Gross, Dorothy Bercu, 1917-2015
Biography
Naomi Dorothea (Dorothy) Bercu was born June 14, 1917 in Douglas, Wyoming. Her father George Bercu owned the Chicago Hide, Fur and Wool Company in Douglas and in Denver. He married Olive Mistachkin and the couple became parents of Dorothy (1917-2015), Harryette (1918), Robert (1919), Bernard (1921), and Berverly (1935). From 1925-1928, Dorothy and Harryette danced on the Orpheum Vaudeville circuit around the west. They were later joined by Bob and Bernard and the whole troupe performed from New York City to Juarez, Mexico. The sisters also danced from 1936 to 1939. Dorothy attended the University of Utah in Ogden, Utah beginning in 1930 at the age of sixteen. She started a theatrical booking agency in Salt Lake City and taught dancing. Dorothy married Norman Gross in 1941 after he had signed up for her dance class. They raised three children, Valerie (Schreiber), Gary, and Dennis in Dallas, Texas. She also taught fitness classes. She died in Dallas in 2015.
Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:
Box 24, 1940-1997
The newspaper articles, photographs, objects and LP records illustrate the life of a Jewish family in the western United States. Some of the material is about Dorothy Bercu Gross who had been a Vaudville dancer and then was a fitness instructor. Her husband was a physician.
Box 26, between 1950-2000
Folder contains photographs of Valerie Gross Schreiber, Dennis Gross, and Gary Gross.
Box 27, between 1940-2010
Contains three scrapbooks with photographs and travel souvenirs of the Mistachkin, Bercu, Gross and Horwitz families.
Box 28, between 1940-2010
Contains five photograph albums and one photograph in silver frame.
Box 48, 1929-2002
Contains scrapbook (1930s and 1940s); Harold (Bob) Bercu photograph and correspondence (circa 1945); Norman Mistachkin (1935); George Bercu photograph (circa 1925); pencil drawing of Dorothy Bercu (2002) and George Bercu Masonic documents (1929).