Albert Franklin "Ben" Berscht

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-57079

Notes:

BERSCHT, Franklin (Ben) - Passed away peacefully, at Freeport Health Centre of Grand River Hospital, in his 78^th year, surrounded by his loved ones.

Beloved husband of Jean; dear father of Carla Denomme and her husband Paul of Waterloo, Cindy Mahn and her husband Garry, Barry Berscht and his wife Donna, all of Kitchener; loving grandfather of Laurie, Kelly, Robyn, Jamie, Christopher, Daniel and special friends, Allison, Corey and Serb; brother of Elsie (Mrs. Len Savoie) of Brampton and Marilyn (Mrs. George Genzinger) of Kitchener. Also survived by nieces and nephews, Peter, Andrew, Deborah and Judy. Will be fondly remember by good family friends, Mike and Brenda Somer. Predeceased by his parents.

The memorial service will be held in the R-B Chapel, 621 King St. W., Kitchener on Friday, Jan. 5, 2001 at 2:30 p.m., Rev. Sharon Clements will officiate.

Reception to follow in the R-B Family Centre.

Cremation has taken place.

Memorial donations to the Unity Centre of Practical Christianity or Grand River Regional Cancer Centre would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.

Albert — Jean. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-52469
• Occupation: 1911, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1911, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1921, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Store Keeper
• Residence: 1921, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1942, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1974, 105 Onward Ave., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

BERSCHT, Peter Albert - At St. Mary's Hospital, Sunday, March 17, 1974, after a brief illness, Peter Berscht, of 105 Onward Ave., age 86; a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church; husband of Ethel Lederman; father of Franklin (Ben) Berscht and Mrs. Marilyn (George) Genzinger of Kitchener and Mrs. Elsie (Len) Savdie of Sault Ste. Marie; also seven grandchildren survive.

Resting at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home, 621 King St. West, Kitchener. Funeral service will take place in the chapel, Tuesday at 1 p.m. with Rev. V.N. Cronmiller officiating. Interment Woodland cemetery

______________

(A native of Hespeler/Cambridge, John Shaw collected Waterloo County tokens in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time he also interviewed owners of stores in the region who used these tokens. Today he is a retired professional engineer living in Kitchener. While he no longer collects tokens, he would be interested in hearing from anyone who has knowledge of tokens not shown in his Waterloo County list. This short profile of one early 20th century merchant shows how Due Bills helped one innovative businessman run his store for 15 years in good and bad economic times.)

The Berscht store in Wellesley was representative of country stores in rural and small town Ontario at the turn of the 20th century. It is useful in describing how and why a great many small general stores used 'Due Bills' and/or 'Trade Tokens'.

Albert Berscht was born in Wellesley, Ontario on Dec. 23, 1887. (NB: The author interviewed Albert Berscht in 1970 and the information in this article is based on that interview.) At the age of 16 he obtained employment from William Kelterborn, the owner of the local general store. (NB: Wm. Kelterborn had already been using Due Bills in his business.) Initially he received two dollars per week for which he worked six days from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

In 1911, Berscht purchased the business from Kelterborn. The store was located on the southeast corner at the main intersection in Wellesley. As Berscht had very little capital, Kelterborn accepted a chattel mortgage. In the very first year of business, Berscht paid off this loan and greatly expanded the business. (NB: Albert Berscht was some businessman! He reportedly made $19,000 profit in his first year of business, 1911-1912.) Because the business was conducted primarily in trade and credit, one of his first acts was to acquire his own Due Bills. On a good business day transactions would amount to a thousand dollars but only a hundred dollars of this would be in cash, the remaining being in trade and exchange for Due Bills.

Farmers from the area brought in their butter, eggs, dried apples, other produce and commodities which they exchanged for whatever they needed. All this was recorded on the Due Bills. Berscht carried a complete range of stock to satisfy the majority of his customers' needs. He was listed as a general merchant on his Due Bills and sold groceries, dry goods, hardware, millinery, etc. In fact, Berscht claimed the only things he didn't have were beer and liquor, although he recalled one cold winter when he kept a barrel of whiskey for his drivers and customers.

Berscht built the business rapidly by innovative marketing and shrewd buying, often purchasing extraordinary quantities. He regularly employed 12 people in his store and the payroll occasionally reached 18 at a time (c.1915) when the population of Wellesley Tp. was approx. 5,000.

