SUDDEN DEATH OF NATHAN BERKOWITZ
Natahan Berkowitz died at his residence, 1311 Charleston Avenue at 10 o'clock, Tuesday night from a sudden attack of heart disease. He had been confined in his home about one week by pleurisy, but Tuesday evening his physician, on calling to see him, stated that Mr. Berkowitz was improved and would soon be able to go out. After the doctor left the house Mr. Berkowitz arose from his bed, went down stairs, talked with members of the family and returned to his room. Just as he laid down on the bed he died.
Funeral arrangements are pending the arrival of out of town relatives.
Mr. Berkowitz was born in Austria-Hungary on August 22, 1866. When a youth he came to the United States and lived in New York for some time. He then went to Milwaukee and made his home in that city for a number of years. It was there that he married his first wife, Miss Esther Goldberg. Of the ten children born to the union, nine survive. They are Elias Berkowitz of Terre Haute, Abraham Berkowitz of Champaign, Miss Lena Berkowitz and Miss Freda Berkowitz, both of Baltimore, Md, and Emanuel Berkowitz, Samuel Berkowitz, Jacob Berkowitz, Miss Mollie Berkowitz and Miss Dorothy Berkowitz, all of Mattoon.
About three years ago Mr. Berkowitz married Mrs. Bessie Hirschowitz of Brooklyn, N.Y. who also survives. There are two brothers, Markus Berkowitz of Czecho-Slovakia and Samuel Berkowitz of New York. Four sisters are Mrs. P Zuckerman and Mrs. Max Ungerleider, both of New York and Mrs. E. Newman and Mrs. L. Greenburg, both of Philadelphia.
Mr. Berkowitz came to Mattoon from Terre Haute in 1905. He had been in the confectioner business in that city since 1891. On coming to this city he established a wholesale fruit and produce business. This he increased in size until it became one of the largest concerns of its line in this section of the state, and necessitated the erection of the present modern two story brick building at Wabash avenue and Eighteenth street with automatic heating and cooling systems and ripening rooms for fruit from the tropics. Last year Mr. Berkowitz built and equipped a branch of wholesale house at Charleston.
Mr. Berkowitz was a member of Humbolt Masonic Lodge No. 42 at Terre Haute, a member of the Scottish Rite Consistory at Bloomington, Ansar Shrine at Springfield, and of Temple Israel and B'N ? ham of Terre Haute; member of Mattoon Lodge of Elkes, of the United commercial Trevelers, Trevelers' ? ive Association and the Illinois Commercial Men's Association.
There will be only a short ? prayer at the family residence in this city, following which the body will be taken to Terre Haute for burial services. Burial will be in Highland Lawn Cemetery, but the date has not yet been decided on.