Arthur Lee Berry
Arthur Lee Berry was born 122 years ago on July 11th, 1897 to his Father Robert Lee Berry and Mother, Mary Elizabeth Myers in Montgomery, Alabama.
** Interesting events that occurred around the World during Mr. Berry's birth year of 1897 included.
• On March 4th, 1897 William McKinley is inaugurated as 25th President of the United States.
• On April 19th, 1897 the first ever Boston Marathon is held with fifteen men competing and won by John McDermott.
• On May 18th, 1897 " Dracula" written by Irish author Bram Stoker is first published by Archibald Constable and Company in London.
• On August 31st, 1897 Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor to the movie projector.
• On September 21st, 2897 the New York Sun publishers the now famous "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus" editorial.
• In 1897, Dos Equis beer is first brewed in Mexico, in anticipation of the new century. "Dos equis" is Spanish for "two x", a reference to the 20th Century (XX in Roman numerals).
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Arthur Lee Berry was the second born child to his Mother and Father as his older Brother Rufus Eugene was born in 1895 but died during childbirth.
He also had twin siblings Alma and Albert who were born on March 5th, 1900 !!
Patriarch Robert Lee Berry supported his compact family in the field of farming.
By the year 1910 according to Federal Census records Arthur now a teenager along with his parents and younger siblings were now living in Sumter County, Florida.
Arthur ended his formal schooling in grammar school and began working with his Father on the farm.
On March 5th, 1916 at the age of 18, Arthur enlists with the Army in advance of the United States participation of the Great War.. The 124th Infantry was assigned to the 31st Division as part of the mobilization for World War I. After the regiment arrived in France it was split up and its soldiers used to fill other units as replacements... During the course of the war Arthur would be promoted to the rank of Sergeant...
He leaves service and returns to Florida after the war's end on February 21st, 1919... Eight days later, twenty one year old Arthur marries Hillsborough County Florida native Mae Register who was nineteen...
Initially upon his return from France he again works with his Father on the farm.
On March 7th, 1920 Arthur and Mae welcome a Daughter into the World whom they name May Aileen Berry ... May Aileen would be the couple's only child.
In 1921: Arthur makes a lifetime career choice change when he enters the field of law enforcement as a County traffic officer. Eventually he would become chief of the County traffic department before transferring to the city of Tampa police force.
Arthur would go on to become Chief of the city Vice Squad in the Tampa Police department !!
On the evening of Thursday January 30th, 1941 Arthur was riding with Tampa Chief of Police Woodruff when they receive a distress call for a "Holdup" at a local filling station. As the officers sped towards the scene their vehicle crashes into another car that had cut in front of them despite their blaring sirens. Arthur was thrown from the vehicle puncturing a lung, breaking 17 ribs, and suffering a variety of internal injuries. Police chief Woodruff attempts to call for help on the cars radio but it is too severely damaged and he cannot call for help as Arthur laid in the street. Eventually an ambulance picks the unconscious Mr. Berry up and rushes him to a local hospital where he was put on oxygen. Arthur Lee Berry would pass away the next day on January 31st, 1941... He was 43 years old.
It was later learned that the incident in which Arthur was responding to was an attempted purse snatching and the suspects had already been detained by witnesses.
Arthur Lee Berry... Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Patriotic Veteran of the First World War...