Berscht was the first are merchant to start the now well-known marketing technique of 'special' sales and he had handbills printed every month to advertise these sales. He frequently purchased railway carloads of peaches, cherries and other fruits from the Grimsby area. Once he purchased a carload of Palmolive soap cakes which quickly sold at prices below that of his competitors. Such volume buying and marketing is common today but was rare in Albert Berscht's time. One special that he always featured was bananas at 19 cents a dozen. Leo Longo, a leading wholesale fruit merchant in Berlin, sold the remainder of his bananas to Berscht each week after supplying the rest of the local merchants. By taking all that were left, Berscht frequently paid a much lower price than other merchants in Berlin and area who often sold bananas for as high as 40 cents a dozen in winter. Berscht occasionally lost a few cents with his banana offer but always had bananas available and realized a good profit from the extra business lured to his store by the always-inexpensive bananas. One indicator of the size, competitiveness and scope of Berscht's business was that he made two deliveries of groceries each week to customers in Berlin.

During the First World War years, when sugar was scarce and illegal to hold in quantity, Berscht obtained four carloads at six cents per pound. He had one carload in the back of Wellesley's Queen's Hotel (NB: The Queen's Hotel, owned by Louis Schaub, issued and used its own trade tokens.) and unloaded one into the upstairs of his store where he knew government inspectors would never look. Berscht then sent the other two carloads to London where he couldn't be traced. Due to the shortage, the price of sugar rose to 29 cents per pound and, on the savvy advice of his banker, he rapidly disposed of the complete shipment in about two months' time. Shortly thereaftrer the price of sugar dropped drastically but by then he had made a substantial profit.

Butter purchased from local farmers was packed in 50 pound barrels and a load was shipped every Monday to an ice car which stopped at the Baden railway station. Rancid butter was often shipped to Montreal for resale to Quebec lumber camps. Apparently the bushworkers were not too fussy about the quality of butter they ate! Good quality butter went to Toronto. Berscht could get an additional one cent per pound for butter that was moded in a print and wrapped in parchment. He could 'pring' 100 pounds on a Sunday afternoon which added a dollar to his weekly income, a significant sum in those days.

Berscht also employed two boys just to pack eggs. They could pas as many as 30 to 40 crates per day with 30 dozen to a crate. Mr. Moore of Waterloo purchased the eggs at about ten cents a dozen and shipped them to Toronto.

W.H. Millman of Toronto purchased dried apples every fall, paying one cent per pound above Berscht's purchase price, which averaged about four cents. Since the apples were sold by the pound it was profitable to make them as heavy as possible by soaking them in water before selling them. W.H. Millman acknowledged this practice and, in fact, soaked them again before shipping to Holland for the manufacture of dye.

Poultry was trucked to Buffalo where Berscht sold it for less than he paid. However, he was paid in American dollars which were then at about a 20 per cent premium resulting in a tidy profit. This business was so successful that he purchased a second truck just for shipping poultry.

For a while, Berscht kept a herd of about 20 fine Jersey cows on his farm as a hobby but found caring for them too time consuming and soon disposed of them.

Albert Berscht used Due Bills right up until he sold the business on Sept. 30, 1925. His successor, William Kumph, did not continue the practice."

WHS Vol. 97, 2009, "The Albert Berscht Store, Wellesley", by John Shaw

Albert — Ethel May Lederman. Ethel (daughter of Charles B. Lederman and Annie Roth) was born 10 Sep 1897, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 10 Jan 1988, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Ethel May Berscht
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-86049
• Residence: 1911, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1921, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1974, 105 Onward Ave., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

BERSCHT, Ethel May - After a brief illness, at St. Mary's Hospital, on Sunday, Jan. 10 1988

Beloved wife of the late Albert Borscht and loving mother of Franklin and wife Jean of Kitchener, Elsie Anne and husband Leonard Savoie of Sault Ste. Marie and Marilyn and husband George Genzinger of Kitchener, loving grandmother of Carla Jane Denomme, Cindy Mahn, Barry Berscht, Deborah Guilini, Judith and Andrew Savoie and Peter Genzinger.

Predeceased by her brothers and slaters. Friends may call at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home, 621 King St. W. Kitchener, on Monday (today) from 7-9 p.m, A private family service will be held on Tuesday with interment following in Woodland cemetery.

