Below is the first entry in a new category here at PeteOfTheStreet Sayz, "Telling Lives." The basic concept of the category is the publishing of one obituary from the Sunday Los Angeles Times, but it's meant as a way into history much more than it is about any sort of undertaker-like morbid curiosity (the obituaries reprinted here are the ones printed in small type following the memorials to more well-known people). What interests me about obituaries is their intensely personal nature, and that each life story is as valid as any other. The obituary page is the telling of lives, lives none of us has ever heard of, but which are interesting in their own ways. While this may seem awkwardly new-agey, it's not meant to be that either. I'm drawn to these obituaries because the folks memorialized were born, moved around, worked jobs, had families, experienced ups and downs, good times and bad times, and contributed to the greater fabric that is subsequently strained and filtered to produce the kinds of grand narratives that are typically equated with being "history." It's these individuals' contribution to the larger historical process that I'm after with this category. I also have personal experience with obituaries, having written and delivered my grandfather's eulogy a few years ago (before sending it in to the San Diego Union's obituary page), and I approached that task as being about placing Freddie into some sort of historical fabric, of getting to meet him and find out what made his life unique. "Telling Lives" is therefore about history. It is also an opportunity to meet people. From time to time I imagine I'll provide some sort of comment on an particular obituary, but for now I think I'll just begin with Harry Gerber (even as I want to know more about his encounter with Russian bullets!).

Gerber, Harry
Modern Vaudeville, Original Funnyman, Super Clean, Sharp Dressing, Craftsman Picture Framer, Harry Gerber was born December 1911 in a small Lithuanian town where his family operated a general store. As a young boy, he escaped death when a Russian bullet grazed his hand. In approximately 1921, he came to New York City in a bread basket before settling in Yonkers. In Yonkers, his pet fish was negligently cooked on a stove; he adopted December 25th as his birthday because that was an American holiday; he spent weeks making a boat only to blow it up in the Hudson River, modeled for his father's suit business, ran for sheriff, and met his first wife Elsie Lubin, to whom he was married to for 43 years before her death in 1982. Elsie and Harry came to Los Angeles in 1939. In 1942, son Barry was born followed by Jay in 1947. While raising his family, Harry embarked upon business ventures ranging from raising chickens to help the war effort, making stake truck bodies, running a junkyard, and dry cleaner. During the 50's, Harry became a picture framer for the original Aaron brothers where he worked for five decades using his craftsman skills framing for the stars. In 1964, granddaughter Margot was born followed by Karl, Georg, Stacy, and Daniel. As a grandfather, Harry filmed, drank seltzer, described what he ate, made pickles, distributed weekly allowances, crafted items out of plywood, and invented his own jokes. In 1988, Harry married his second wife, Lillian and inherited a new family. In recent times, Harry was a regular at Pepe's aka the bowling alley, and had 2 great-grandchildren. Harry is missed by all and is survived by Lillian, his sons, grand-children, and great-grandchildren.

Published in the Los Angeles Times on 1/25/2004

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Who is the man in the category image?