Discover the stories of our most well-known permanent residents.
Louis L. Berger, Sr. died on June 25, 1967 at the age of 87. Born in Detroit, MI, Mr. Berger operated a retail bicycle business there (and was also a member of a championship semi-professional baseball team in Detroit.) He lived briefly in Toledo, Ohio where he was a partner in an apparel firm for a year before moving to Buffalo in 1905. Upon his arrival in Buffalo, he opened a women's apparel shop in the 500 block of Main St. His store was considered high end and comparable to many stores in New York City. In 1910, Mr. Berger married the former Golda Alexander, a native of Chicago, and the couple had five children. Together, the couple managed their successful department store business over the next several decades—opening its “flagship” store at 514 Main Street in 1929, and later expanding into the suburbs during the 1960s and 70s. At its peak, the LL Berger company operated eight stores in Western New York. The last Berger’s store closed in 1991, marking the end of an impressive 80+ year legacy as one of Western New York’s leading retailers. Louis L. Berger, Sr. is buried in section FF in Forest Lawn.