. She lived with Elmer Henry Julian William Berg in 1953 at 922 W. Essex Avenue, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. She was a member of the Clayton Missouri Lady Elks; she was President in 1953 at Clayton, St. Louis County, Missouri. She and Elmer lived in 1979 at 922 W. Essex Avenue, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. She died on September 29, 1979 at St. Joseph's Hospital, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, at age 75. Her funeral service was held on October 3, 1979 at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, Father Edward J. O’Donnell performed the service. She was buried on October 3, 1979 at St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, in section 3, lot 6, grave 3.
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