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62072984
• Name: John Berscht
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-52465
• Immigration: 1846, , Canada
• Immigration: 1847
• Naturalization: 1867
• Occupation: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter
• Residence: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1881, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter
• Occupation: 1901, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter
• Occupation: 1911, Wellesley Village, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter

Johannes — Barbara Doersam. Barbara (daughter of Valentine Doersam and Catharine Heis) was born 17 Jun 1852, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 5 Oct 1905, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , St. Marks Lutheran Cemetery, Wellesley, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62094527
• Name: Barbara Berscht
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-52466
• Residence: 1861, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Notes:

Mrs. John Berscht was born in Wellesley in 1852, and has resided here continuously ever since. In early life she was united in marriage to Mr. Berscht who with a family of Carrie, Lizzie, John, William, Albert, Edna, Herbert and Wilfrid, are surviving and all were present at the large funeral on Sunday except John, who resides at Didsbury, Alta. For over a year past she has been confined to her room, latterly growing worse until eleven o'clock on Thursday night when she quietly passed away.

Wellesley Maple Leaf, October 12, 1905

Obituary is supplied by the Wellesley Township Heritage and Historical Society Click here to go to their website.

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-86045P
• Residence: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1901, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Tailor
• Occupation: 1911, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Tailor - Tailor shop
• Residence: 1911, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1937, 23 Mansion St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

"Charles B. Lederman died at the home of his son, Burton Lederman, 23 Mansion street, yesterday, as the result of a stroke suffered last Friday. Mr. Lederman was in his 68th year. He was born in New Dundee in Aug. 1870, a s/o the late Mr. and Mrs.George Lederman. His wife predeceased him about four years ago.

Surviving are four daughters, Mrs. A. B. Pearce, Mitchell, Miss Winnifred Lederman, Kitchener, Mrs. Albert Berscht, Kitchener, Mrs. M. Davison, Brantford; five sons, Joseph of Plattsville, Horace of Hamilton, Burton, Edward and Kenneth, all of Kitchener; three brothers, William of Conestogo, Harry in Petersburg, Alexander at Baden, and two sisters, Mrs. Robert Knorr, Kitchener and Mrs. Amos Leach, Walkerton....

KW Record obit. of Wed., Sept. 15, 1937

Charles married Annie Roth 22 Aug 1893, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Annie (daughter of Joseph L. Roth and Sarah Rose Beam) was born 12 Sep 1869, , Ontario, Canada; died 27 Nov 1932; was buried , New Hamburg Reformed Menn. Cem., New Hamburg, Waterloo, ON. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Annie Lederman
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-86046P
• Residence: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1911, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62096731
• Name: George Berscht
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-225967
• Residence: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; R. Lutheran

Georg — Anna Elizabeth "Elizabeth Mansz. Anna was born 17 Sep 1797, , Hessen, Germany; died 23 Nov 1875, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Saint Mark's Lutheran Cemetery, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62096809t
• Name: Anna Elizabeth "Elizabeth Berscht
• Name: Elisabeth Mansz
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-225968
• Residence: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; R. Lutheran

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-52473
• Immigration: 1843, , Canada
• Occupation: 1847, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; wagonmaker
• Occupation: 1851, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Joiner
• Residence: 1851, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1861, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Turner
• Residence: 1861, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1861, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wellesley Village
• Naturalization: 1867
• Occupation: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Turner
• Residence: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1876, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Turner
• Occupation: 1881, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Turner
• Retired: 1901, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Valentine married Catharine Heis 26 Oct 1847, Greenbush (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Catharine was born 1825, , Germany; died Bef 1901. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Catharine Doersam
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-52474
• Residence: 1847, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1851, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1861, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1871, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-75687
• Residence: 1861, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1871, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Pedler
• Occupation: 1881, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Labourer
• Occupation: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Painter
• Residence: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1901, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Painter
• Occupation: 1911, New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Painter, Odd Jobs
• Residence: 1911, New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

George married Hannah Biehn 30 Nov 1869, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Hannah (daughter of Moses Biehn and Margaretha Barbara "Margaret" Detweiler) was born 12 Sep 1846, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 17 Sep 1921, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Hannah Bean
• Name: Hannah Lederman
• Eby ID Number: 00008-1029.8
• Residence: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1911, New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-78209P
• Residence: 1868, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1881, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Occupation: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1901, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Joseph married Sarah Rose Beam 15 Feb 1868, Stevensville, Bertie Twp., Welland Co. , Ontario, Canada. Sarah (daughter of Henry Beam and Anna Sherk) was born 24 Feb 1848, , Welland Co., Ontario, Canada; died 10 Nov 1933; was buried , New Hamburg Reformed Menn. Cem., New Hamburg, Waterloo, ON. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Sarah Boehm
• Name: Sarah Rose Roth
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-121826P
• Residence: 1868, Bertie Township, Welland Co., Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1891, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1911, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Income
• Residence: 1911, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite