Sherrye Berger and Sigman Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: B300

Staff Only

Abstract

Louis K. Sigman, the owner of K&G packing, the largest independent meat packing plant in Colorado, was the son of East European immigrants. Born in 1881, he moved to Denver as a young boy. To support himself, Louis shined shoes and sold matches and newspapers to earn enought money to bring his parents to Colorado from Russia. In Denver, his father opened Sigman's Grocery in the West Colfax neighborhood. Louis began his meat business with just one calf and went on to become a well-known philanthropist active in the founding of Rose Hospital and treasurer of the National Home for Jewish Children. Sigman made headlines when he gave away thousands of pounds of meat to indigent Denver residents as well as kosher meat cuts to his co-religionists during the height of the Great Depression. His sons Sam and Morris worked in the family business and continued the familiy tradition of involvement in philanthropy and social welfare organizations as did his granddaughter Sherrye Sigman Berger.

The collection includes digital copies of photographs and scrapbooks featuring clippings related to Louis Sigman, and Sam and Morris Sigman, as well as clippings related to the work of Sherrye Sigman Berger.

Dates

1900-1997

Creator

Sigman, Louis K., 1881- (Person)

Biographical / Historical

Louis K. (L.K.) Sigman was born in New York in 1878 and came to Denver at the age of eight. In 1903 he married Theresa Cohen, daughter of Yitzchak Cohen. L. K. Sigman worked delivering meat in his father-in-law's butcher shop. In 1905 L. K. Sigman founded the Denver Packing and Provision Company in 1902 as a ''one-calf operation'' and in 1909 he merged his company with the Klink and Bourk Packing Company located at 1538 Blake St., Denver, Colorado. The company became the K. & B. Packing and Provision Company. In 1926, L. K. Sigman became the sole owner of the company and grew it into the largest independent packing plant in Colorado. Beginning in Christmas of 1931 and continuing through 1940, L. K. Sigman and his sons, in conjunction with the Denver Post, gave away an average 60,000 pounds of meat each Christmas. The first year over 10,000 people waited in front of the Denver Post building to receive packages of meat. The Sigmans had to borrow money in order to finance the distribution. Louis Sigman also gave away Kosher meat together with the Intermountain Jewish Newspaper. Louis Sigman died May 3, 1953. Louis Sigman was a founder of General Rose Memorial Hospital and signed for the bank loan. He was also treasurer of the National Home for Jewish Children. Louis Sigman's son Sam Sigman was born in Denver on December 1, 1903 and died on September 11, 1991. He graduated from the University of Denver and headed the K. & B. Packing Company with his brother Morris Sigman. Sam Sigman was a supporter of a number of civic, religious and professional organizations, including the Rose Medical Center and BMH Congregation. Morris Sigman, son of Louis K. Sigman, was born in Denver on April 25, 1905 and died March 12, 1983. Morris Sigman headed the K. & B. Packing Company with his brother Sam Sigman. Sherrye Sigman Berger, the daughter of Morris Sigman, has continued the family's generosity and has been active for more than 20 years at the executive level of community leadership, including promoting the arts, charitable services, and eduction. Some of the organizations include the University of Colorado Cancer Center, the Denver Chapter of ARCS, the board of the Center for Performing Arts, Colorado Neurology Institute, and the Children's Hospital Cardiac Care. Sherrye Berger has received many awards for her philanthropic work. She has two daughters and five grand children.

Extent

21.96 Gigabytes (1,109 digitized images)

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series: 1. Sherrye Berger, 1994-1997. 2. Sigman Family Scrapbooks and Photographs, 1900-1991. 3. Louis K. Sigman, 1931-1953.