Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of WILLIAM STANTON BERT This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 397 WILLIAM STANTON BERT, president of the Board of Edu- cation of the City of Martinsburg, Berkeley County, was horn at Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on the 3rd of March, 1862, and at the same place his father, John Bert, was born in the year 1835, a son of Peter Bert. Peter Bert was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and in con- nection with a revolution in his native land his property was confiscated. He then came to the United States, ac- companied by his wife and by two of his brothers, Peter and John, the former of whom settled at Strassburg, Penn- sylvania, and the latter at New Brighton, that state. The sailing vessel on which they crossed the Atlantic did not reach its destination until the lapse of fourteen weeks. The family name in Germany was spelled Bertt. Nephews of Peter Bert came to this country and settled in Balti- more, Maryland, and they changed the spelling of the name to Burt. From New York City Peter Bert proceeded to Greeneastle, Pennsylvania, where he followed the work of his trade, that of tailor, but his death occurred within a few years, his widow, a native of France, having survived him by a number of years. They reared five children: Louisa, George, Benjamin, John and Adam. Adam Bert was killed in the battle of Fredericksburg while serving as a Union soldier in the Civil war. John Bert learned the shoemaker's trade, and became skilled in the making of boots and shoes by hand. He be- came a successful manufacturer of boots and shoes, and continued his residence at Greencastle until his death, at the age of seventy-six years. He married Rebecca Houser, who was born at Greencastle, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Cantner) Houser. Mrs. Bert died at the age of twenty-six years, leaving three children: Mary Eliza- beth, Julia Prances and William Stanton. The father later married Kate Good, and four children were born of this second marriage: Charles Wesley, Arthur A., John W. and Elizabeth R. William S. Bert attended school until he was eleven years old, and then devoted six years to clerking in a gro- cery store. He next entered upon an apprenticeship to the tailor's trade with the firm of L. Cantner & Son, and after his three years' apprenticeship he worked a similar period as a journeyman at his trade. He next went to Mercers- burg, where he served two years in the merchant tailoring establishment of J. W. Rearick, and became an expert cut- ter. He then returned to Greeneastle and formed a part- nership with T. W. Brendle in the merchant tailoring busi- ness. Six years later he engaged in the manufacture of trousers and overalls, in which he continued operations at Greencastle until 1898, when he became associated with his brother Charles in operating the Shenandoah Pants Fac- tory at Martinsburg, West Virginia. Later he withdrew from the firm and organized the Southern Merchant Tailor- ing Company, with which he continued his connection un- til 1906. From that year until 1910 he conducted a men's clothing and furnishing-goods store, from 1910 to 1913 he was engaged in business as a merchant tailor, and in the latter year became associated with the Royal Woolen Mills Company of Hagerstown, Maryland, and later with the Na- tional Woolen Mills of Parkersbnrg, West Virginia, of whose business at Martinsburg he has since been in charge. Mr. Bert is a loyal and public-spirited citizen and has been influential in community affairs at Martinsburg. In 1910 he was elected a member of the city council, on which he served two years. He was again elected to the council in 1916, and he served two years as city treasurer. In 1920 he was elected president of the board of education. He and his wife are members of the First Methodist Epis- copal Church, and Mr. Bert is president of the Sunday school class of 200 members. He is affiliated with Mount Pisgah Lodge No. 443, F. and A. M.; Lebanon Chapter No. 2, R. A. M.; Palestine Commandery No. 2, Knights Templars; the Scottish Rite Lodge of Perfection at Mar- tinsburg; and Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine in the City of Wheeling. In 1899 Mr. Bert married Miss Minnie M. Diffenderfer, who was born at Martinsbnrg, a daughter of Charles and Ann Maria (Poisal) Diffenderfer. Mr. and Mrs. Bert have no children.