Obituaries: Arnold Bernstein, 1937, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: December 24, 1937 Winn Parish Enterprise or Winnfield News-American Arnold Bernstein, Mayor Of Monroe, Dies, Heart Attack Served As Head of City Government 19 Years. Establishes Record Arnold Bernstein, 19 years mayor of Monroe, and a former resident of Winnfield, died suddenly from a heart attack at his residence early Tuesday morning at Monroe. He was 63 years old. Mayor Bernstein was stricken shortly after midnight Monday and after he had returned home from spending the evening with friends. Death came soon after being seized with a coughing and choking of the throat. His body lay in state Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. o'clock at a funeral home and from there removed to Temple B'nai Israel for the last rites. The Monroe City Hall and the city schools of Monroe were closed Tuesday out of respect to Mayor Bernstein and city employees, teachers and students were given an opportunity to attend the funeral at 2 p.m. o'clock. Mr. Bernstein has the distinction of serving the city of Monroe as mayor for a longer period than any other mayor in the state of Louisiana. During his 19 years of service he was instrumental in effecting improvements both in the city government and the city school system. Mayor Bernstein was born at Montgomery, Grant Parish, on May 2, 1874. His parents were among the early settlers of Louisiana and were planters. The father of Mr. Bernstein was a Confederate veteran. Young Bernstein received the education in the public schools of Grant and Winn Parishes and at Soule College in New Orleans. In 1896 he came to Monroe and entered the insurance business. Before going to Monroe he lived here with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Philip Bernstein, and uncle, Morris Bernstein. Prior to his election to mayor in 1919 he served in the city council, filling unexpired term of the late Joe Adams. Bernstein was active in promoting the change from aldermanic to commission form of city government and was the first mayor of Monroe under the commission form. His present term would expire in June, 1939. He was the active head of the city's public school system and expanded it from one central school to five, including the handsome Neville High School. Mayor Bernstein was always active in flood control work and was president of the Tensas Basin Flood Control Association, the organization which functioned after the 1927 flood to protect Monroe against overflows. Bernstein took a leading part in religious and charitable work regardless of race or creed. He was a member of the Temple B'nai Israel. His wife is the former Miss Corrinne Steinman, by whom he is survived, together with one sister, Miss Nettie Bernstein of Winnfield, and two brothers, Julian Bernstein of Winnfield and Rudolph Bernstein of Monroe, and one aunt, Miss Mimia Marks.